quotes from the media

“The Aman at Summer Palace is an ultra-high-end respite—perhaps the quietest place in Beijing—with a private gate to the Summer Palace that allows guests to enter the grounds after hours.  The hotel has high wood-beam ceilings and Chinese geometric carpentry throughout.  And at twilight, a Chinese-flautist plays beside a koi pond that is as green and luminescent as jade—an experience best appreciated with the house cocktail in hand, a martini glass of fresh guava and chilled vodka.”

“Aman has out Amaned itself with this incredible property because it has actually merged a luxurious resort experience with a historic cultural immersion.  Today, too often a traveler is forced to starkly divide their sightseeing experience from their hotel experience.  You leave a modern cocoon and dive into cultural exploration, then return to your hotel oasis to process.  Here, however, within the very walls of one of China’s greatest monuments, Aman has fashioned a supremely special home-away-from-home-Imperial Chinese-style hotel so you actually feel like you are checking into history.”

“It is a kind of luxury that not everyone will understand, but that is in some ways so much more powerful and attractive to those with a bit of taste. It is a place made for those who don't need to show what they have, but want to come back to perfectly measured simplicity and balance. Sitting by the library, watching the calligrapher go about his craft somehow transports you back in time, to the places you see in Zhang Yimou's films, places that were pure, and of such inherent beauty that not much was needed for them to blossom. That is what this place is about: The most clever and sophisticated design and most incredible service imaginable.”

“If I had an imperial-sized bank account, I’d stay here every weekend.”

“It served as an imperial retreat for the Qing Dynasty, and travelers who truly want to relive the life of royalty should check into Aman.  The seven-acre resort manages to effortlessly blend in with the iconic landmark of the Summer Palace and offers visitors to the ancient city an unbeatable retreat away from Beijing’s bustle.  In fact, Aman at Summer Palace is literally on the edge of the imperial palace’s gates.”