Ultra-luxury Aman resorts sell silence and privacy for thousands a night

Ultra-luxury Aman resorts are catering to wealthy travellers seeking extreme privacy and personalized service, with nightly rates starting at more than $3,700 at its Dominican Republic property.

At Amanera on the Dominican Republic's Playa Grande beachfront, the experience is defined by quiet, with no music and few other guests in sight, according to a report from The Globe and Mail.

"Experience travel is the new Birkin," said William Gingras, who runs the Montreal-based international luxury concierge service Arthur Majordome and frequently books clients at Aman properties.

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He said ultra affluent Canadians are requesting more trips with bigger budgets in exchange for high touch and human-centred services.

A 2025 survey by global luxury travel network Virtuoso found 45 per cent of responding advisers saw an increase in requests for "unlimited luxury" partly defined by privacy, exclusivity and remote retreats.

The Aman Group operates 36 ultra luxury hotels in 21 destinations, with its first resort, Amanpuri, opening in Thailand in 1988.

Olivier Lordonnois, the managing director Americas for the Aman Group, said a guest should feel like they are at a very wealthy friend’s house that is warm, well-appointed and inviting.

The brand focuses on remembering guest preferences across its worldwide resorts.

"If, for example, you don’t want any alcohol in your room, but want specialized tea, once you say it for the first time, you never have to repeat yourself," Gingras said. "They’re not focusing on high volume margin; they’re focusing on relationships and long-term repeat guests."

A nightly rate at Amanera, which includes breakfast, Champagne and activities like kayaking, covers one of only 24 casitas and one larger casa on the property.

The resort's other Caribbean location, Amanyara in Turks and Caicos, has 38 pavilions and 19 villas.

Access to exclusive amenities is part of the appeal.

At Amanera, guests have access to the members-only Playa Grande Golf Course.

At Amanyara, there is a mobility and recovery program vetted by tennis star Novak Djokovic and sports clinics with leading athletes like tennis pros Maria Sharapova and Leylah Fernandez and NBA All-Star Kevin Love.

"When you become an Aman junkie, you have access to those before everybody else," Gingras said.

Guests who visit Aman properties seven times receive a T-shirt with the phrase Aman Junkie emblazoned across it.

"It’s about recognizing the fact that you’re becoming slightly addicted to what we’re doing," Lordonnois said.

He said these repeat guests are ambassadors, though some "are not great ambassadors because they don’t want more people at our properties. They enjoy the sense of privacy."

The brand's low-profile approach extends to social media, where there is not a steady stream of content creators posting from its resorts.

"We understand the value of people taking videos, but we have much more interest in our guests feeling like they’re not surrounded by a bunch of people that are taking videos and posting them afterward," Lordonnois said.

Reaching these secluded resorts often requires long transfers, though Amanera offers VIP service at the Puerto Plata airport for a 90-minute private drive.

Last year, retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez helped raise more than US$1-billion to invest in tourism on the Playa Grande coast, including plans for a small airport for private jets minutes from Amanera.

The resort is also selling multimillion dollar oceanfront casas as part of this expansion.

The Aman Group has recently opened resorts in Baja, Mexico and Bangkok, with new properties planned for the Bahamas and elsewhere in the coming years.

With files from The Globe and Mail