• AF

    Select your country and language

    Selected country/territory
    All countries/territories
  • MENU
Welcome to a world of travel, entertainment and culture, curated from a global collective of writers, photojournalists and artists. Each article of our award-winning magazine is sure to inspire, no matter which of our destinations you call home.
 
 
Stay
            Back to Open Skies

Travel to Colombo

 
 

Amangalla, Galle, Sri Lanka

29 December 2016

Words: Gina Johnson / Images: Amangalla

It’s not often that classic architectural form is associated with the Aman group of hotels, more renowned for their sleek minimalism. But Amangalla, in Sri Lanka’s 2,000-year old maritime fort of Galle, is a shrine to Dutch colonialism and charmingly reminiscent of the original Oriental Hotel that stood before it. Today, many of the authentic features remain, including the original wooden flooring, a grand staircase and 400-year-old stone steps in the lobby. An emerald hued pool with private cabanas set in a high-walled, sun-dappled courtyard is a modern touch.

Rooms run off the corridors behind enormous antique teak doors with arched windows and free-standing baths. The upper floors have a seating area overlooking the town; a place to sip late afternoon cocktails and watch the sun dip over the terracotta-tiled roofs of the fort and out to sea. Or you could always take a roadtrip down south to sister resort Amanwella in remote beachside Tangalle – all concrete, stone and glass in contrast – for a dose of Aman-style luxe brutalism at its best.

aman.com

Share