Last week, luxury hotel group Aman’s newest property, Amanvari, made global headlines, and not in a good way. A YouTuber claimed that the hotel canceled his reservation at the last minute and then called the police on him. The backlash to this was massive, yet the hotel remained silent.
Well, the hotel has finally broken its silence, in the form of commenting on a story about the incident in The Wall Street Journal.
In this post:
Aman shares its side of the Ryan Walker & Amanvari story
If you’re not familiar with this whole controversy, I’d recommend first reading the two posts linked above, as I won’t recap those details here. Instead, let’s focus on what Aman claims. The core claim from Aman is that “the deceptively edited video created by someone unauthorized to be on our property does not reflect the circumstances of the incident accurately.”
So, what are the details, according to Aman?
- On July 7, 2026, Ryan booked a one night stay checking on August 3, 2026, at a cost of $4,662.82
- Ryan had claimed that he received the email about the cancelation late the night before (which he claimed to have only discovered when at the hotel’s gate), but when pressed by the WSJ, Ryan admitted it actually arrived the previous morning
- Aman claimed it never called the police, and reportedly presented its incident report to the WSJ, which made no mention of law enforcement; of course it has to be emphasized that in the video, the employee said “I need to call the police now,” and she walked off, and got on the phone
- Ryan said he didn’t see police arrive on site, but when informed by the WSJ that Aman said it didn’t call the police, he said he hoped that was true, and that this information would make him reconsider how the resort had handled the situation (I forgot, did he claim he saw military police, or am I imagining that?)
- An Aman spokesperson also claimed that Ryan bypassed the main entrance and ended up at a staff access point, but Ryan insisted his driver just followed GPS directions to the first entrance shown in the video
- Ryan admitted that the hotel emailed him five days before his visit, telling him it was unable to allow stays involving content coverage until after a month-long media blackout, and suggested he postpone his travel
- Ryan responded that the hotel should consider him a standard guest, and the property said it was prepared to welcome him, noting he could post content after the media exclusivity window, but filming public spaces would be prohibited, and filming private spaces required approval, and Aman insisted he made no arrangements with staff to film
- Ryan said that after he received the email about terms of filming, he didn’t hear anything from Aman until seeing the cancelation email on camera, though Aman claimed it also sent Ryan a WhatsApp message about the cancelation, which Ryan said he didn’t see
- Aman claimed it refunded Ryan the booking in full, pledged to cover additional travel and cancelation costs, and offered to help him rebook a stay; Ryan said he received the refund, but didn’t take Aman up on the other reimbursements
Does Aman’s side of the story change how we feel?
Now that we have both sides of the story, does that change how we should feel about this situation? Let me start by saying that there are always two sides of a story, and I never assumed that Ryan’s version of events reflected all of the facts, as perceived by both sides (obviously).
My conclusions were based on what we saw in the video. As I said in previous posts, for all we know, Ryan knew that his reservation was canceled when he pulled up to the hotel. Let me also say that while I think Ryan is one of the more honest reviewers out there, I’m not putting him on some pedestal.
Frankly, I wish he had been more transparent throughout all of this. He levied some really serious accusations, and he should’ve released all of his correspondence with the hotel, in my opinion. I tuned into the Q&A he did after the fact, and was disappointed by the lack of actual clarity he provided about what happened. He kept emphasizing how he wants to move on, while also clearly liking the attention associated with this.
That being said, nothing about Aman’s version of what happened makes me feel better about how the hotel group handled this. Let me again emphasize that this is a very expensive hotel, and people deserve to be treated with respect. A few things stand out to me:
- On the most basic level, what exactly is Aman claiming was “deceptively edited” in the video? And referring to a paying guest who you canceled on last minute simply as “someone unauthorized to be on our property” is offensive
- I don’t think Ryan intentionally pulled up to the wrong gate, but instead, I believe the story that this is where the GPS took the driver; that doesn’t excuse the response he received, so if that was really an issue, they could’ve just directed him to the correct gate
- I’m happy to hear that Amanvari reportedly didn’t actually call the police on Ryan, but even so, how on earth is it acceptable to threaten to call the police on someone who was a full paying guest who was canceled on at the last minute, who isn’t doing anything to be threatening?
- The hotel clearly lied to him about the reason they weren’t ready to welcome him; it was obviously because they weren’t ready for a review, rather than due to capacity issues, and they refuse to acknowledge that
- There’s not even a hint of apology in Aman’s statement about how they handled this situation, but instead, they’re full-on defensive; for a luxury hospitality brand, I find that to be unconscionable
- I’m sorry, but what exactly is a month-long media blackout, when we’re talking about fully paying guests? Aman is literally telling someone they need permission in order to film in their own room? Huh?! For example, a travel advisor posted the below video (she paid full price for her stay), but it sounds like she was also breaking the rules, or how are we defining media? Instagram is okay, but not YouTube, as both have the ability to monetize the content?
Yeah, I just find Aman’s response here to still be seriously lacking. Sure, we can quibble over the little details, but the hotel canceled the reservation on someone last minute by lying, threatened to call the police on someone, and a manager has refused to speak to him.
And the hotel hasn’t even apologized in any way for his experience? That’s not sufficient. This just isn’t what you’d expect from a hospitality professional.
Bottom line
Aman has finally spoken out regarding the Amanvari controversy with Ryan Walker. The hotel brand claims the video was “deceptively edited,” though nothing about their defense actually changes how I feel about this.
On the most basic level, a luxury hotel shouldn’t threaten to call the police on a paying guest who had their reservation canceled on them at the last minute. And the complete unwillingness of a manager to speak to him is unacceptable.
What’s your take on Aman’s response to this situation?
Nothing changes the fact that one night anywhere is not worth $4,700, unless you are departing with envelope containing $4,000 cash. People amaze me.
What I can't get away from is that this hotel costs almost $5,000 a night. No hotel is worth that, even if it's staffed by the world's hottest twinks.
They charge $5000 a night. For that price point there’s no excuse for any BS. His past reviews on their other properties have been honest and overall positive so it doesn’t seem that he has some specific animosity towards the company. Adrian Zecha would have dealt with this incident with speed and class, whether or not the “incident” was exactly as “reviewed”. At the end of the day nobody would care if the room was...
They charge $5000 a night. For that price point there’s no excuse for any BS. His past reviews on their other properties have been honest and overall positive so it doesn’t seem that he has some specific animosity towards the company. Adrian Zecha would have dealt with this incident with speed and class, whether or not the “incident” was exactly as “reviewed”. At the end of the day nobody would care if the room was $750 or even $1000 a night… extremity few hotels provide $5k of value a night (you can easily argue ~10 in the world do ) and this property isn’t one of them. It is solely to signal to others that you stayed there. If you argue that isn’t the case learn to think for yourself and stop being a sheep in life.
100%. Adrian is the GOAT for a reason.
And you keep schilling him relentlessly. You are like Tim Dunn defending Delta. Dude, chill. Or else you are really, clearly, just come across as Ryan Walker trying to defend yourself anon and making it even worse.
The concept of Antwerp telling someone else to chill is rich
"It is solely to signal to others that you stayed there." Yeah, that checks out.
Also, baaaaa!! *sheep noises*
My comment is, to some extent off the topic bbut I need to establish this point.
During Covid I was driving in NYC and encountered a traffic backup that was absurd and unlike any I ever experienced, Ultimately it was caused by trucks blocking the road and parked to supply motion picture filming. There was no way they were issued permits for blocking that road and I demanded to see the permits. I was...
My comment is, to some extent off the topic bbut I need to establish this point.
During Covid I was driving in NYC and encountered a traffic backup that was absurd and unlike any I ever experienced, Ultimately it was caused by trucks blocking the road and parked to supply motion picture filming. There was no way they were issued permits for blocking that road and I demanded to see the permits. I was immediately threatened with arrest by the personnel. NYC also provides free NYPD (police) to those filming.
The point is, being threatened with arrest anyplace is infuriating and for that alone AMAN must let those responsible leave.
Ultimately, The Mayors Office for Movie did confirm the trucks were not permitted to block that road but they were simply reminded. The Office involved, MOME seems to be beholden to the movie industry rather than NYC.
