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As you may know, I have been searching for my Manhattan home away from home for quite a while, and in my last blog post (which you can read here) I confidently proclaimed that my search was over, The Carlyle was the place for my husband and I. As it turns out, I may have been premature in my decision.

A couple of weeks ago we returned to New York for another (incredible) wedding, and opted to stay at The Aman since that is where the after-party would be (at The Jazz Club). We have stayed at numerous Aman properties around the world, with the Aman Venice ranking as our favorite, but never considered booking in midtown, primarily because I prefer the UES, and while the Aman is just a few blocks south, it is a completely different vibe.

The official address of the Aman NYC is on Fifth Avenue, but the entrance to the hotel is on the Southwest corner, between Fifth and Sixth, conveniently across from Bergdorf Goodman (definitely a perk).

Our arrival at 11:30 was too early for our room to be ready so we dropped our bags with the Bellman and continued on our way We were assured we would be contacted when our room was ready, and indeed we were notified at about 1:30 that they were set for us but we didn’t end up returning until close to 4 pm.

When we came back to collect our keys we were ushered up to the main lobby on the 14th floor getting a glimpse of the common rooms as well as the hotel’s two restaurants, Arva (Italian) and Nama (Japanese). The space that houses Arva does double duty as that is where breakfast is served. The common areas were quite lovely but we didn’t have time to linger, we had to be dressed and at the Church by 5:15.

Our room was located on the eighth floor, so we took the elevator down to quickly explore and get ready. The hotel itself is peaceful and decorated in neutral shades (aside from the lounge on the 14th floor which features a big pop of color). I am not usually a fan of neutral, but at the Aman it really worked.

The Aman has the reputation of being very expensive even for Manhattan standards, but there are a few things to remember that make the price sting a little less. There are no traditional room options, only suites, and the suites are very spacious. Additionally the intuitive service (they know what you want before you even know you want it yourself) is like nothing I have experienced in any hotel in New York. Lastly, the price you are quoted includes just about all the extra taxes and fees so it is a bit easier to stomach at check out. The Aman is a member of Virtuoso, so if you have an affiliated travel agent like I do (her contact info is here) you will also enjoy early/late check in, an upgrade where available, breakfast daily and a $100 credit per stay. Best of all- the mini bar is completely complimentary and refilled daily (snacks and alcoholic beverages as well).

My travel agent had let the hotel know it was our anniversary (celebrated just a few days before our visit) so we had the added bonus of champagne and a delectable chocolate mousse confection waiting for us.

The Suite itself was impeccably clean and perfectly laid out, there was tons of storage space as well as enough room to sit and gaze out the window. As it happened New York was preparing for a huge snowstorm so the gas fireplace in the room (standard in every room as well as sprinkled throughout the hotel) was a welcome addition.

The bathroom was very spacious and came complete with any amenity you may have forgotten, all in all it was a total win; there was nothing I could find fault with.

As we were getting ready we had a visit from our Butler who offered us a welcome drink and checked to see whether we needed any of our dress clothes pressed before we headed out to the wedding, this is what I mean by intuitive service. Every single member of the hotel staff we encountered could not have been more helpful or respectful, it was truly impressive.

The biggest surprise came when we finally returned from the evening’s festivities and found the housekeeping staff had pulled out all the stops to help us celebrate our anniversary. It was at this point that my husband declared the Aman was going to be our NYC hotel of choice- no contest.

A few more kind words for the Aman. When we awoke Sunday morning my husband went down to enjoy an excellent massage in the very impressive spa- the perfect antidote to a night of dancing and celebrating. I took the opportunity to sleep in and then we met for breakfast where as you can see the snow had started and we were happy to be on the inside looking out. The breakfast was as good as you might expect, and the service was on point. They even had almond flour pancakes for me, and extra spicy Shakshuka for my husband- perfect hangover food, washed down with plenty of excellent hot coffee.

In addition to breakfast I also enjoyed a light supper on Sunday night of incredible umami packed chestnut (gf) pasta in a hearty mushroom sauce which was eaten in the lounge. We had a little chicken wing party in the room watching afternoon football with some of our family who trekked through the snow to hang with us, but I intentionally saved my appetite for the pasta, and was glad I did.

We were scheduled to fly back to Montana on Monday morning but received word on Sunday afternoon that all flights into and out of NY were cancelled the following morning so we ended up being stranded at the Aman for an extra night, and believe me, I was not complaining.

Aside from soaking up every minute we could at the Aman, we did enjoy some additional experiences during our (long) snowy weekend in New York. After dropping our bags on Saturday we walked over to the MoMA to experience the extensive Ruth Asawa retrospective which sadly will have closed by the time you read this (it ran through February 7th) and was incredibly impressive. I also loved Mike Kelley’s large installation which although it had deeper meaning was just happy and fun to admire.

Following the museum we popped in for lunch at The Bar Room at the Modern (the more casual side of the Modern) to celebrate my mother in law’s birthday. None of us had been there before and we were all incredibly impressed not just with the food but the service as well. As you would expect from a Danny Meyer restaurant there were no missteps. The setting was attractive but extremely casual, and I think if I go back I would book myself on the more formal side to experience the full extent of the hospitality and Michelin starred menu.

The highlights are pictured below- unbelievably good gluten free bread with butter (a rarity), mini hot dogs with caviar (a real crowd pleaser) and pasta with truffles made it a truly memorable meal.

A glimpse of Saturday night’s stunning wedding at the Metropolitan Club.

On Sunday we managed to trek through the snow to the Winter Antique Show at the Armory which was filled with other intrepid New Yorkers and was a great place to stay warm and get a glimpse of some amazing treasures.

The city really was incapacitated by the snow, though the true spirit of New Yorkers was on full display.

Monday (the day we were “stuck” in the city) was spent shopping while my husband worked from the hotel lounge. There was no shortage of wonderful things to contemplate buying as I worked my way through Saks, Bergdorfs and Gucci before heading up Madison Avenue, fueled by a coffee stop at Saint Ambroeus at the Regency. I had great success at Kirna Zabête where they gave me their undivided attention as well as their appreciation for venturing out.

Dinner on our bonus night was booked at Lungi, a Sri Lankan restaurant on First Avenue that has been getting a lot of attention recently (including Michelin recognition). I have enjoyed Sri Lankan food in London at Hoppers several times and Sri Lanka happens to be high on my wishlist of destinations so I felt it was a perfect opportunity to indulge. My husband had some doubts about having a spicy Sri Lankan feast in anticipation of our 7 am flight from Newark, but I stayed on the tame side of the menu while he unfortunately did not. We were lucky to have some of our family join the fun so we sampled a lot.

The dinner was not without some drama as I immediately spilled my neon green Nelli Crush (made with Amla fruit/non-alcoholic) all over myself and my fur coat. After about 100 napkins were brought to the table we were ready for a drink replacement and an extensive array of food.

Our meal was an explosion of flavors and spice, and my husband was right to be cautious! It was yummy going down but getting up for the airport at 5am was a bit of a challenge with a sensitive tummy. We really enjoyed it, but would save it for a non-travel eve.

The desserts were very authentic, and the table was pretty divided over whether they were winners. Some of our group had a texture issue (specifically those who prefer crispy over soft).

We had an amazing time in NY, and I may have to make a deal with my husband to alternate between the Carlyle and the Aman for our upcoming stays. That being said we did rebook at the Aman before we checked out for another upcoming wedding we have in September.

Thankfully we made our way back to MT on Tuesday morning without delay. Stay tuned for lots more travel coming up including a stay at the new Aman Nai Lert in Bangkok; we just might be on our way to becoming Aman Junkies!