[Travel + Leisure: Maya Kachroo-Levine]
Luxury hospitality company Aman will officially launch its new brand, Janu, in Japan this fall. Aman is known for high price points and lavish resorts — see: the new $3,200-a-night Aman New York — but Janu aims to be more approachable and appeal to a slightly younger traveler.
While Aman is all about privacy, creating sanctuaries in both city and resort destinations, Janu “thrives on connecting guests through an effortlessly social, energetic, and more playful environment,” says Vlad Doronin, chairman and CEO of Aman and Janu.
“Janu has community at the center of its ambition,” Doronin says, in an exclusive interview with Travel + Leisure. While Janu will “have an intimate feel and exquisite service,” he explains, the hotels will have more suites than the typical Aman. Janu Tokyo, for example, will have 122 rooms, most with balconies facing Tokyo Tower. That will make it considerably bigger than, say, Aman New York, which has just 83 suites.
Janu Tokyo is slated to open in the city’s forthcoming Azabudai Hills development, a short walk from the city’s bustling Roppongi district. The hotel will occupy 13 floors of one of three buildings designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, with public spaces by Thomas Heatherwick. The broader 20-acre community, which marries urban green space with futuristic, mirror-like façades, will also house Aman Residences, Tokyo, in the top 11 floors of what’s soon to be the tallest building in Tokyo.
The new hotel represents a departure from the Aman ethos in another important way, Doronin tells T+L. Janu Tokyo will have six restaurants, including an omakase experience, a Japanese barbecue spot, and “a buzzy and theatrical bistro concept called The Grill.” Plans also call for a patisserie and a Chinese restaurant.
“Dining is considered by many to be the center of culture and shared experience,” Doronin explains. “Each of our dining concepts at Janu is informed by tradition, reimagined by culinary experts to create something new, encouraging conversations around food and dining experiences. Additionally, the design of our restaurants will reflect our ambition to bring like-minded communities together, with open kitchens, dining counters, sharing tables, and communal spaces.”
Though Janu represents an evolution of the Aman playbook, it will share many of the same sleek design elements; Veteran Aman designer Jean-Michel Gathy, the principal at Dennison, crafted the hotel’s interior, which will include a 3,000-square-foot Janu Suite, a garden terrace, and a 44,000-square-foot spa with an indoor heated pool.
All of these spaces — especially the pool, which doubles as a common area — are meant to draw in travelers “seeking connection, inspiration, and exploration,” Doronin says. “A concept which we are confident from our extensive research will appeal to the rising generation of our Amanjunkies.”
Read the original article on Travel + Leisure.