Read carefully was he threatened with arrest. No
Case dismissed
Threatening to call the police on someone and threatening with arrest is a distinction without a difference
Like I said initially - same on the hotel and they deserve a lot of the blame but the influencer was looking for conflict.
You've presented no evidence that proves that Ryan Walker was, "looking for conflict."
In fact, Ryan was the only person in this process that attempted to deescalate in the moment on the video, and even in reporting what happened to him, built in several off-ramps for Aman to demonstrate customer service recovery. His conciliatory attitude was met with more bad behavior from Aman.
Still working it... the same defenses, over and over and over. It's almost like All Due Respect has a vested interest in one side over the other.
Ryan Walker is not the point. The point is that Aman failed this basic test of their own values regardless of any interpretation of Ryan's actions. Aman lead with suspicion and hostility prior to any evidence justifying that posture, and then doubled down on it afterwards.
Thinking back to a moment at the Rosewood on the Big Island when we were using hotel bikes on their paths and mistakenly ended up on the paths of...
Ryan Walker is not the point. The point is that Aman failed this basic test of their own values regardless of any interpretation of Ryan's actions. Aman lead with suspicion and hostility prior to any evidence justifying that posture, and then doubled down on it afterwards.
Thinking back to a moment at the Rosewood on the Big Island when we were using hotel bikes on their paths and mistakenly ended up on the paths of the Four Seasons next door. FS staff greeted us, showed polite curiosity and politely informed us of our mistake and helpfully provided us with directions to get back on the Rosewood property. No police call threatened, no hostility, and a clear demonstrated willingness to give us the benefit of the doubt.
I don't know Ryan. I don't know his motives. I don't know what he knew or when. But I am confident that Aman failed this test and then doubled down on it.
Dave, even if I don't agree with them all the time, you gotta admire the raw passion of folks like ADR and TD who fight the good fight on here. (ADR as a 'Guest' no less; they not goin' for OMAAT gift cards, you see!)
1990 I'll be direct on my motives. This pissed me off. Don't know Ryan, only recently familiar with his work. Quite frankly I've not watched one of his videos from beginning to end because I was not interested in hearing him speak for that long.
In this scenario, I've seen Aman act in a truly bizarre manner and then not take advantage of the multiple off-ramps they've been offered to redeem the situation and...
1990 I'll be direct on my motives. This pissed me off. Don't know Ryan, only recently familiar with his work. Quite frankly I've not watched one of his videos from beginning to end because I was not interested in hearing him speak for that long.
In this scenario, I've seen Aman act in a truly bizarre manner and then not take advantage of the multiple off-ramps they've been offered to redeem the situation and mend fences. Aman is meant to be a hospitality company, not a hostility company.
Excuse me a seasoned luxury traveller claims to be unable to tell the difference between the main entrance of a 6k ressort from a staff entrance?
Here goes all credibility
That claim was never made. Ryan even stated that they were wondering, wether it was the right entrance or not.
The correct way to handle the situation would have been to show them the correct entrance, maybe even escort them.
The interaction seen in Ryans video was a worst case scenario for a guest and Aman failed to prove anything other than that...
100%
He was wondering….. he was wondering if he was at the right entrance? I do not know what would happen to anybody who would try to get on the grounds of a luxury hotel via a staff entrance but my money would be on a not nice experience.
Proof that WSJ can be bought and not like what they used to be.
Frankly I was surprised at the asymmetry of skepticism displayed in the writing.
With the lets say the "lack of interest" I have received from hotel companies when presented with a valid complaint, I could understand why some folks need to embellish the complaint. I don't necessarily condone it, but I understand their reasoning.
We robbed in daylight at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bayswater London, but the FOM with his colleagues in a plan, proven. We pressed on and within months he and 7 colleagues involved all...
With the lets say the "lack of interest" I have received from hotel companies when presented with a valid complaint, I could understand why some folks need to embellish the complaint. I don't necessarily condone it, but I understand their reasoning.
We robbed in daylight at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bayswater London, but the FOM with his colleagues in a plan, proven. We pressed on and within months he and 7 colleagues involved all resigned, off to another hotel to do the same I suppose.
Did Hilton care? Not at all.
Is it me or is All Due Respect working awfully hard to defend Ryan Walker? Just sayin'...
It's just you. This has entailed almost no work.
Also, Aman was cartoonishly obtuse and y'all are inventing these wild stories about this guy with no evidence. Maybe I'm just tired of seeing folks take up the side of a hotel company that has abandoned its values, treated a human who paid for his visit like trash, and refused to admit any mistakes.
My position would be the same if it were Ryan Walker, Greta...
It's just you. This has entailed almost no work.
Also, Aman was cartoonishly obtuse and y'all are inventing these wild stories about this guy with no evidence. Maybe I'm just tired of seeing folks take up the side of a hotel company that has abandoned its values, treated a human who paid for his visit like trash, and refused to admit any mistakes.
My position would be the same if it were Ryan Walker, Greta Thunberg, Bert from the coffee shop, or even your mom. People should stop carrying the water for Aman on this, they were transparently in the wrong.
I specifically enjoyed the inclusion of Disco Dave’s mom. As far as I can tell, All Due Respect is thoughtful, at least. Doesn’t that count anymore, friends?
Thoughtful and articulate. Almost as someone who does reviews for a living ;)
Well Anna, perhaps I ought to change careers then
He is Ryan Walker. By now that is obvious. (And if he is not he should be)
I donno who he is (or who I am), but, I must say, All Due Respect f***s. (In a good way.)
LOL thanks 1990. Mikey and his lot sure do love to weave their fantasies and make statements entirely unmoored from fact.
Anyone who is remotely interested in determining whether or not Ryan and I are the same person need only do a rudimentary analysis of our writing styles and they will learn quickly that we are not the same person.
It's sad that people immediately resort to making up fantasies and adopting conspiracy theory takes when they see something that questions.. Anything? I wanted to say beliefs but why are these people so bent on defending a hotel brand to the point of thinking you're Ryan Walker lol.
Content offers critical thinking. Response: "well here's our critical thinking, you're being paid or you're the same guy."
Bet you money if a hotel treated them...
It's sad that people immediately resort to making up fantasies and adopting conspiracy theory takes when they see something that questions.. Anything? I wanted to say beliefs but why are these people so bent on defending a hotel brand to the point of thinking you're Ryan Walker lol.
Content offers critical thinking. Response: "well here's our critical thinking, you're being paid or you're the same guy."
Bet you money if a hotel treated them this way like call the cops if they accidentally go to the wrong entrance, they'd complain about it.
Half truth isn’t the whole truth. I’m disappointed that Ryan didn’t put all the facts upfront. With that said, Aman didn’t come out of this looking any better in my eyes. Having been to more than 12 Amans, I’m their target audience and I can say I absolutely will not go to Amanvari unless an Aman GM I know of is helming it.
Half the truth? The guy misread the time stamp
by a few hours. That’s the only factual correction here. That’s it. And it doesn’t materially change the story.
Fair on the rest.
I agree.
I don’t know how much weight to give to the ‘Ryan made an honest mistake’ theory.
Ryan could and should have done better. The damage has now been done.
Nevertheless, the damage on Ryan’s side is minimal, and from what I saw of the livestream, I thought he was very neutral and fair (as neutral as anyone can be after a situation like that...)
In my view, the damage to...
I agree.
I don’t know how much weight to give to the ‘Ryan made an honest mistake’ theory.
Ryan could and should have done better. The damage has now been done.
Nevertheless, the damage on Ryan’s side is minimal, and from what I saw of the livestream, I thought he was very neutral and fair (as neutral as anyone can be after a situation like that...)
In my view, the damage to Aman is enormous. Regardless of Ryan’s reporting, everything about Aman’s reaction was poor and simply wrong.
Even the new information doesn’t really make things any better...
I agree, Max, that the damage to Aman is enormous. I've long enjoyed staying at specific Aman hotels. As longer tenured staff have started to retire, I've been less inclined to maintain loyalty. There's too much world out there and too many grand hotels with more consistent hospitality values to continue to spend time on an Aman that has indicated that chasing Insta-klout is more important than maintaining the standards that made Aman what it is.
