and Seoul.“ We’ re growing this part of the portfolio dramatically,” Doronin said, reckoning that as many as half of the entire Aman portfolio could one day be city driven.
AND BEYOND There is more to Aman. Not metaphorically, but actually. In 2020, Aman announced Janu, a sister brand, which, while keeping within the luxury lane, is concepted as a more energetic and social counterpart to Aman’ s signature quiet privacy— think buzzier public spaces, vibrant colorways and higher room counts. The first Janu, which means“ soul” in Sanskrit( Aman translates to“ peace”), opened in Tokyo in 2024 with 122 rooms and suites, and while rates are below what an Aman charges, they are well above $ 1,000 per night.
The idea behind Janu, Doronin said, was to create a brand that didn’ t conflict or cannibalize Aman. It also originated from loyal Aman guest feedback.“ They wanted an Aman experience, but with a little more of a playful spirit,” he said. Guests and locals can also expect more dining options: Janu Tokyo, for instance, has five restaurants, while a typical Aman may have two. There are currently six more under development in locations including the UAE, Montenegro and Turks & Caicos.
Aman has become a full-fledged, 360-degree lifestyle brand under the auspices of Doronin. Beyond resorts and hotels is Aman Essentials, the brand’ s retail line of skincare and apparel that is run by Doronin’ s long-term partner, Kristina Romanova. They have two children together. Essentials was a natural extension, according to Doronin, born out of guests wanting to not only stay with Aman but live immersed in it and take it away.“ They want to leave with Aman,” he said. He should know: The first time Doronin visited Amanpuri, he wanted to buy the resort’ s furniture. It was not for sale. Men’ s cashmere jackets, however, are, and can be purchased on shop. aman. com for $ 1,725. Last year, Aman Essentials launched a collab with British designer, Kim Jones, a
A beachfront casita at Amanvari on Baja California Sur ' s East Cape in Mexico.
friend of Doronin’ s and former director of Dior Men.
Next year, Aman will launch Amangati, which though it sounds like one of Aman’ s newest luxury land locations is not; rather, it’ s Aman’ s entry onto the high seas, a 47-suite sailing yacht with eight bar and dining venues and guided by Aman’ s philosophy of simplicity and balance. Doronin is particularly smitten by the 3,810-square-foot Aman Suite with its own private elevator.
Amangati will also have an expansive, twofloor, 12,000-square-foot spa designed in a Japanese ryokan aesthetic that would make even Ozu’ s camera move. Wellness is core to the Aman ethos; it’ s“ foundational,” as Doronin said, and goes well beyond hopping on a treadmill for some morning cardio. In 2024, Aman welcomed 24-time-Grand- Slam-titles-winner Novak Djokovic as its global ambassador and wellness advisor. Doronin calls the 39-year-old“ Djoker” a“ beast.” His daughters sometimes hit balls with him.“ They adore him,” he said.
Doronin likens wellness to a chain of interconnected links that consist of various elements like nourishment, like exercise, like recovery— a full regimen that Aman properties guide guests through. It’ s a serious and exhaustive process.“ I can’ t explain it all in one minute,” he told me.
I was allotted 30 minutes with Doronin. It turned into about an hour of both focused and desultory conversation that paints the picture of a man whose life successes and wealth are byproduct of an unquenchable curiosity and thirst for betterment. On this morning, he was fresh off a trip from Japan and feeling the effects of jetlag.“ I’ m a little bit like a zombie,” he said.
Rising from the dead has never been an issue for someone as full of life as Doronin.“ My life is very rich, trust me,” he promised.“ I’ m lucky to be doing something I like.”
Finally, he had to leave, off to his Miami Beach project, in the Faena District, and scheduled to open in 2028. The hotel and residences are a redevelopment of the famed Versailles Hotel alongside the Atlantic Ocean.
He bid me farewell.“ Take care,” he said.“ And stay healthy— that’ s most important.”
36 hotelsmag. com Oct / Nov 2026