Courtesy Aman Resorts Shared from Departures.Com
The hotel’s legendary hospitality hits the road in serious style.By Jordi Lippe-McGraw on January 15, 2021
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Aman properties are known for being situated in some of the world’s most beautiful destinations that also happen to have some pretty incredible driving terrain. So, the luxury hospitality brand decided to curate bespoke self-drive road trips through mountains, forests, and dunes with their award-winning service at your side.
The newly launched Aman Driving Journeys gives guests a chance to drive high-end sports cars, SUVs, or classic cars on supported three to five-day trips using an Aman property as a base. For example, at the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property Amangiri, you can explore the Utah wildlife in Escalante National Park, Monument Valley, and the Grand Canyon with speedboat excursions on Lake Powell and a helicopter ride to Tower Butte for sunrise yoga built-in. Of course, you’ll return to the desert resort to indulge in the world-renowned spa.
Similar itineraries, with three to five hours of driving a day, are offered along the coastal roads of Peloponnese and mountain passes of Morocco, Montenegro, and Italy with Amanzoe, Aman Venice, Amanjena, and Aman Sveti Stefan as the jumping-off points. Meanwhile, Aman Kyoto and Amanemu in Japan are two spots with plenty of countrysides to be traversed.
The routes are preloaded on personalized Aman iPhones with recommendations of off-the-beaten-track points like galleries, coffee shops, and Instagram photo ops. Lunch stops can be anything from picnics or stops at road-side eateries to fine dining establishments. Expect camel rides and Bedouin picnic lunches in Morocco, coffee breaks in traditional Greek villages, visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the opportunity to drive through the tunnels featured in James Bond’s Casino Royale.
Aman arranges everything, and a support vehicle is never far away. Plus, all of the itineraries are flexible and designed to be both supported and open. The team leaves plenty of room for guests to wander off track if they wish, or you can follow the exact setup. You can even skip a day of driving and stay at the resort.