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Amanpuri's Pavilions Were Modelled on Ayutthaya's Temples, Not a Beach Resort
Amanpuri, which opened on a former coconut plantation above Phuket's Pansea Beach in 1988, was the first Aman resort and set the low-rise, temple-inspired template the brand has followed ever since.
Sep 25, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Amanpuri opened in 1988 on a former coconut plantation above Pansea Beach, on the west coast of Phuket, and it was the first resort under what became the Aman brand. Adrian Zecha, looking for a site to build his own holiday home on the island, ended up developing a small resort there instead, in partnership with Anil Thadani and two other investors, and the result set a template of understated, low-rise luxury that Aman properties have followed ever since.
A design drawn from Ayutthaya, not the beach
The American architect Ed Tuttle designed Amanpuri after studying the temple architecture of Ayutthaya, Thailand's former royal capital, rather than looking to other beach resorts for reference. The result favours dark timber pavilions, steep pitched roofs and restrained interiors set among the original coconut grove, with the villas and suites kept low and spaced apart rather than stacked into a single large building.
What the resort actually offers
Amanpuri's pavilion rooms and separate villas are arranged around a central three-tiered swimming pool, with a beach club down at Pansea Beach itself reserved for resort guests. A private marina gives access to day trips among Phuket's surrounding islands, and the spa continues the same temple-inspired design as the main buildings.
What it isn't
Amanpuri is not on one of Phuket's busier stretches of sand, and it isn't built for travellers wanting nightlife or a walkable strip of restaurants at the gate. Pansea Beach itself is quiet, and the resort's relative seclusion is part of the point rather than an inconvenience.
Traveller tips
- Phuket International Airport is around 25 minutes' drive from the resort, in the island's north.
- Pansea Beach is a public beach, though the stretch fronting the resort is quieter than Phuket's larger tourist beaches nearby.
- The dry season, from November to April, offers the most reliable weather for beach days and boat trips.
- Amanpuri's villas are set apart from the main pavilion rooms and generally suit families or groups travelling together.
Where this is
Phuket, Thailand