By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor
Aman Resorts has announced the launch of its second Caribbean resort, Amanera, scheduled to debut in the Dominican Republic during the fourth quarter of 2015.
Overlooking Playa Grande beach on 2,000 acres that stretch across nearly seven miles of Hispaniola’s north coast, the resort will become the first “golf-integrated” Aman, and will adjoin Playa Grande Golf Course.
Water is intrinsic to the design of Amanera, which draws its name from the Sanskrit-derived word for ‘peace’ and era, the word for ‘water’ in Taíno.
Designed by John Heah, Amanera will feature 25 “casitas” designed to complement the natural setting and incorporating stone from local quarries, indigenous handmade Aguayo tiles and Dominican art and artifacts into the design.
One-bedroom casitas enjoy ocean views, outdoor seating and lounging areas, and high-ceilinged living and sleeping areas. Every casita is accessed through a private garden and has its own 32-foot swimming pool.
Two-bedroom Bay View casitas will offer panoramic views of Playa Grande; a 65-foot infinity pool; and glass-walled living and dining rooms that blur the transition between inside and out.
Spread over 370 acres, the Playa Grande Golf Course was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones and has been renovated by his son, Rees Jones. With 10 holes playing directly on ocean cliffs, the 7,085 course boasts the most oceanfront holes of any in the Western hemisphere.
The resort will also include several restaurants, a library, cigar bar, kids’ club, fitness center, tennis courts and Club de Playa, a casual beach club on Playa Grande. The Aman Spa will offer therapies that incorporate Aman’s chemical-free products and traditional shamanic healing techniques.
“Amanera will embody the true spirit of Aman,” said CEO Olivier Jolivet. “It’s the perfect example of how we take an unexpected destination and within it, find the most exceptional and dramatic location to create a sybaritic hideaway unlike any other. Amanera will demonstrate our continued commitment to curating resorts of architectural distinction that harmoniously integrate into the pristine environments they occupy.”
Aman operates 29 resorts all over the world, including Amanyara in the Turks and Caicos Islands.