London’s most exciting new luxury hotel boasts a cavernous spa and an impressive health and wellness offering, from biohacking facilities to an alchemy bar for plant-powered healing
Location
Six Senses London is situated in bustling Bayswater, West London, just off of Queensway. It is part of a redevelopment of what was once Whiteley’s department store – which opened in 1911 as the first of its kind in the capital – lending the hotel a stunning Grade II-listed facade.
It’s a 10-minute walk to the green expanses of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, and a stone’s throw from an array of restaurants, shops, cafes and pubs. Walk for around 15 minutes west down Westbourne Grove to Portobello Road’s antique shops and the lively Portobello Road Market.
The closest train stations are Bayswater, Royal Oak and Queensway Underground, all within a 10-minute walk, while Paddington Station is a five-minute taxi ride.
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The vibe
A luxury spa and wellness hotel, Six Senses London is the perfect place for pampering and to hit the reset button. The brand is well known for marrying holistic wellness with a sustainable ethos at its nearly 70 global resorts, and the London outpost is the first in the UK.
Above its subterranean spa, the hotel spans a further seven floors within The Whiteley. Inside, the aesthetic is heavily Art Deco-inspired with hints of whimsy added by touches such as a stool shaped like a tortoise, and the checkerboard floor in the lobby. A restored grand staircase, which now spans three stories, takes you from the spa up to The Six Senses Place members club on the first floor, which is accessible to guests, and members for an annual fee.
Service
The staff at Six Senses go above and beyond. The service in the restaurants and bars is polished without being pretentious – the servers are chatty and warm when sharing their recommendations. I was impressed by the sommelier’s suggestion of a non-alcoholic red wine-adjacent drink made from fermented beetroot.
Bed and bath
There are 109 guest rooms and suites at the hotel, as well as 14 residences, from entry level up to the sprawling Westbourne, Notting Hill and Whiteley suites – these have the largest terraces, looking out over the city. The views from the other rooms are of the courtyard or surrounding houses.
With floor-to-ceiling windows, the rooms and suites follow the rest of hotel with Art Deco-style decor, and feature an organic colour palette of blues, greens and natural hues. The bathrooms are decked out in white marble and glossy blue tiles.
The turndown service includes the delivery of a different sleep aid each night, from tea to a QR code for a sleep meditation on Spotify.
The hotel offers a pillow menu, and all rooms have a TV, a Marshall radio, and a Smeg or Opal coffee machine.
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Food and drink
Whiteley’s Kitchen serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The modern British menus are impressive without feeling ostentatious, prepared using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.
The continental breakfast includes granola, yoghurts, breads with cultured butter, tarts and pastries, while the a la carte offering features elevated brunch dishes, such as frittata or spirulina and hemp waffle. Screaming “wellness”, drinks include a morning collagen broth and health shots.
Upstairs on the first floor, the Six Senses Place members’ club restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine, and there two more bars. There’s also the open-plan Whiteley’s Cafe, which serves fresh baked goods and coffees.
Dinner includes flavour-rich dishes designed for sharing, like stracciatella with fermented rhubarb (made in the on-site “fermentation lab”); pear and hot honey; and a green chard dumpling with Mushroom XO and tofuru. The coconut-lime meringue with rice pudding and amazake was exceptionally good.
The around-the-clock room service menu includes drinks, breakfast items, and mains such as tandoori cauliflower and organic beef sirloin.
All dietary needs can be accommodated, though guests should inform the hotel at least 48 hours in advance of their reservation.
Whitley’s Bar serves artfully created classic and signature cocktails – my non-alcoholic “Jungle Compass” was misted with a lavender distillation at the table. All cocktails can be made alcohol-free, while the wine list includes natural, biodynamic and non-alcoholic options.
Facilities
The spa and wellness offering is as stellar as you’d expect from the group. The spa welcomes you with a striking art installation of porcelain petals suspended over a shallow pool of water. There is a labyrinth of corridors to reach the impressive range of facilities, from a cold plunge pool to an infrared sauna. Treatments include a de-puffing “lymphatic body reset”, which is a massage followed by a facial cleanse and hydration mask. Bound to be a highlight is the spa’s 20-metre pool, which is expected to open by June 2026.
There’s the option to book in for a wellness screening, which uses smart technology and non-invasive methods to track your biomarkers, and can help to curate your stay.
The biohacking recovery lounge is impressive, with LED face masks, adaptive resistance machines and compression boots on offer. The longevity clinic in the Six Senses Place Members’ Club upstairs offers other health diagnostics and treatments, such as IV therapy. Guests can also head to the 325-square-metre fitness centre.
The Alchemy Bar is perhaps the most unique part of a stay at this Six Senses (though it comes at an extra charge). Here, an expert alchemist delivers guided workshops and personalised sessions around the healing properties of botanicals. Together, you might concoct anything from perfumes to aura sprays, while one-to-one sessions cover suggestions to support your wellbeing goals.
Guests can also take part in sustainability workshops in the Earth Lab, the hotel’s sustainability hub, to make things such as lip balm from beeswax.
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Accessibility
There are 11 accessible rooms available. All communal areas across the hotel are wheelchair accessible, and there are lifts that travel to all floors including the Six Senses Place members’ club and the spa and wellness area. There are accessible toilets in communal areas.
Pet Policy
Pets up to 7kg are welcome free of charge in all areas of the hotel apart from the restaurants. Pet beds and toys are available, and the room service menu offers posh pet food and drink (think, poached salmon with organic quinoa and peas).
Check-in/check-out
Check-in is from 3pm, check-out is noon.
Family friendly?
Families are welcome at the hotel. Children’s food and spa treatment menus are available and little ones can attend the Earth Lab sustainability workshops, and hotel-run events like a Paddington bear-themed scavenger trail around the neighbourhood. Books and games (a PS5 can be brought to your room) are available. There are rooms with twin double beds to facilitate families, and the Whiteley suite has two bedrooms.
At a glance
Best thing: The excellent range of dishes at Whiteley’s Kitchen.
Perfect for: Those seeking advanced wellness facilities.
Not right for: Luxury-lovers who expect silver service.
Instagram from: The lobby with a view of the grand staircase.
Address: 1 Redan Place, London, W2 4SA
Phone number: 020 3278 8000
Website: Sixsenses.com
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Lois was a guest of Six Senses London.
