Aman reveals 183m ‘superyacht’ hotel with Japanese garden

Swiss hotel chain Aman Resorts is building a 183-metre luxury floating hotel, which will be completed by 2025.

The vessel, currently known as ‘Project Sama’, will have 50 balcony suites and aims to offer guests a “superyacht experience” aboard a “timeless yet contemporary vessel,” according to Aman. 

Project Sama has been designed in partnership with Dutch firm Sinot Yacht Architecture and Design, and developed in a joint venture between Aman and Cruise Saudi.

Cruise Saudi is based in Jeddah and owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The company works to develop infrastructure and services that would boost the cruise market along the Saudi coastline.

Other amenities on board include a high-end spa with a Japanese garden, two helipads and a beach club, which will offer guests direct access to the water at the stern of the yacht.

Aman, which was founded by Indonesian hotelier Adrian Zecha, promises to reflect the company’s ‘eastern heritage and design philosophy’ in the vessel’s design, to create ‘a harmonious balance between exterior and interior spaces’.

In addition to the suites, the vessel will be home to dining options including an informal all-day restaurant, plus international dining choices and a relaxed club and lounge. 

“The announcement of Project Sama marks an exciting moment in Aman’s growth and evolution,” says Aman chairman and CEO Vlad Doronin. “We not onIy continue to diversify our geographical portfolio on Iand, but also at sea, creating sanctuaries in unfrequented locations and continuing to reframe the concept of luxury hospitality.” 

Doronin adds that Project Sama – billed by Aman as the first of its kind – will offer service “unlike any other yacht experience, ultimately creating a whole new category in on-the-water discovery.”

Commenting on the partnership, Fawaz Farooqui, MD of Cruise Saudi says: “The signing of this partnership adds a new layer to Cruise Saudi’s offering, and is a testament to the unique tourism experience that is exploring Saudi by sea as well as demonstrating Cruise Saudi’s commitment to growing and expanding the cruise industry in Saudi. We aspire to further collaboration with Aman that will bring additional ultra-luxury experiences at sea.”

Aman currently operates 33 resorts, hotels, and private residences in 20 countries, with a further eight in the pipeline. 

Project Sama is set to launch in 2025, with its official name to be announced in due course.