About time they responded (what took so long?) - at this price, savvy communication should be a given.
Still bizarre. Direct him to the correct gate, don't threaten him.
I can't imagine staying in a place 1/5 that price without the staff falling over themselves to be polite and helpful. Even more so in Mexico, where service folks are on average much nicer than in many places, and the labor dollar goes much...
About time they responded (what took so long?) - at this price, savvy communication should be a given.
Still bizarre. Direct him to the correct gate, don't threaten him.
I can't imagine staying in a place 1/5 that price without the staff falling over themselves to be polite and helpful. Even more so in Mexico, where service folks are on average much nicer than in many places, and the labor dollar goes much further than other markets. Threatened at the gate shouldn't even enter the realm of possibility for how to treat somebody who was confirmed to stay there.
Can't believe people are so eager to jump on the wagon to be a brand's boot licker. Ryan's oversight and selection tell of truth doesn't nearly offset the deception, lack of communication, and service failure of Aman.
How does one "internal report" discredit "I'm going to call police" and then make a call on the camera?! Are these people insane?
Maybe it's a Marshall McLuhan / the medium is the message sort of thing, where people reflectively decide that anyone who publishes on YouTube is an influencer, and they don't like influencers, so they're going to invent loads of bad motives on this reviewer's part because of that. That's the best explanation I have so far.
You said you based the first post on an influencers video. Most of these vlogers and so called influencers are parasites and wankers. Believing them was your first mistake.
And yet you're here reading, calling this site's founder industry names and commenting in it.
Daddy issues?
Good. As I said from the start of this stupidity the days of influencers thinking they own the story is ending. Ryan may be a decent guy but the core of the industry leans into drama and demands attention regardless of good intentions. For clicks. For notoriety. For whatever. Influencers can’t help themselves. And social media just mixes this up into a giant witches brew of poison. Take this as a small sample study of how messed up society is today.
Not terribly clever to label everyone who publishes on YouTube an "influencer". While I'm not terribly well versed in his broader oeuvre, Ryan does not appear to take on the characteristics of an "influencer".
Generally I do not like the influencer economy, but I try very hard not to dislike individual people. That includes the Aman spokesperson who so disingenuously engaged with WSJ.
Aman's share of the fault 90%
Ryan 10% for lack of full disclosure.
Today this story is front page news on the Wall Street Journal. That says something. It’s certainly publicly for this Aman hotel, for better or worse.
Some famous guests may actually see it as a positive that the hotel tries to keep influencers away. Their style to do so is debatable though.
(I’ve been saying… this is all a stunt, hype, attention economy, free publicity, for all parties involved… we wouldn’t normally be talking about Aman on here that much…)
Real Aman guests will see this as a positive, keeping influencers and other leeches is welcomed.
No, Alan. We won't.
All Due Respect is NOT your typical Aman client.
Tell me in detain what the "typical" Aman client is.
Tell me in "detail" what the "typical" Aman client is.
Typo again due to voice-to-text and me quite frankly not proofreading these. I'm sure Mike will use this typo as evidence of my lack of typical Aman client-ness.
People with more money than brain cells.
is this over yet?
People who I have no interest in their reviews trying to review a property no sane person* would want to stay at.
*By this, I mean no sane person without money to burn.
Spot on.
I was about to comment, but you have done so much better than I ever would.
Fascinating that criticism of Aman is based on:
- A video of their staff making contradictory and false statements
- A video of their staff telling him they are calling the police
- Aman ignoring this moment until they couldn't
- Aman failing to materially refute his statement whilst failing to show one iota of good faith or hospitality (or allowing for the possibility that any of their response could have...
Fascinating that criticism of Aman is based on:
- A video of their staff making contradictory and false statements
- A video of their staff telling him they are calling the police
- Aman ignoring this moment until they couldn't
- Aman failing to materially refute his statement whilst failing to show one iota of good faith or hospitality (or allowing for the possibility that any of their response could have been improved)
Criticisms of Ryan tend to revolve around
- Nitpicking the time of day for his day-before last-minute cancellation email from Aman
- Inventing motives not in evidence and scenarios not in evidence (speculation about when he knew what, what his motives were, inviting stories about him approaching another gate, etc)
When one side is criticized based on observable fact, and the other based largely on innuendo, speculation and fiction, it's easy to see who comes out as the good actor here.
Oh, and I don't like influencers, don't particularly like or dislike Ryan, and I've had many good experiences at Aman hotels.
Taking more than 24 hours after the story blows up is always unacceptable. It's shows they are finding a defense rather than acknowledging the situation.
Releasing through a press is just that... a press release. A script for the press.
Just these 2 reasons is more than enough to see through Aman's integrity.
I can't really blame Ryan for baiting Aman. It's part of what influences do right Cahill?
Aman was stupid to take...
Taking more than 24 hours after the story blows up is always unacceptable. It's shows they are finding a defense rather than acknowledging the situation.
Releasing through a press is just that... a press release. A script for the press.
Just these 2 reasons is more than enough to see through Aman's integrity.
I can't really blame Ryan for baiting Aman. It's part of what influences do right Cahill?
Aman was stupid to take the bait and trying to pull a fluffy Tim Dunn.
I think Amanvari showed their own "incident report" to WSJ as "proof" that they never called the police. They can say whatever they want in their own incident report or even edit it afterwards. I would not trust it.
Agreed.
Genuinely surprised about the number of people who seem to think this explanation makes Aman look good
Yeah, there's an oddly large number of people on here willing to believe fantasies about Ryan and disbelieve facts about Aman.
I find Ryan to be a flat out liar. You cant film was the condition of admittance and he knew so 5 days in advance. Showing up with a videographer is thus trespassing. Trying to use both the employee entrance and the delivery entrance is trespassing. Guests use the front door. Intruders try other means. The full price $6k somehow became 25% off (as Ryan told us should happen during an opening period). The military...
I find Ryan to be a flat out liar. You cant film was the condition of admittance and he knew so 5 days in advance. Showing up with a videographer is thus trespassing. Trying to use both the employee entrance and the delivery entrance is trespassing. Guests use the front door. Intruders try other means. The full price $6k somehow became 25% off (as Ryan told us should happen during an opening period). The military police who stopped him but now have been forgotten. The fake fears for his safety (while negotiating reimbursement from the hotel). Aman doed not need intruders like Ryan to disturb actual guests. Ryans viewers are not Amans clients. But kudos to Aman for the WSJ piece. Those who hate influencers have a new favorite hotel ... a bit pricey ... but Ryan and his ilk are unwelcome.
Great fantasies Mikey. This Ryan guy owe you money? Weird how fixated you are on crafting elaborate fantasies about him.
I have to vehemently disagree. I was taken in by Ryans story. I cancelled multiple client bookings. But Ryan has twisted the truth beyond recognition. There is no excuse for ANYONE who is not an employee to demand access through the employee entrance. After a while if they did not leave i too would announce i was calling the police. I am 1000% certain Ryan had some interaction at the public entrance but that we...
I have to vehemently disagree. I was taken in by Ryans story. I cancelled multiple client bookings. But Ryan has twisted the truth beyond recognition. There is no excuse for ANYONE who is not an employee to demand access through the employee entrance. After a while if they did not leave i too would announce i was calling the police. I am 1000% certain Ryan had some interaction at the public entrance but that we have not been shown. And then he makes a mysterious appearance at the delivery entrance. None of this is the actions of a "guest". Ryan told them to treat him like a guest but shows up with a videographer ... again not what a guest would do. Ryan indeed claimed he was stopped by the military police but that "untruth" has gone unaddressed. Lets restate what happened: Ryan acted like an intruder and was properly treated like one. He was offered the opportunity to be a guest he chose a different path. Ben your analysis starts from the premise that Ryan was entitled to guest like treatment ... i would request you revisit that assumption. Intruders are NOT guests. Ryan made himself an intruder. And for what reason? To be there a month before others? Ryan's lack of candor moves his credibility to zero. He owes Aman an apology but no matter the WSJ article will do wonders for their business. Not what Ryan hoped wouod be the results of the tale of his intrusion ... but a just ending.
