With more than two decades in business, and outposts everywhere from the Himalayas to Koh Samui, Six Senses has pioneered a sustainable breed of hospitality and wellness that is synonymous with barefoot, sun-soaked luxury (think the third, Thailand-set season of White Lotus). So, London’s busy, high rise-strewn Bayswater might not seem like an obvious spot for the brand’s latest opening. But, after descending the 109-room hotel’s restored staircase to the subterranean spa level, guests will be transported.
This marks the first UK opening for the brand. It’s housed in the Grade II-listed former Whiteleys shopping centre and is the first outpost to house a member’s club, named Six Senses Place. There are also dining spaces – Whiteley’s Kitchen, Bar and Cafe – the Alchemy Bar for apothecary-style workshops, and 139 permanent residences. It means the hotel will cater both to locals as well as guests on their travels. And creating a spa to help burnt-out Londoners to unwind and reset is a challenge that Taffryn Kinsey Ellis, the hotel’s director of wellness, has relished.
“It’s a city of high performers, constant stimulation, and limited downtime,” Kinsey Ellis says. “The spa was therefore designed around recovery, resilience and longevity rather than indulgence alone. Treatments, programming and facilities support sleep, stress management, detoxification and mental clarity, while remaining flexible and intuitive for time-poor guests.”
The cavernous space was designed by interiors studio Avroko (1 Hotel New York, Waldorf Astoria Bangkok) in partnership with architect EPR (Nomad London, The Ned, The OWO). It’s on a single floor spanning 2300 square metres – and lest you forget where you are, it’s designed to look like an old-fashioned tube station, with an arched art deco-style ceiling looming over the 20-metre pool. “It was important that the spa feels warm and welcoming, avoiding anything that feels clinical or didactic,” says Kinsey Ellis.
The space offers thermal journeys, with the chance to flit between the first magnesium pool in a London hotel (designed to aid nervous system recovery), a cold plunge and Finnish sauna. And in the biohacking recovery lounge there’s a flotation pod for meditative moments, as well as a cryotherapy chamber. Plus, there are movement studios and a gym with cutting-edge equipment, from AI-powered Carol exercise bikes to electrical muscle stimulation machines.
The treatments span everything from collagen facials to a lymphatic body reset, and there are exclusive products made in collaboration with British skincare brand De Mamiel’s founder Annee de Mamiel, a renowned skin health specialist.
So how to make the most out of a spa day at Six Senses? “Take a half-day wellness journey beginning with a consultation and biohacking experience,” says Kinsey Ellis. That biohacking could include a wellness screening, compression therapy and more. Then she recommends “thermal bathing and a deeply restorative body treatment. Breathwork, recovery therapies, and a tailored massage help release both physical tension and mental fatigue.”
According to Kinsey Ellis, this urban launch’s biggest strength is that it is designed to calm the nervous system. “The materials used throughout the spa: textured surfaces, curved architectural lines and controlled lighting, absorb rather than amplify stimulation. There is no harsh glare or sharp transitions between spaces. The result is a noticeable lowering of sensory load from the moment guests enter,” says Kinsey Ellis.
Ultimately, she says, London’s new wellness hub invites guests to “reawaken the senses” – and hopefully float back into city life with cortisol levels firmly lowered.
Six Senses Spa
1 Redan Place, W2 4SA
02032788000
Hours:
Daily 8am–8.30pm
(Gym open 24 hours, supervised from 8am–8pm)
