In our Suite Staycation column, Gina Jackson – hotel expert and author of British Boutique Hotels – tours some of the best hotel suites in the UK. Next up, Six Senses London.
Best for: a slick West London stay
Give us the lowdown
Six Senses is best known for its far-flung beach resorts – so when they began expanding into urban properties a couple of years ago, it felt like a curious leap from their brand DNA. Their third urban property, Six Senses London, debuted earlier this year in Bayswater, set inside the iconic Whiteley building (where scenes from My Fair Lady were filmed): once London’s beloved, first ever department store that gradually slid into dereliction. By the time Six Senses acquired it, the building was in need of a serious facelift.
Today, it couldn’t feel further from those neglected years: a shimmering, light-filled palace dressed in swathes of marble, brass and warm woods, with its restored iron-wrought staircase still sweeping through the lobby – and velvety armchairs and sofas to sprawl across. I checked in on one of the hottest days of the year, deeply grateful for the gloriously cool AC and slick, five-star treatment.
What’s in the suite?
Bedrooms are a departure from the Six Senses norm: the brand’s relaxed, beach-house feel has been replaced with something cleaner and more pared-back. All 109 rooms share the same template: airy, light-flooded spaces (thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows) with the occasional swash of blue or pink, plus brass fixtures, dark woods and abstract artworks.
Crittall partitions divide the bedroom from the bathroom, where a freestanding tub and generous walk-in showers come stocked with Six Senses’ signature ‘pep up’ or ‘chill out’ gels. Little touches have been accounted for: a pillow menu, Marshall speakers, and the bathroom amply provisioned with all the little extras you might need, in case you’ve left anything at home. There was also a huge flat-screen TV opposite the bed, a backgammon board, and a minibar stocked with artisan chocolates.
How’s the crowd?Â
International, mostly – unsurprising, given the hotel’s prime spot between Notting Hill and Hyde Park, which makes it a natural stomping ground for tourists wandering in throughout the day. But there’s a steady stream of locals too, who end up parked in the lobby for hours.
Where can we eat and drink?
Whiteley’s Kitchen is the beating heart of the hotel. I visited during a heatwave, when guests were spilling out onto the sun-kissed terrace, but the interior is just as inviting: decked out with mirrored surfaces and green velvet banquettes, with an open-plan kitchen at the entrance, where you can watch the chefs at work. The menu is broadly Mediterranean, with a good number of dishes being vegetarian. We started with lamb kebabs and warm flatbreads (ideal for scooping up tzatziki), before moving onto handmade pastas and grilled fish.
Tables flow into the lobby and over into Whiteley’s Bar, where the drinks list includes an exceptionally well-curated non-alcoholic line-up (as a non-drinker, the team kept me topped up with glasses of French Bloom, and excellent no-and-low cocktails). A small café turns out amped-up pastries and coffee throughout the day. Meanwhile, breakfast the next morning includes a spread of homemade viennoiserie, just-pressed juices, and an array of pickles and ferments all made on-site – but it’s the hot dishes that are the real highlight: scrambled eggs with asparagus piled on a thick slice of pillowy brioche, and fluffy pancakes topped with British berries and whipped ricotta.
Are there any stand-out touches worth mentioning?
Despite the urban setting, there’s a deliberate effort to invite guests to slow down. Check-in begins with a small ritual: a cup of ginger tea, and a set of intention-setting cards to frame your stay. On the way out, you’re invited to add a piece of fabric to a communal tapestry that grows with each guest’s contribution – and will be hung up in the hotel.
What’s on the to-do list?
You’ll want to carve out ample time to unwind at the subterranean spa. Wellness is a regular fixture across Six Senses’ properties, and the London outpost is showstopping. The super-sized gym is kitted out with serious tech (Technogym machines, a clutch of reformer Pilates beds, all the kit you could possibly want), alongside a rotating calendar of classes covering everything from boxing to Hyrox – many are free for hotel guests to join.
Curved hallways lead to hushed treatment rooms, where I had a soothing lymphatic drainage massage (one of the hotel’s signature therapies), before being ushered into a relaxation room where each lounger had its own pair of headphones and iPad to listen to a personalised playlist of ambient music. There’s also a hammam, bio-hacking clinic, and an Alchemy Bar (a Six Senses hallmark) where you can blend your own body scrubs from raw ingredients. The pool wasn’t yet open when I visited, but it’s set to be spectacular, featuring a 20-metre lap pool, Finnish sauna, cold plunge, and sensory showers.
What should we know before we go?
This is the first Six Senses to come with a members’ club attached, and as hotel guests, we got unfettered access during our stay. The first floor houses a mix of meeting rooms and lounge spaces, plus an Italian restaurant that’s worth booking a table at while you’re in residence.
What should we pack?
City chic apparel will get you through most of your stay. Activewear is a must (the gym is too good to skip), along with swimwear and sandals for the spa – and something a little smarter for dinner at Whiteley’s Kitchen.
Images by Martin Morell
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Any Questions or Tips to add?