You're adding elements not supported by the video or the WSJ article.
- Getting the precise time of his day before cancellation wrong in the moment is not twisting the truth beyond recognition.
- Ryan did not demand access.
- Ryan did politely ask to speak to someone from the hotel.
- Ryan did nothing to justify contacting the police (which Aman denies they did).
If Ryan, "had some interaction at the...
You're adding elements not supported by the video or the WSJ article.
- Getting the precise time of his day before cancellation wrong in the moment is not twisting the truth beyond recognition.
- Ryan did not demand access.
- Ryan did politely ask to speak to someone from the hotel.
- Ryan did nothing to justify contacting the police (which Aman denies they did).
If Ryan, "had some interaction at the public entrance but that we have not been shown," why has Aman not stated that? It would be easy for Aman to mention that, as it would be for Aman to indicate any of the other extreme interpretations you've invented here.
Aman owes Ryan an apology, not the other way around.
You friend are clearly not an Aman client and hello with your attitude they would gratefully keep it that way. Aman is about privacy. Ryan was seeking fame.
Incorrect. I've stayed at multiple Amans.
Unless you have access to the interior of Ryan's mind or data about my hotel stays, you have demonstrated a capacity for stating your imagined details about others as fact. Not a great look.
Same here, All Due Respect. I'm in the double-digits. I'm still shocked that Aman hasn't made this right, yet. I wonder if it'd ever be exposed that there's a grand conspiracy by Ryan and Aman to concoct this controversy for mutual outrage and free coverage benefits... (or it's just so wild and inexplicable that drifting to mild conspiracy theories is all that's left to do here.)
Glad to see that it's just the Saudis who've bought Ben off, not the Russian oligarchs behind Aman!
Poor little influencer that doesn’t read his email. The hotel did everything correct. We don’t want a content influencer, if that’s even a real job, coming to a property until all the kinks are worked out. Plus, he knew this well in advance and came anyway. He’s just another attention seeking non-contributing member of Planet Earth who would rather spend his time espousing his opinion instead of having a job that does meaningful work.
Hey "Ben Guest". What have you done to justify your place in this crowed world?
He can spell crowded. Unlike you
Oh snap! A typo! What a great own Mikey...
"He can spell crowded. Unlike you"
This you? "...they would gratefully keep..."
Pot, meet kettle.
I was not asked how i earned my place but feel free to google and find out.
I hope you're not really Michael Lissack, the TA. Can't be good for business, prospective clients finding you like to unload rambling unhinged fantasies in the comments sections of travel sites.
Oh crap, so my wife can’t make a private sex tape there next week…….or wait we can, but need consent…..might as well just ask them to come watch……cancel
"Yowzers!"
First, I meant that with “ME” and it was my complete accident I did not catch my missed words. Second, I was trying to make a joke.
Ben - Aman haven’t redeemed themselves but perhaps calling for the GMs career to end was a bit much?
Lesson learnt is that bloggers like @Ben shouldn’t just give publicity to one side of the story and WAIT till both sides are available to present a balanced view
That is by no means the lesson. Ben reported what was available. If participation of both sides is required to report on a story, then one side can use non participation to kill a story.
Ben showed a fair amount of skepticism to some of Ryan's claims as well, particularly Ryan's claim that he'd not seen the cancelation email.
Aman does not come out of this looking good even after their response.
@All due Respect.
Reporting? Ben called for the GM’s career to be over. That’s not reporting. That’s witch hunting based on one person’s twisted account. One that is now clearly not as “reported.”
Unprofessionell handling from Aman.
Geez mate... global headlines? You so embellish things. Didn't appear in a single news bulletin in Australia etc. And theres 2 sides to each story. You jumped on the side of walker initially saying how fair he is etc. Not it seems the fence splinters are starting to poke your bum.
Ben and his blog also do not come out unscathed. Ben jumped to conclusions based on uncorroborated facts and a very, very, very self-serving version of events that was suspicious and questionable from the start. He let his bias take the best of him in this case.
Not the first time!
Incorrect. Ben did not jump "to conclusions based on uncorroborated facts" and simply reacted to what was documented. While a non reporter (Ryan Walker) may not have kept track of all the details in media res, he clarified certain details with transparency, showed generosity of spirit toward Aman (hoping that they did not in fact call the police, despite the woman at the gate telling him she would), and frankly none of what's in the...
Incorrect. Ben did not jump "to conclusions based on uncorroborated facts" and simply reacted to what was documented. While a non reporter (Ryan Walker) may not have kept track of all the details in media res, he clarified certain details with transparency, showed generosity of spirit toward Aman (hoping that they did not in fact call the police, despite the woman at the gate telling him she would), and frankly none of what's in the WSJ article materially changes the story.
Reviewer booked hotel stay, negotiated over email how to cover it, got his reservation canceled the day before, and was treated with unwarranted suspicion on arrival and a deeply inhospitable attitude from one of the world's leading hospitality companies.
Having the videographer and using the wrong gates are very worthy of much more than suspicion.
Nah. I once arrived justintime for a restaurant reservation at a 3* and couldn't find the front door. Finally, fearing they'd consider me a no show, I just knocked on a glass door near the dining room. Awkward? You bet. They came over, let me in, showed me to the host, showed me to my table.
As for the videographer, doubt they have their staff at the gate vetting who has a videographer or not....
Nah. I once arrived justintime for a restaurant reservation at a 3* and couldn't find the front door. Finally, fearing they'd consider me a no show, I just knocked on a glass door near the dining room. Awkward? You bet. They came over, let me in, showed me to the host, showed me to my table.
As for the videographer, doubt they have their staff at the gate vetting who has a videographer or not. My brother filmed me arriving at the Cheval Blanc in Paris because I thought it was cool we were arriving in a Bentley, nobody batted an eye.
Both sides come out of this looking not great.
Just this morning I was looking at a few other Aman properties right now for a southeast Asia trip early 2027 (never been to one before) and this is leaving a very bad taste in my mouth. Theyre asking for premium pricing compared to other five star hotels in the same markets, but can I reasonably expect a premium experience? Not sure I can answer...
Both sides come out of this looking not great.
Just this morning I was looking at a few other Aman properties right now for a southeast Asia trip early 2027 (never been to one before) and this is leaving a very bad taste in my mouth. Theyre asking for premium pricing compared to other five star hotels in the same markets, but can I reasonably expect a premium experience? Not sure I can answer that. I would love to think there was an overzealous GM who made this decision on the first week of the property opening, but Aman corporate had a week to address this and this was the best they can do? I think I'll be staying at different properties for now.
Not really. Ryan looks about the same. He misstated the precise hour of the last-minute day-before cancelation email, and otherwise, none of what Aman has written contradicts his statements, unless you consider differing interpretations of an email about filming in private spaces being subject to approval.
Aman however comes out looking much worse. A guest they cancelled on at the last minute still indicated he'd like to stay with Amans in the future and wanted...
Not really. Ryan looks about the same. He misstated the precise hour of the last-minute day-before cancelation email, and otherwise, none of what Aman has written contradicts his statements, unless you consider differing interpretations of an email about filming in private spaces being subject to approval.
Aman however comes out looking much worse. A guest they cancelled on at the last minute still indicated he'd like to stay with Amans in the future and wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt on their statement to the WSJ that they did not call the police. Aman showed no such generosity of spirit.
Amanvari and Aman corporates behavior here have frankly broken the spell for me. I've enjoyed their hotels in the past, but this has left a bad taste in my mouth.
He made it seem like he hadnt noticed any correspondence from the property before arriving.... then he misstated when he received cancellation.... yet he was filming his approach to the property parking lot on a 90 minute drive? Is that a totally normal thing to do when you dont have any inclination you arent expecting to have an argument since he claims he hadnt received any notice of cancellation? Then he admits to WSJ they...
