The first thing I noticed about Amanoi was its scale. We arrived at night, moving up a long sequence of beautiful stone steps that felt almost ceremonial, as if they were guiding us into a hidden palace in the mountains. Everything felt monumental and regal, but the night kept the landscape a secret.
When we reached our villa, dinner was waiting for us outside, served in the soft evening breeze. Beside the bed was a small jewelry box—the first of the thoughtful gifts that would appear in our room throughout the stay. I still keep it in my home in New York.
It was only the following morning that Amanoi fully revealed itself.
Built into the hills of Núi Chúa National Park, the resort overlooks Vĩnh Hy Bay and the East Sea. Forested mountains descend toward the water, rocky formations trace the coastline, and the hotel’s pavilions appear almost suspended within the landscape. Arriving in the night made that first morning even more spectacular: I woke up inside a place I could never have imagined the night before.
We stayed in an Ocean Pool Villa, positioned just above the treeline with uninterrupted views across the bay. The villa had a private infinity pool, an expansive timber terrace, and a deep bathtub facing the scenery. Even the shower could be opened to the outdoors.
Amanoi has the Asian minimalist aesthetic the brand is known for—dark timber, natural materials and elegant lines—but nothing competes with the setting. The architecture seems designed to quietly frame nature. Everywhere I looked, there was another view: from our bathtub, the Central Pavilion, the clifftop pool, the lakeside spa and the intimate bar where we listened to jazz at night.
Life Around the Water
I’m a water traveler. Water matters to me when I choose a destination, and at Amanoi it became part of the rhythm of every day. The clifftop infinity pool appears to dissolve into Vĩnh Hy Bay below.
The clifftop infinity pool
At beach level, the Beach Club has a more social energy, with relaxed lunches, freshly grilled seafood and travelers gathering before setting out to kayak, paddleboard or sail.
Beach Club Pool
But my favorite was the pool at our villa. It offered complete privacy and the same beautiful meeting of water, forest and sky. I swam there every day, including in the rain. Some of my happiest memories from Amanoi are also the simplest: stepping into that pool with nowhere else to be and looking out toward the bay.
A day by boat gave us another perspective of the landscape. We passed the local fishing village, saw houses built along the water and continued through the limestone formations of Vĩnh Hy Bay. We climbed onto sun-warmed rocks, lay there together, and watched silver fish jumping beside our boat before exploring enormous caves carved into the coastline. From the water, Amanoi appeared even more dramatic, perched high above the bay and partially concealed by the forest. Our guides also pointed out some of the private Aman residences along the coast. With their secluded infinity pools and access to all the hotel’s services, owning one immediately found its way onto my bucket list.
Things to Do Together
What I loved about our stay was the balance between privacy and shared experiences. One morning, we tried archery. It naturally became competitive between us, but the instructor was patient and helpful, and after a few demonstrations I was already hitting the target.
On a rainy day, we took a Vietnamese cooking class. We learned to make phở bò, fresh rice-paper rolls and other local dishes before sitting down to eat what we had prepared. Cooking together felt unexpectedly romantic, and we returned home with the cookbook and recipes. The food throughout our stay was fresh and full of the fragrant herbs and vibrant flavors I love about Vietnamese cuisine.
The Restaurant, located in the Central Pavilion, looks across Vĩnh Hy Bay and serves both local dishes and international classics. I tried the Western menu once out of curiosity—it was very good—but the Vietnamese flavors were what warmed my heart. Golden hour became another ritual. We would begin with what I can only describe as sexy drinks at sunset: fresh cocktails and amuse-bouches as the light softened over the mountains. Afterward, we moved to the Bar for live jazz. The singer was phenomenal, and we returned to hear her every night. On our final evening, she dedicated a song to me. We stood up and danced, and had so much fun.
I adore a spa and have never stayed at a hotel without trying its treatments. At Amanoi, the spa sits beside a lake dotted with lotus blossoms, surrounded by the green hills of Núi Chúa. Its Yoga Pavilion appears to float on the water.
I chose the Aman Advanced Facial and the deeply relaxing Amanoi Massage. I spent four hours there and could easily have stayed longer. Two days later, I returned for another massage. I also took an excellent private Pilates class, and my husband and I used the gym daily. Wellness felt integrated into the resort rather than treated as a separate activity—another part of its slow, peaceful rhythm.
The Details That Remain
The service at Amanoi was warm and attentive without ever feeling invasive. One phrase I heard during our stay was, “If you are happy, I am happy.” It seemed to capture the spirit of the people caring for us. Each evening, we returned to flowers, a special bath or another small present. The team even filled the library in our villa with some of my favorite books.
Amanoi is visually spectacular, but that alone is not what made it unforgettable. It was the feeling of being considered: dinner waiting after a nighttime arrival, swimming together in the rain, making pho on a quiet afternoon, and dancing to a song chosen especially for me.
Even now, back home in New York, I still have the little jewelry box that was waiting beside our bed on the first night—a small object from a place that remains immense in my memory.
Written by Rafaela Sa Kultgen
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