Amanfayun

The Amanfayun, is one of the most pioneering hotel projects in China that makes you want to stay put and enjoy the special ambience.

• The lush setting, surrounded by temples, tea fields, and verdant forest for hiking
• Proximity to Yongfu Temple, which allows guests to join in morning or evening prayers
• Authentic accommodations done in a traditional Chinese-village style

The Aman group is often criticized for creating gorgeous bubble-like resorts that offer little interaction with their neighbors. Not so at the Amanfayun, which has made a conscious effort to facilitate local immersion. The property is surrounded by rolling mountains and folded into so many shades of green that arriving here feels like stepping into a Zen painting (an especially welcome respite after some days in energetic Shanghai).

Nestled into 35 acres of tea plantations, the property is built on the foundations of an ancient Chinese village, called Fayun. Many of its traditional houses were painstakingly restored and the village’s original layout was kept in tact. The main path that leads through the resort is one of the pilgrimage routes to Lingyin Temple, one of seven Buddhist sanctuaries that encircle the resort, and Aman opted to keep the path open for worshippers and villagers, allowing for an organic and authentic interaction between visitors and locals.

Not everyone will get what the Amanfayun is trying to be, and travelers expecting a glam scene and marble-clad bathrooms will be much happier at the Four Seasons West Lake. Everything at the Amanfayun is stubbornly, beautifully and consistently traditional China. There are no golf carts or shuttle transfers between the restaurants and villas. When you’ve completed your spa treatment at the serene complex on the northern end of the property, you get dressed and walk home across cobblestoned paths lined by bamboo and lush forest and lit by wire-framed lanterns at night.

The individual villa accommodations, designed by Indonesian architect Jaya Ibrahim, are housed in traditional Chinese structures featuring loads of dark-wood beams, lattice-work and shiny stone floors. That the beige-heavy interiors bring to mind the minimalist serenity of monastic life is surely intentional: everything is of the highest quality—high thread count sheets, handcrafted bath amenities, custom-made Elmwood furnishings, floor heating—but there is no excess here. Creaking wooden doors and windows are covered in latticed shutters, which keep the rooms dimly lit even during the day. Due to the ancient structures, bathrooms do not accommodate bathtubs, though the oversized rain showers more than make up for it (and there are three traditional bathhousees with enormous wooden tubs, part of the spa, that can be reserved on a complimentary basis).

Another innovative touch to draw Hangzhou into the resort grounds was to invite four local restaurant owners to open and run their eateries here. Two are managed by Aman, but three others are independent and offer everything from vegetarian temple cuisine to regional Hangzhou specialties. One of the most interesting spots is the Teahouse, headed by a famous Hangzhou tea matriarch, where guests can sample the area’s potent Dragon Well longjing tea. For guests tired of Chinese cuisine, there’s also a good Western restaurant.

Visitors looking for a meaningful, rejuvenating and authentic couple of days at the end of a busy China itinerary will be very happy here. The property is “rustic” in the sense that there are no over-the-top lavish details or amenities. The property is in the midst of a tea plantation and forested area and the occasional mosquito, particularly during the warmer months, is unavoidable.