He made it seem like he hadnt noticed any correspondence from the property before arriving.... then he misstated when he received cancellation.... yet he was filming his approach to the property parking lot on a 90 minute drive? Is that a totally normal thing to do when you dont have any inclination you arent expecting to have an argument since he claims he hadnt received any notice of cancellation? Then he admits to WSJ they told him he couldnt film five days before arrival (none of which was mentioned on the video. Whether you think that is a reasonable policy by Aman or not, he got his camera out to film when they told him not to is at the very least being provacative and he gave the appearance he wasnt aware he wouldnt be allowed to, before admitting to WSJ he was.
Then he does another live stream and doesnt clear any of this up. He made the choice to talk about all the things that make Aman look bad and selectively leave out all the outreach they did do makes me question his reliability, even while I think he was owed better treatment than he received.
Again, Aman handled this badly, not defending them by adding my thoughts on Ryan.
The hotel could have just said we are sorry for the unfortunate events that occurred and would like to invite you to our property in the future so you can experience luxury at its finest. Again, our deepest apologies for any miscommunication. We hope to see you again in the future.
If they would have done that all of this would be over and forgotten within a week.
unsurprisingly for a youtuber, the bits that he left out of his side of the story make him look deceptive and pretty untrustworthy.
the hotel canceilling his booking cos they didnt want him filming is very different to announcing its been cancelled when hes on the door.
but equally, they can stick their media blackout, the only time they get to dictate if ppl publish about them is if theyre providing the stay for free
So crap, my wife and I can’t make a sex tape next week…….Cancel
I would just tell her to go the hotel with her boyfriend instead so as to enjoy some peace and quiet on my own.
The "bits that he left out" did not fundamentally change the narrative. A timestamp misread by hours, a WhatsApp he claimed hadn't opened, his interpretation of an email. None of it changes what happened at the door.
- Ryan demonstrated transparency, humility, and more documentation than Aman. He was also more willing to give Aman the benefit of the doubt.
- Aman on the other hand produced one document, characterized emails Ryan provided...
The "bits that he left out" did not fundamentally change the narrative. A timestamp misread by hours, a WhatsApp he claimed hadn't opened, his interpretation of an email. None of it changes what happened at the door.
- Ryan demonstrated transparency, humility, and more documentation than Aman. He was also more willing to give Aman the benefit of the doubt.
- Aman on the other hand produced one document, characterized emails Ryan provided in the least generous light, added unsupported claims, showed no humility and didn't give Ryan the benefit of the doubt at all.
Fact is, Aman still comes across as the bad actor here, and worse, they are behaving as if they made no mistakes and are above accountability for their decidedly ungenerous and inhospitable spirit.
Amazing how their explanation makes them look even worse!
Also, clearly some third world mentality going on here. Imagine telling an American that you Whatsapp'd them. That app constantly gets offloaded on my phone until my next international trip... just not an app Americans use.
You are spot on regarding the Whats App. My partner is traveling in South America and as soon as he gets home the app goes bye bye
Genuinely curious as to why Americans seem to hate WhatsApp. What's wrong with it? It seems to be extremely popular in much of the world.
Because it’s owned by Meta, and if you think your messages on the platform are truly secure, you might as well be posting all your passwords on Facebook or X.
But everyone's aware that there's no privacy whatsoever in any online communications, so that shouldn't really influence the choice of app/platform.
I don’t think that’s the case, plenty of people assume their private communications are secure, otherwise they wouldn’t willingly share sensitive details about their lives, account details, etc with presumed trusted recipients (Signalgate is a prime example).
WhatsApp advertises itself as a secure end-to-end encrypted communications platform. But given the proven intention of Meta to mine and sell our data, and to willingly target our adolescent population, they have proven time again they cannot...
I don’t think that’s the case, plenty of people assume their private communications are secure, otherwise they wouldn’t willingly share sensitive details about their lives, account details, etc with presumed trusted recipients (Signalgate is a prime example).
WhatsApp advertises itself as a secure end-to-end encrypted communications platform. But given the proven intention of Meta to mine and sell our data, and to willingly target our adolescent population, they have proven time again they cannot be trusted. Other platforms may not be truly secure, but there is clearly a winner here in the contest to be the most egregious of offenders.
The problem with their "explanation" is that it doesn't make them look any better in how they handled this. It might make Ryan look worse and propose an ulterior motive in actions, but it still doesn't make their treatment any more acceptable.
I'd never book a room at 5000 EUR / night, I'd never even book a room that would cost 500 EUR / night, but I would sure expect to be treated better than...
The problem with their "explanation" is that it doesn't make them look any better in how they handled this. It might make Ryan look worse and propose an ulterior motive in actions, but it still doesn't make their treatment any more acceptable.
I'd never book a room at 5000 EUR / night, I'd never even book a room that would cost 500 EUR / night, but I would sure expect to be treated better than this even at a random HGI. "Not calling the police" is not an argument if the hotel made that threat simply because customer asked to speak to someone in charge. And cancelling someone's stay, just because you don't want people talking about their experience was, while you're charging that insane kind of money is also not quite valid in my book.
This very much sounds like a "we'll take you down with us" kind of a response, rather than anything that would make the property look any better. Which really tells you anything you need to know about its management.
Aman seems shady, and attracts travel vloggers of which anyone can do. That they weren't ready for a review means they shouldn't have been ready to charge customers for the experience they were marketing. Seems like they would have gotten a poor reviewn. Hard pass on Aman.
This is more or less what I expected the story to actually be on his end. Clearly he wanted to get something out of the cancellation beyond just postponing this review - though I suspect he thought it would be a more muted conversation with the GM and the punchline would be something along the lines of 'this hotel says they're ready and yet they won't allow an honest reviewer to actually see the product...'
...This is more or less what I expected the story to actually be on his end. Clearly he wanted to get something out of the cancellation beyond just postponing this review - though I suspect he thought it would be a more muted conversation with the GM and the punchline would be something along the lines of 'this hotel says they're ready and yet they won't allow an honest reviewer to actually see the product...'
It's annoying that he exaggerated the situation but at the same time, the Aman handling was still completely disproportionate and honestly, it wouldn't have been hard for them to look reasonable in the situation. The Corporate response then further comes off as defensive and taking no accountability, which is just such a bad look for a hospitality brand. I don't understand why companies have such a hard time taking responsibility (even if they don't feel like it's deserved) when it is usually received far better by consumers than the opposite...
Not sure "exaggerated" is fair here. What actually got revised were minor things, a timestamp, a message he hadn't opened yet, one side of an ambiguous email exchange, and none of it changes what happened at the gate. Meanwhile Aman's whole defense rests on one report they wrote themselves. Agree on the corporate response though. Calling a guest they canceled on "unauthorized to be on our property" is not the move of a company trying to look reasonable.
Even if we take Aman's claims at face value, the tone of their account (referring to a guest canceled on last minute as "someone unauthorized to be on our property" and stating without specificity or evidence that Walker's video was "deceptively edited") contrasts sharply with the tone of Walker's response ("When the Journal told Walker that Aman said it had not called police, he said he hoped that was true and that the information would...
Even if we take Aman's claims at face value, the tone of their account (referring to a guest canceled on last minute as "someone unauthorized to be on our property" and stating without specificity or evidence that Walker's video was "deceptively edited") contrasts sharply with the tone of Walker's response ("When the Journal told Walker that Aman said it had not called police, he said he hoped that was true and that the information would make him reconsider how the resort had handled the situation.").
Walker made clear corrections and showed transparency. His errors and omissions (he claimed he misread an email timestamp, missed WhatsApp message, had a different understanding of an exchange on filming) were not fundamentally transformative to his narrative and were consistent with real-time reportage from a person not trained in journalism.
Walker produced emails and video of his arrival, Aman has produced no documentation other than a single incident report. The WSJ attributes documentary sourcing regarding Walker's claims ("Internal documents provided by Walker..."). Aman's claims outside of the single incident report (the WhatsApp message, the "no arrangements to film" claim, the refund and reimbursement offer) are relayed as assertions with no documentary sourcing.
TL;DR, Aman has not shown transparency, and has not demonstrated generosity of spirit. Walker has shown transparency, admitted mistakes when made, and has shown generosity of spirit.
