Amanvari Incident: Hotel Reviewer Alleges Canceled Stay and Police Involvement

The 18-key Amanvari, Aman Resorts' latest property on Mexico's East Cape, which had its opening recently, is at the centre of a contention involving hotel reviewer Ryan Walker. Published on August 7, 2026, a report by Rachel Cormack for Robb Report details an account from Walker, a luxury hotel chronicler with a substantial online following, who alleges his stay was abruptly cancelled, and local police were called when he attempted to check in.

According to Rachel Cormack of Robb Report, Walker documented his purported ordeal in an 11-minute video titled 'Amanvari Called the Police on Me', uploaded on August 4, which has garnered over 750,000 views. In this video, Walker claims to have booked his reservation weeks prior and received multiple confirmatory emails from the Amanvari team. However, upon arrival, he was reportedly stopped at the resort's gates by security personnel, who denied his reservation and subsequently refused him access when he requested to speak with a manager.

Rachel Cormack further reports that an Aman spokesperson addressed the incident, stating to Robb Report that 'The deceptively edited video created by someone unauthorized to be on our property does not reflect the circumstances of the incident accurately.' The spokesperson emphasised the paramount importance of 'privacy and security of our on-property guests' and maintaining a 'peaceful environment', citing these commitments as reasons for Aman properties being 'leading destinations'.

Our take: This incident, irrespective of its specifics, underscores the evolving dynamics between luxury hospitality brands and influential digital content creators. While a hotel's prerogative to ensure guest privacy and security is clear, the narrative of a prominent reviewer encountering such a severe access issue at a preeminent property like Amanvari will undoubtedly prompt a broader discussion on guest relations, reputation management, and the boundaries of pre-arrival vetting within the luxury sector. Such situations rarely unfold without broader implications for brand perception, especially when reported by outlets of Robb Report's stature and then disseminated across platforms.