Over the last year, the rumor mills have been churning about a possible sale of Amanresorts. India's DLF Ltd. acquired the ultra-luxury hotel chain about five years ago, and, since 2010, has been looking for ways to lower its large debt burden. The Wall Street Journal reports that a deal was clinched in December; the brand was sold “back to founder and chairman Adrian Zecha for an enterprise value of about $300 million.” The deal excluded the swanky Aman hotel in New Delhi, which has been rebranded as The Lodhi.
With its devoted following of self-proclaimed Amanjunkies, the chain continues to scout sexy locations for new properties worldwide. Amanzoe opened on Greece's Peloponnese last summer, and Amanoca will grace the coast of Brazil an hour's drive from Rio de Janeiro.
In other Amanresort news, HotelChatter is buzzing about two new properties slated for 2013: one in Lijiang, China, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the picturesque Yunnan province; and the other in Venice, Italy.
Pictured: Amangiri in Utah