I honestly thought Aman would've 'made this right' by now, but instead they're fanning the flames of controversy, which arguably does get them more 'attention,' all for free. This is not a 'brand' that needs the 'approval' of folks who maybe churn credit cards and burn the points on business class; no, more so, they seek those who have meaty trust funds or are the extended family of overseas oligarchs, fly private, and don't care...
I honestly thought Aman would've 'made this right' by now, but instead they're fanning the flames of controversy, which arguably does get them more 'attention,' all for free. This is not a 'brand' that needs the 'approval' of folks who maybe churn credit cards and burn the points on business class; no, more so, they seek those who have meaty trust funds or are the extended family of overseas oligarchs, fly private, and don't care about price. Just saying, an ultra exclusive property like that maybe gets 1,500 to 2,500 paying guests per year. They don't care about most of us on here.
100%. Aman used to cater to guests willing to spend more to and get something unique. Service and the brand was meant to be invisible. IYKYK.
While there are still Aman hotels that hold to those old values, the company as a whole has moved on to become another instagrammable lifestyle brand.
The precious 'holistic wellness temple' in the Mexico desert will be in an influencer's imagination or mirage . My 'holistic wellness temple' will be at a Paris cafe with a cool drink , at the Savoy Hotel or the National Gallery in London , or at an Athens taverna having a few . Western Civilization counts a lot ; a desolate desert not at all .
The same sort of sophisticated experience can be had in CDMX, it's really quite surprising to realise that tourists seem to flock to some of the least attractive parts of Mexico without visiting the capital and/or other genuinely interesting places.
Throwaway name ... I'd add that the Folklorico in CDMX was Very Good .
So shockingly there was a second side of the story. Who couldve predicted!
Zero sympathy for the blogger. Just go home and be happy that this sad publicity stunt ended without being locked up somewhere in Mexico or worse.
None of Aman's "other side of the story" fundamentally changes the narrative. Aman cancelled on a travel reviewer last minute, behaved in a surprisingly inhospitable manner to a guest they'd canceled on at the last minute, and even after treating him so shabbily, Ryan Walker is still trying to see things from Aman's perspective. Aman has made no such reciprocal move. Not the win you think it is for Aman.
So as I predicted somewhat.
1) Aman does not care about people like Ryan. They aren't the target market and this will all blow over whether you like it or not.
2) Ryan embellished some details for his 15 minutes of fame and can no longer be trusted. I guess now he'll have some loyalty and notoriety like Josh Cahill and a big bump in his YouTube audience.
3) Blogs, YouTubers and Tiktokers...
So as I predicted somewhat.
1) Aman does not care about people like Ryan. They aren't the target market and this will all blow over whether you like it or not.
2) Ryan embellished some details for his 15 minutes of fame and can no longer be trusted. I guess now he'll have some loyalty and notoriety like Josh Cahill and a big bump in his YouTube audience.
3) Blogs, YouTubers and Tiktokers prematurely commented without finding out both sides of the story.
4) We'll never know the full truth.
There is no evidence Ryan embellished. It can be inferred, but not proven. It can be equally inferred that he misread a time stamp and missed a WhatsApp message, and that his driver got lost.
Bully for you tho if you've never missed an email or a WhatsApp message or made a slight mistake before.
Really?! Ryan seems to have made a whole lot of "slight mistakes" that he only owned up to when the resort called him on them. The resort clearly knew that he was going to break every rule that they had laid out and cancelled accordingly with short but not unreasonable notice and provided him with substantial compensation for his trouble. He proved them right when he rolled up to the gate already filming after he...
Really?! Ryan seems to have made a whole lot of "slight mistakes" that he only owned up to when the resort called him on them. The resort clearly knew that he was going to break every rule that they had laid out and cancelled accordingly with short but not unreasonable notice and provided him with substantial compensation for his trouble. He proved them right when he rolled up to the gate already filming after he had agreed not to film.
I know that Lucky has some sort of bromance for this guy but in my mind, this puts all of Ryan's content in a questionable light
Really. Best case, you've got three "mistakes". He misread an email time stamp in the moment (Aman still canceled on him the day before arrival), claimed he missed a WhatsApp message (easy to do), and interpreted an email as allowing for negotiation on filming (the bit about filming in private spaces requiring approval). He wasn't driving, so the employee entrance doesn't appear to be his mistake.
None of these mistakes conclusively prove intent to deceive,...
Really. Best case, you've got three "mistakes". He misread an email time stamp in the moment (Aman still canceled on him the day before arrival), claimed he missed a WhatsApp message (easy to do), and interpreted an email as allowing for negotiation on filming (the bit about filming in private spaces requiring approval). He wasn't driving, so the employee entrance doesn't appear to be his mistake.
None of these mistakes conclusively prove intent to deceive, and he has been far more transparent following the incident than Aman. Noticed there's no mention of Aman's mistakes in your comment,
@All Due Respect - People make mistakes, but in Ryan's case, before publishing his video, he should have verified all the facts. You're putting your reputation on the line, and possibly exposing yourself to legal risk (very unlikely anyway). I'm not defending Aman here as they could have done a way better job approaching this, but Ryan no longer seems like a saint either and can't be trusted. If I were denied entry, I would...
@All Due Respect - People make mistakes, but in Ryan's case, before publishing his video, he should have verified all the facts. You're putting your reputation on the line, and possibly exposing yourself to legal risk (very unlikely anyway). I'm not defending Aman here as they could have done a way better job approaching this, but Ryan no longer seems like a saint either and can't be trusted. If I were denied entry, I would have been scouring through all my emails and texts to confirm the exact days and times, and would have even showed proof on screen to document my case.
atsbrad one mistake concerns a matter of fact - the time that the last minute cancellation arrived in his inbox the day before he arrived. He made no representations about a WhatsApp message, and he concluded that the police were called on him because that's what an Aman employee (or contractor) told him she would do right before visibly making a call.
There's a reason there's a corrections section in the paper - even...
atsbrad one mistake concerns a matter of fact - the time that the last minute cancellation arrived in his inbox the day before he arrived. He made no representations about a WhatsApp message, and he concluded that the police were called on him because that's what an Aman employee (or contractor) told him she would do right before visibly making a call.
There's a reason there's a corrections section in the paper - even trained journalists make errors, and this small error didn't change the fact that Aman cancelled on him the day before his arrival, treated him poorly on arrival, thought they could just ignore it until it started popping online, then responded with no reciprocal benefit of the doubt for Ryan and far less transparency than he provided.
Why are you so insistent on defending Ryan? ..
Unless .... could it be ... you are Ryan
Some of us actually use real names
And this blog is not the battlefield. Aman got what they wanted from the WSJ piece
Ryan got the any PR is good PR "just spell my name right"
Both won
Now what is this argument about?
Michael, no one knows if that’s your real name. However, if you’d like to provide your address, SSN, DOB, email, and telephone number, we can verify that you are the Michael Lissack… /s
Honey, I have watched this Amanvari story more times than I’ve watched my own reflection in a champagne bucket, and I have HAD ENOUGH.
Ryan, we love the biceps. We adore the short sleeves. The polo was doing important work. But baby, the five minutes are UP.
At this point there has been no Amanvari review—just a three-part limited series about a review that never happened.
Aman has spoken. Ben has spoken....
Honey, I have watched this Amanvari story more times than I’ve watched my own reflection in a champagne bucket, and I have HAD ENOUGH.
Ryan, we love the biceps. We adore the short sleeves. The polo was doing important work. But baby, the five minutes are UP.
At this point there has been no Amanvari review—just a three-part limited series about a review that never happened.
Aman has spoken. Ben has spoken. The Wall Street Journal has spoken. The WhatsApp notification has entered the chat. THE LORD HAS SPOKEN.
Pack up the tripod, moisturize those arms, and let us all move ON.
Wish there was a “” button because this honestly had me WHEEZING. Not the polo doing the Lord’s work
Emojis got stripped haha, meant a "laugh out loud" button!
So an ‘influencer’ misses out on his chance to generate content to garner views, so he creates an ‘incident’ to create content to garner views. Right….
