Having it All

Since he acquired Aman Resorts and Hotels seven years ago, Vladislav Doronin has sought to expand its exclusive universe, which delights a diehard fanbase the world over. But is there a risk to being everywhere?

- Kissa Castaneda

It was a freezing day in New York City in March when I spoke to Vladislav Doronin, chairman of Aman Hotels and Resorts, who had arrived there in preparation for the opening of Aman New York, the brand’s second city-centre hotel after Tokyo and one of four urban properties housing its Aman-branded residences.

The past seven years have been a whirlwind for Doronin, who acquired Aman in 2014. At the time it was considered something of a controversial takeover, with bickering among creditors and investors. Since then, the 58-year-old Russian businessman and international real estate developer has made his own imprint on the brand, implementing changes that have raised the eyebrows of seasoned hoteliers and the global jet-set alike.

Doronin first encountered the brand on a visit to Amanpuri in Phuket, Thailand in 1990. He was so impressed by the space, the privacy, the peace and the service that he began planning his travels around places where there were other Aman resorts, in remote corners of Java, Indonesia; Rajasthan, India; and Bhutan, following the path of other hotel loyalists, who call themselves “Aman Junkies”. Aman is legendary in the travel industry for having the highest repeat rate of any hotel brand in the world. “I love to travel: I revel in discovery. This is my passion and the reason why I left my country, because Russia at the time was closed,” he says.