Vlad the Hotelier
VLADISLAV DORONIN IS BEHIND ONE OF THE MOST LUXURIOUS AND ADORED BRANDS IN THE WORLD. HE IS ALSO SO MUCH MORE.
By DAVID EISEN
V ladislav Doronin, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Aman Group, appeared on screen wearing a crisp white dress shirt open to the third button. His dirty blond hair neatly parted on the left side and swept back revealing no signs of recession in the hairline. A bracelet stack obscured his right wrist. It was a look that exuded boho beach luxury. He was in Miami, after all, visiting what is to become an Aman in Miami Beach.
Behind him, an impressive high-ceiling living room sparsely furnished with modern, geometric furniture. Equally tall horizontal windows offering ocean views lined the perimeter.
The thing is, in an era where video conversations allow for artificial background settings, one can never be sure if the backdrop is genuine or spurious. Like Doronin himself, there is more than meets the eye.
As we fell into a comfortable cadence of conversation, what could have become a mechanical discussion between writer and subject often was interrupted by mirthful tangents. Doronin is a health nut— a serious one who knows his stuff, which makes sense since much of the Aman brand is built around wellness— and before long conveyed his lessons for a long life:“ It’ s very important to start your morning with hot water and saffron; it cleans your blood... don’ t drink turmeric in the morning; it’ s hard on your stomach; eat first, then take some mixed with ginger and black pepper... are you stretching...?” In response to what I shared as a predilection for additive-free tequila, Doronin showed tolerance:“ You can be a bad boy one day, then come to Aman and get a cleaning.”
Maybe that is the unalloyed essence of Aman: the sybaritic and the salubrious.
THE DRAW Mention Aman and expressions turn serene, placid; people marvel, drawn to its promise, astral projecting to a location even if they’ ve never had the fortunate opportunity to stay in one before.( Nightly rates at Aman outposts are steep— and that’ s kind of the point.)
Aman is quite possibly the world’ s most exclusive ultra-luxury hospitality brand, known for understated design, exceptional
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