Hey , if they paid me 6,000. pesos , to go to the desolate desert , I'd say "adios , manana" . What are you going to eat , barbequed cactus on a stick ? This trip to the desolate desert is getting a little old . He ought to go to Chartres and see the stained glass windows . Or to Leipzig for the Bach . Or to Salzburg , for the Mozart . A desolate desert is the Antithesis of Chartres , Bach , or Mozart .
It's like going to Gettysburg to hear Lincoln , and ending up with Biden . It's like going to London to hear Churchill , and ending up with a rapper . It's like going to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa , and ending up seeing an acid-head fingerpainting .
You are certifiable.
But you're OUR certifiable.
Never change!
Every story has three versions; mine, yours and the truth. So now we know the guest knew five days in advance his reservation would not be honored. We also know that his driving up with a videographer was all staged for clicks and likes. I feel sorry for all who accepted his questionable story hook, line and sinker. It always looked fishy to me.
Not true. Neither Aman no Ryan have indicated that he was advised five days in advance that his reservation was canceled.
"Every story has three versions; mine, yours and the truth."
I pity people who believe in this brainwashed propaganda bulls***.
What Amanvari really needs to address is how and why their hotel costs as much as an entire month's rent in Manhattan for just one night
6,000 pesos will get you rent in the Mexico desert for 10 years .
Why do they need to do that?
I suppose the lesson learned is if you're a blogger or some kind of social media influencer intending to write or produce content about a hotel that you shouldn't tell the hotel you're coming in advance. Not only does that create the possibility for an inauthentic experience, but it allows the hotel -- for whatever reason -- to cancel your reservation.
I think it also exposes the risk of doing this at hotels outside...
I suppose the lesson learned is if you're a blogger or some kind of social media influencer intending to write or produce content about a hotel that you shouldn't tell the hotel you're coming in advance. Not only does that create the possibility for an inauthentic experience, but it allows the hotel -- for whatever reason -- to cancel your reservation.
I think it also exposes the risk of doing this at hotels outside the United States. in America, we simply have more rights and legal recourse. A hotel in Mexico, branded or independent, is able to get away with a lot more than a comparable hotel in the United States. It's just that simple.
This is how it should always be. This is why I can't trust reviews from people Like Noel Phillips, Sam Chui or any of the pointer guys *cough*, because the hotels know in advance to either block them or to make sure their experience is impeccable to get a good review.
for the production level of Ryan, or at least a shooting with a cameraman, call in advance seems to be the only choice - otherwise brands like Aman can easily kick them out citing privacy concerns.
For one man show like Filp Flop traveller or Noel Phillips I agree with your thoughts.
Sorry, to me the benefit of the doubt now lies predominately with the hotel.
1. The vlogger now admits to considerably more communication about his stay, including that he wasn't permitted to film.
2. He arrived *with* a videographer, actively recording his arrival.
3. He was offered restitution, which he declined.
Now, if he had a solid agreement confirmed by both parties and they *still* canceled his reservation, there's still something to blame on the...
Sorry, to me the benefit of the doubt now lies predominately with the hotel.
1. The vlogger now admits to considerably more communication about his stay, including that he wasn't permitted to film.
2. He arrived *with* a videographer, actively recording his arrival.
3. He was offered restitution, which he declined.
Now, if he had a solid agreement confirmed by both parties and they *still* canceled his reservation, there's still something to blame on the hotel. But if that wasn't true -- if he hadn't confirmed the hotel's terms or given them some other reason he wasn't in earnest (which, I think, he wasn't, given the very presence of the videographer) then I think he lost the right to be treated as a guest.
I want to heart this comment so badly (LOL)
Agreed 100%
I love your blog Ben, but I am 100% for any business that wants to refuse filming or influencers.
Oh and that adventure is your middle name guy is funny. He sold 12M in hotel room nights in 4 years...that's not income...doesn't add to your balance sheet or profits...
Unfortunate Ryan wasn't fully forthcoming with facts. But no one is paying $5k a night to watch his youtube channel. Aman should be held to a much higher standard.
I've read all the posts and watched his video and I'm still confused. He drove all the way out there (and back) knowing they weren't going to honor the reservation so he could record them turning him away? For views? Maybe I don't understand the economics of travel blogging as well as I thought I did.
@ NSS -- Lol. So his claim is that he didn't know the reservation was canceled until he arrived (something I'm skeptical of, but that's what he said).
Well, he certainly knew (by his own stipulation) that he didn't have permission to film -- and yet he arrived with a videographer, actively filming his arrival?
In the WSJ article, Walker shared an email from the hotel 5 days prior allowing him to post video after the "media exclusivity window". Filming in public spaces was prohibited, while recording in private spaces would require approval.
From the article: "To Walker, the email about where he could and could not film was a sign that he was still welcome. “To me, that felt like, ‘Great, we’ll wait until I get on site and we’ll coordinate,’ ” Walker said."
And now there's even a WhatsApp notification involved. So it all ends being about "I get soooo many emails and WhatsApp messages that it was impoooooossible--during at least 24 hours--to pay any attention whatsoever to anything related to my '6k' (revised downward to 4.6k) USD booking."
Aman waited too long to respond. Their facts do discredit some of what Ryan Walker claimed, at least from a motive perspective, even if the property itself handled it poorly at the end of the day.
Ryan wanted to avoid seeming like an entitled influencer that wanted to take a bunch of photos and videos, so he played the victim card here, despite knowing what the property had communicated.
Personally, neither side is clean, however,...
Aman waited too long to respond. Their facts do discredit some of what Ryan Walker claimed, at least from a motive perspective, even if the property itself handled it poorly at the end of the day.
Ryan wanted to avoid seeming like an entitled influencer that wanted to take a bunch of photos and videos, so he played the victim card here, despite knowing what the property had communicated.
Personally, neither side is clean, however, Ryan is still the ultimate winner, as a lot of people have moved on from this drama, and many will not read or care to see what Aman's side has to say.
yoloswag420, respectfully, no. Aman's claims do not discredit Ryan.
- They correct his initial cancelation email time by a few hours. Nothing else written discredits what he claimed. They may have provided additional facts and offer alternative readings of emails, but there's one factual correction and that's it. Nothing discredited.
- Aman claimed they sent a WhatsApp message, Ryan claimed he hadn't read it in time. Nothing discredited.
- Aman claimed Ryan arrived...
yoloswag420, respectfully, no. Aman's claims do not discredit Ryan.
- They correct his initial cancelation email time by a few hours. Nothing else written discredits what he claimed. They may have provided additional facts and offer alternative readings of emails, but there's one factual correction and that's it. Nothing discredited.
- Aman claimed they sent a WhatsApp message, Ryan claimed he hadn't read it in time. Nothing discredited.
- Aman claimed Ryan arrived at the staff entrance, Ryan claimed GPS lead his driver there. Nothing discredited.
- Aman claimed "no arrangements were made," Ryan claimed he did not understand the email to fully close the door on ALL filming (remember the bit about filming in private spaces subject to approval"?). Nothing discredited.
- Aman says their staff never called the police. Staff are on film telling Ryan they are calling the police. Nothing discredited.
Aman giving Ryan a, "subject to approval," on filming in private spaces could have given him just enough to have him think he could be persuasive and charming and negotiate. That's not discrediting, that's two parties on the other side of an email thread with different ideas of what they're talking about.
A classic “somewhere in the middle lies the truth” situation. Aman’s response definitely adds some important context, and there does seem to be some sensationalism on Ryan’s end, particularly around when he actually received the cancellation.
That said, Aman still seems to have handled this incredibly poorly. The whole entrance situation is bizarre. If he was at the wrong entrance, why not just direct him to the correct one? And a month-long “media blackout” for...
A classic “somewhere in the middle lies the truth” situation. Aman’s response definitely adds some important context, and there does seem to be some sensationalism on Ryan’s end, particularly around when he actually received the cancellation.
That said, Aman still seems to have handled this incredibly poorly. The whole entrance situation is bizarre. If he was at the wrong entrance, why not just direct him to the correct one? And a month-long “media blackout” for a paying guest? Come on.
