Symbolizing the travel industry's continued faith in Greece as a premier tourist destination, Singapore-based luxury hotel group Amanresorts opened its first Greek property last fall.
The 38-suite Amanzoe is Amanresorts' third Mediterranean property and fourth in Europe, joining Montenegro's Aman Sveti Stefan and Turkey's Amanruya and Le Melezin in the French Alps.
Amanzoe opened on the east coast of Greece's Peloponnese peninsula in September, close to the small town of Porto Heli.
Henry Gray, general manager at the Amanzoe, said that the recent political and economic issues in Greece did not deter the company from opening the resort.
"Although the economic conditions currently in Greece are unfortunate, there was never any concerns about opening Amanzoe," he said. "Tourism is Greece's backbone for industry and employment. The country is a perennial favorite for international tourism, and Amanzoe is an example of the new levels of international luxury available in the country."
Gray did not comment directly on the property's performance but said it "has already drawn Aman fans from around the world," including "Amanjunkies."
Overlooking the island of Spetses and the Argosaronic Gulf beyond, the Amanzoe is a 10-minute drive from Porto Heli. The resort is arranged around an expansive reflection pool with 360-degree views of the sea.
The Amanzoe's Beach Club is a five-minute drive or 10-minute bike ride through a pine forest. The resort's Aman Spa has seven double treatment rooms, and treatments feature Aman's signature Asian techniques along with ancient Greek rituals, using Aman Spa's own skincare products as well as local ingredients such as olive oil, clay and olive seeds.
The resort opens for the 2013 season on March 26.
Amanresorts will open a fifth European property, and fourth in the Mediterranean, this summer.
The company's Aman Canal Grande, a 24-suite palazzo hotel on Venice's Grand Canal, will open on June 1. The launch coincides with the 2013 Venice Biennale art exhibition.
Located in Venice's San Polo district, the hotel is being built in the 16th century Palazzo Papadopoli, which boasts two gardens, accessible only to guests of the Aman Canal Grande. Amanresorts said the property's Garden Terrace, where Aman guests can dine al fresco, is one of very few private gardens on the Grand Canal.
Visit www.amanresorts.com/amanzoe/home.aspx.
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