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Photo courtesy of SINOT Yacht Architecture & Design
It’s official. Luxury hotel brand Aman’s superyacht, tentatively labelled Project Sama, will set sail in 2025. The collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s Cruise Saudi will be named in due course – just know that the 183m vessel will feature just 50 suites, each with their own private balcony.
It will be the first seaborne hospitality offering from the consummate luxury brand, whose exquisite portfolio of wellness-centered hotels and resorts has grown to 33 – one for each year since it was founded back in 1988 – with a further eight on the way.
Naturally, the brand’s ethos carries through even as they tread new waters. Sama, after all, means tranquility in Sanskrit – which is why Aman will be holding the reins throughout the development process, working in partnership with Netherlands-based Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design.
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According to the press release, you can expect an integration of “Aman’s Eastern heritage and design philosophy” and the contemporary superyacht experience. Key tenets of the brand’s ethos will shine through the vessel’s design, focusing on “privacy, space and gracious hospitality” in tandem with an experience that is “exceptional, unique and restorative”.
Photo courtesy of SINOT Yacht Architecture & Design
This comes by way of an on-ship Japanese garden within the ship’s spa; a beach club, complete with direct access to the water at the yacht’s stern; an array of dining options; and two helipads for easy on and off-ship access.
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Says chairman and CEO of Aman Vlad Doronin, “The announcement of Project Sama marks an exciting moment in Aman’s growth and evolution, as we not only continue to diversify our geographical portfolio on land, but also at sea, creating sanctuaries in unfrequented locations and continuing to reframe the concept of luxury hospitality.”
He adds, “Project Sama will provide transformative experiences within the revered Aman setting and service, which is unlike any other yacht experience, ultimately creating a whole new category in on-the-water discovery.”
Other luxury hotel brands that have also taken to the seas include The Ritz-Carlton, who announced a trio of cruise liners back in 2017. Though the first of its three ships were slated to begin sailing in February 2020, a combination of shipyard delays and the pandemic led to the release being delayed till mid-2022.
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In the meantime, stay tuned for more info on Project Sama – like the ship’s actual name. Or a closer look at what the ship truly has to offer vis-a-vis on-board luxuries. Just a little something to look forward to once, hopefully, international travel is back on the menu proper.
For more on Aman.