The cover-up is always worse than the crime. Waiting this long to explain their side only allowed the story to spiral. Look at how much better Four Seasons handled Ryan’s negative yacht review. Aman turned what should have been a relatively minor dispute into a much bigger story.
Unless... Aman was just waiting for the story to die down, so they could bring it back up for another round of hype. Look at it through the lens of a 2020s PR machine... all attention (even negative) is good. Free coverage. The more outrage, the better. Ryan certainly got more followers, too. They both 'win,' even though many of us think they both 'lost.' Meanwhile, the thousand or so people who will actually dish...
Unless... Aman was just waiting for the story to die down, so they could bring it back up for another round of hype. Look at it through the lens of a 2020s PR machine... all attention (even negative) is good. Free coverage. The more outrage, the better. Ryan certainly got more followers, too. They both 'win,' even though many of us think they both 'lost.' Meanwhile, the thousand or so people who will actually dish out $6K/night are still gonna go there anyway. Ryan wasn't gonna force them to go or not.
Exactly! It took them A WEEK to come up with the BS response. I wonder if this'll help persuade the rich folks who had second thoughts about staying there and with Aman in general (doubt it).
Agree with Ben's conclusion, too. Aside from the small details, they still canceled 1 day before his stay. And their response is ridiculous for a Days Inn, let alone a luxury hotel company.
Tennen, sadly, it won't. I'm just waiting for initial prices to come down and for it to appear on FHR, then I'll burn the $300 credit, book a one-night stay off-season, probably blow $3,500, and add a bag-tag to my bucket. (I know, someone, like betterbub, is gonna come on here and suggest that I'm bluffing. I ain't. He can Phuket... ya know, where the O.G. Amanpuri is.)
The fact that their response was to get defensive and not offer any type of apology makes them look even worse. Pretty pathetic.
Why would you apologize to someone who intentionally slandered your business to enhance his business?
"Why would you apologize to someone who intentionally slandered your business to enhance his business?"
- And that's exactly why Ryan should not apologize to Aman.
I think most people paying $6k a night wouldn’t want Ryan there. I wouldn’t. For the average consumer this may be a bad look for Aman, but those people can’t afford it anyways. Ryan has now admitted to lying, so can’t really trust anything else he says.
Probably not worth Aman’s time, but they could take Ryan to the cleaners with a defamation suit.
Sel_D, I still think they both benefit from all this free coverage/attention. Like, Ben wouldn't have had three major posts about Amanvari without the hype over this. Walker and Aman both 'won' in a way (it's just not what you or I may think of as 'winning,' like, a nice stay, a good review, or payment; it's the eyeballs, clicks, likes, outrage, etc.)
Sure Sel_D. How do you think Aman is likely to do in discovery on this one?
@ Sel_D -- The hotel has the right to tell him not to film in public areas of the property. But I'm sorry, beyond that, the hotel should decide who it wants as guests? Should people have to submit their pictures and resumes when making bookings?
Ben, I'm just grateful you haven't made that a requirement to comment on here... *wink*
And thank you for having the cojones to actually address this story! Meanwhile, those shills at TPG only do 'positive' stories about sponsors, sorry, I mean, resorts.
If a hotel wants to deny entry of “influencers” that lie on camera for clicks, yes, they should do that. Granted the lies were after the fact, but I have no sympathy for Ryan. I’d have no issue if he was banned from every hotel in the world. Aman was also petty and should be ready for prime time, especially this day and age. Both parties are in the wrong.
Your decorum when reviewing...
If a hotel wants to deny entry of “influencers” that lie on camera for clicks, yes, they should do that. Granted the lies were after the fact, but I have no sympathy for Ryan. I’d have no issue if he was banned from every hotel in the world. Aman was also petty and should be ready for prime time, especially this day and age. Both parties are in the wrong.
Your decorum when reviewing flights/lounges/hotels truly stands out and that’s why many of us hang around here. You’re above Ryan.
^I now may have to become a member just so I can 'Helpful' Sel_D's latest comment...
Sensationalism aside: yes. Businesses can't discriminate based on categories like race, where discrimination is morally wrong (and in many places illegal). But if a hotel wants to refuse service (for instance) to people whom it recognizes as reviewers, that's a business decision and not a moral issue.
Of course, the hotel has to live with the consequences of its decision. And I may well conclude that this place isn't ready for prime time if...
Sensationalism aside: yes. Businesses can't discriminate based on categories like race, where discrimination is morally wrong (and in many places illegal). But if a hotel wants to refuse service (for instance) to people whom it recognizes as reviewers, that's a business decision and not a moral issue.
Of course, the hotel has to live with the consequences of its decision. And I may well conclude that this place isn't ready for prime time if it's keeping reviewers out. But I'm not scandalized that they're doing so.
So you don't think that businesses should be allowed to decide not to do business with people they choose not to do business with? Especially people who plan to monetize their dealings with that business? Apparently freedom ain't your thing
I think you're underestimating the size of the potential market. There are over 20 million USD millionaires in the USA alone, and ca. 60 million globally. Almost all of them can afford to stay in a property like that- whether they'd want to stay there is a very different question. We're not talking about the type of people owning superyachts and business jets, this is a service for the mass affluent.
Throwawayname, most of those 'millionaires' aren't liquid; it's stocks, businesses, real estate, etc., so they may be living interest-payment to interest-payment, or on-credit, etc., not necessarily blowing $5K/night on a hotel in Mexico. But, maybe a thousand of those millionaires could visit Amanvari each year. Eh.
@1990 A thousand out of the 60 million? I think you're massively underestimating it. $4,500 is 0.45% of a million dollars, spending that proportion of your net worth on a night or two as a treat for a major birthday or something won't affect your property portfolio or retirement account. Then you've got the people for whom the effective price is substantially less than $4,500- e.g. because they can write it off as a business...
@1990 A thousand out of the 60 million? I think you're massively underestimating it. $4,500 is 0.45% of a million dollars, spending that proportion of your net worth on a night or two as a treat for a major birthday or something won't affect your property portfolio or retirement account. Then you've got the people for whom the effective price is substantially less than $4,500- e.g. because they can write it off as a business expense and avoid a marginal tax rate of around 50% or because they've got lots of cash that they don't want to bank (no shortage of tradespeople that operate like that).
Generally speaking, I'm not impressed by expensive hotels and wouldn't be interested in going to that part of Mexico even if I could stay for free...so I'm definitely not speaking about myself in this context, but I know that lots of people are happy to spend £5k on a handbag, $25k on a watch etc, and it would be odd if the Rolex equivalent of the service sector were any different. In fact, you only have to look as far as the Instagram travel agent who doesn't come across as particularly intelligent or an effective communicator yet has managed to generate a ridiculous amount of business making reservations for hotels which would happily sell you a room via their websites!
Long may the Amans and their ilk attract scores of those customers so that the rest of us are able to reserve the nicer rooms at the Sofitels and the Kempinskis for our special occasions without having to pay those sorts of rates.
I can't believe Aman snubbed OMAAT and went with WSJ... adding insult to injury. Harumph!
For real, though. Glad I have the silly Platinum 'digital entertainment' credit, otherwise, WSJ paywall. After reading, it's clear Walker played the attention-economy outrage game (ignoring media blackout warnings, missing a morning cancellation notice, pulling up to a service gate, and slapping a high-drama "Police" title on a video to harvest views), but Aman is far from innocent.
Winning a PR fact-check in the WSJ doesn't excuse a $5K-a-night ultra-luxury flagship canceling a confirmed...
For real, though. Glad I have the silly Platinum 'digital entertainment' credit, otherwise, WSJ paywall. After reading, it's clear Walker played the attention-economy outrage game (ignoring media blackout warnings, missing a morning cancellation notice, pulling up to a service gate, and slapping a high-drama "Police" title on a video to harvest views), but Aman is far from innocent.
Winning a PR fact-check in the WSJ doesn't excuse a $5K-a-night ultra-luxury flagship canceling a confirmed reservation 24 hours out via email or WhatsApp. For a brand that trades on flawless execution, hiding behind a soft-launch excuse instead of providing direct GM intervention and a proper service recovery is an huuuge operational failure.
Well said