Hip Hotels

by Afdhel Aziz

Driving into the peaceful streets of the Galle Fort, I remembered my past experiences with the New Oriental Hotel. (NQH) in Galle. As a child I used to spend school holidays there with my parents, swimming in the pool overhung with bougainvillaea.

Gently decaying and redolent of a by-gone era, it was the base of operations for the adventures my brother and I would have in the Fort, playing cricket or flying kites on the ramparts, the slender pencil of the Galle lighthouse always within sight.

So, it was with curiosity that I stepped up the stairs to the newly refurbished and renovated premises of the NOH - now called the Amangalla Hotel, the first outpost of the sophisticated Aman Resorts chain in Sri Lanka. It's a subtle but evocative transformation: they have managed to retain the elegant spirit of the old NOH but transform it into a chic and contemporary hotel straight out of the pages of the Hip Hotels Guide.

It's no wonder that it has been praised in the pages of 'Wallpaper' and 'Conde Nast Traveller' magazines. And while Aman are ultra-discrete about their guests and refuse to divulge details, my sources tell me that recent guests have included ex-President Bill Clinton and rock star Sting and his wife Trudie Styler.

To understand how Aman is changing the face of Sri Lanka, you have to understand the metamorphosis that travel industry is undergoing in Sri Lankan.

Where the choice of hotels used to be luxurious but mass-market venues like the Blue Water and the Lighthouses of the world, or faceless package-holiday resorts, the last four years have seen the development of another niche - the boutique hotel.

They are aimed at a more discerning class of traveller (never a 'tourist') who are cash-rich, style-conscious and wouldn't be caught dead on a standard two-week package holiday to Thailand or Egypt. What they crave is the exoticism of a new location in the comfort of what I call 'stealth luxury'.

It's not about ostentation and lavishness, it is about discreet good taste, amazing service and peaceful surroundings.

The Aman Resorts group are probably the best in the world at delivering this experience for their clientele. Compared to other chains, like Hilton or Sheraton, they only have 17 resorts, with an average of about 30-40 rooms per resort. In fact, the total number of rooms they have worldwide (around 550) would be about less than you'd find in one large five-star hotel. But with Aman it's all about quality not quantity.

What's more, they don't advertise - they don't need to. In exotic locations like Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, French Polynesia, Morocco and Bhutan, the hotels elicit such passion and devotion that there exists a select group of affectionately-dubbed 'Aman Junkies' - people who stay at Aman Hotels around the world, travelling to a new one every time it opens.

The genesis of Aman's philosophy lies with its founder, Adrian Zecha who envisioned a collection of intimate retreats in beautiful surrounds with the unassuming, warm hospitality of a gracious private residence. The Amangalla Hotel follows this tradition beautifully. Amangalla derives its name from aman, or "peace" in Sanskrit, and galla, the Sinhalese name for the town of Galle. There certainly is an air of peace as I walk into the Great Hall - or Zaal as it was known in Dutch times - where guests are sipping afternoon tea under soaring ceilings with lazily whirring fans. The highly polished dark wood floors gleam as discrete waiters glide back and forth. The broad verandah outside is the ideal place to escape the heat of the day, enjoy a tall drink and watch the world pass by.

The hotel is located in an amalgamation of buildings dating back over 400 years which served as headquarters for the Dutch commandeur and later as a billet for British officers. In 1865, the structures were combined to create the New Oriental Hotel, the name under which the property traded for 140 years.

The interiors of all the rooms have been re-designed to retain the feeling of a bygone 'period' with polished jackwood floors, four-poster beds, original pettagama chests and other Sri Lankan artefacts. One simple but effective design choice was to halve the number of rooms and turn the second room into a large and spacious bathroom with a beautiful free-standing tub - perfect for a long soak. Elegant planters chairs and writing desks are combined with contemporary touches for the discerning traveller. But if you're really interested in splashing out, then the Garden House is probably for you. Situated within the resort gardens, this two-storey, 140sq m house, features a private terrace and balcony offering leafy, treetop views.

The house's original antique furniture has been restored, and guests still find a glorious chaise lounge, armchairs and coffee table as they enter into a sitting room. Double doors lead to the bedroom, furnished with a king-size four-poster bed, writing table and dressing cabinet. Adjoining this is a spacious bathroom, bathed in light from the pool garden outside.

An internal stairway rises from the sitting room to the upper level, featuring a daybed and banquette. Other facilities include a pantry serviced by a private butler.

The Aman Resorts are world-renowned for their amazing spas and Amangalla is no different. The Baths are the hub of the spa experience at the hotel and feature a hydrotherapy and water massage pool, sauna, steam and cold plunge pool.

There is also a beauty treatment area and a traditional barber's shop. Adjacent to the Baths and positioned in a peaceful part of the resort gardens is a combined yoga and meditation pavilion.

I didn't try any Ashtanga positions but after an hour in the capable hands of their superbly trained masseur, I was in heaven and ready for my delicious rice-and-curry lunch served in the Dining Room.

The Dining Room is furnished with period chairs and tables, crisp white linen and antique silverware, with many of the original pieces being returned to their rightful place in the room.

A couple of hours drive away is Amangalla's sister resort, Amanwella, the first hotel to open in Sri Lanka after the tsunami.

Amanwella, which derives its name from aman, or "peace" in Sanskrit, and wella, the Sinhala name for beach, is situated in a mature coconut grove fronting a crescent-shaped beach close to the village of Tangalle. All 30 suites of this contemporary beach front resort feature their own private swimming pool and terrace. Linked by pathways, suites are interspersed along the hillside and offer sweeping views of the ocean and the beach.

Contemporary in design, the suites blend in local materials and styles with the use of distinctive terracotta tiles and hand-hewn stone walls.

All suites open on both sides to let in the cooling sea breezes, with timber sliding doors and panels creating a sense of space, and an open plan bathroom featuring that signature free standing bathtub.

At Amanwella guests can enjoy a variety of features and services including: A 45m swimming pool, a library; stocked with books about Sri Lanka and local lore; spa treatments; a Restaurant, serving Asian and Mediterranean cuisine with an emphasis on fresh local seafood, and, a Beach Club.

They can also make excursions to such local sites as the Mulgirigala Rock Temple, home to one of the most important discoveries of the 19th century - the ola-leaf scripts which formed the key to the translation of Sri Lanka's most informative ancient text - the 'Mahavamsa'. Bundala National Park is also accessible, 75 minutes east of Tangalle, great for bird-watching, while Uda Walawe National Park provides excellent elephant-watching opportunities, often in herds of 100 or more.

Gracious and welcoming, these twin additions to Sri Lanka's hotels have become must-visit destinations for the traveller in search of a truly serendipitous experience.