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?
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.
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.
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!"
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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?
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.)
@ 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