Aman New York is one of the most expensive hotels in the Big Apple, but the feeling of calm in the city that never sleeps is priceless. You’ll find the feeling throughout the hotel, but especially at its spa.
Aman New York’s spa is only open to hotel guests and members of Aman’s ‘by invitation only’ club – a club membership will cost you $200,000, plus a further $15,000 a year. Citizen Femme’s Gemma Louise Deeks gets exclusive access, and shares what it was like to spend the day at Aman New York’s temple of wellness in the heart of Manhattan.
Those familiar with Aman and the brand’s ethos will know that health and wellbeing lies at its core. Drawing its name from the Sanskrit word for ‘peace’, the luxury hospitality group is a pioneer in the global wellness industry, always hitting the mark with its balanced approach plus respect for traditional healing practices and modern science.
The Vibe
Aman New York’s spa is an urban sanctuary bringing 25,000 square foot of dedicated wellbeing to the Big Apple. Spread across three floors in the historic Crown Building, a 360-degree approach to wellness reaches new heights.
At the centre of the hotel sits the spa, designed by Jean-Michel Gathy with the same elegant minimalism and Japanese-influenced aesthetic as the rest of the hotel. The special Aman spa scent engulfs you as soon as you enter the reception, and natural materials are used throughout, creating a grounding, calming atmosphere within. There’s a quiet hush – a far cry from Manhattan just outside its doors; even the staff have soothing voices. This is a hideaway that invites you to unwind in unparalleled luxury, and with the utmost privacy.
This sanctuary prides itself on offering not only the crème de la crème of treatments, but dedicated floors for each aspect of your wellness. There’s a floor for performance and recovery, a floor for stimulating wellbeing, and a floor for optimisation and emotional wellness. Here, you can experience a full body MOT under one roof.
The Treatments
After a seamless check-in experience, it was time to begin the Aman New York Signature treatment. My Japanese therapist began by explaining the treatment and its benefits with flawless knowledge – her softly-spoken words putting me into a meditative state. The treatment is designed to ensure a sense of stillness and harmony and is only available at Aman New York; a way of rejuvenating from the multifaceted energy the city brings. The journey starts with the therapist giving you fluorite to hold, a crystal known for clearing negativity and boosting cellular regeneration, whilst singing bowls chime to induce a tranquil state of mind. The first part of the 120-minute treatment is a body scrub, followed by a therapeutic massage that stimulates pressure points to aid rebalancing and alignment, complete with soft, fleecy blankets fused with scent which will likely lull you into a deep-sleep coma.
The rest of the treatment menu is extensive, comprising of massage therapies, holistic facials and several further advanced aesthetic technologies employing lasers, infrared light, and electromagnetic waves for non-invasive face and body regeneration. These include Morpheus8, Microneedling, Hydrafacial, a Lumecca intense pulsed-light photofacial, and a Forma radiofrequency facial. Beauty buffs will certainly get their fix.
The Facilities
The 65-foot heated swimming pool is a vision of understated beauty, lined with private day beds each with their own fireplace. Recline here pre- or post-massage overlooking the Manhattan skyline. The Spa Houses (available for half or full day private hire) are your own secluded temple of wellness for a personalised journey. They have either a Hammam (marble steam room) or a Banya (wooden-clad sauna), and offer a double treatment room, a spacious living area with fireplace, and a large private outdoor terrace with a hot bath plus cold-plunge pool – both covered by a canopy for year-round use.
The Fitness centre covers 280-square metres of prime New York real estate, overlooking 56th Street, and comes with elite Technogym training equipment and personal trainers available to support each guest. There’s high-performance equipment including specialised infrared fitness and lymphatic drainage equipment; a VacuTherm Stepper; VacuTherm Treadmill; and an Infrared Body Roll to provide the ultimate post-workout recovery. You’ll also discover a dedicated Yoga and Pilates Studio (with reformer Pilates machines) that’s unlike anything you’re used to back home.
Beyond all of this lies the Functional and Integrative Medicine examination and therapy rooms, where Dr. Robert Graham, a Harvard-trained physician and medical chief, and other practitioners offer their services and assist in formulating bespoke Tei-An (meaning ‘proposal’ in Japanese) Wellness Solutions and Urban Wellness Immersion Programs.
The Little Extras
It’s likely you will fall in love with the Aman product range during your visit, and their collection of goods includes skincare, fragrances and ready-to-wear, and are all available to buy from the spa boutique. Take home a slice of your Aman New York experience with the Alta Fine Fragrance, which evokes the rich architectural history of New York and the imposing drama of its cityscape. Their range of sophisticated scents are inspired by each of their unique destinations around the world and created to echo the distinct characteristics of each. The Nourishing Body Oil, which was used during my treatment and had notes of jasmine, was too good to leave on the shelf.
- Find out about other Aman properties, including Amanjena, Marrakech and Amanpuri, Thailand.
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