![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Six_Senses_London_Pool-7a94.jpg\")
\n\t\tA new chapter is being written in west London (Picture: Six Senses)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tA new chapter is being written in west London (Picture: Six Senses)<\/p>\n
If London<\/a> is a tapestry of history, a city where a single street can tell centuries of stories, then a new chapter is unfolding at an iconic building in bougie Bayswater.<\/p>\n Located on Queensway in the famously affluent neighbourhood, Whiteleys was the department store in its 18th-century heyday, but in later years, it lost its sparkle. Then a major renovation gave it CPR.<\/p>\n Following a \u00a31.5 billion glow-up by\u00a0Foster + Partners, the Grade-II listed landmark has just reopened as a cutting-edge wellness<\/a> hotel that has everything from a biohacking lounge to a fermentation lab. (A what?)<\/p>\n It\u2019s the first UK outpost of luxury wellness hotel brand Six Senses<\/a>, with 109 rooms and suites, plus a spa and an exclusive social club for members.<\/p>\n Six Senses Hotels<\/a> CEO Neil Jacobs\u2019 has declared that the property is \u2018unlike anything we have seen\u2019 in the British capital.<\/p>\n As a former Tatler staffer and lover of the luxury scene, I had to put that claim to the test.<\/p>\n \t\t Six Senses is a bit about alternative medicine and going \u2018back to nature\u2019, and a lot about love of the good life. The current version, at least.<\/p>\n Back in the 1800s and 1900s, \u2018luxury\u2019 meant maximalism: big parties, decadent food and champagne on tap. <\/p>\n These days it\u2019s less about excess, and more about time, longevity and how you feel when you leave.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tAsk Metro<\/p>\n Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about \u2013 powered by Metro and trusted publications.<\/p>\n With the global wellness economy<\/a> now valued at $6.8 trillion and forecast to account for nearly 7% of global GDP by the Global Wellness Institute, it\u2019s hard to ignore how far this shift has gone. <\/p>\n Many brands have followed this cultural shift, but Six Senses was writing the script long before wellness became such an alluring word.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t\t\tLatest London news\t\t\t<\/p>\n To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro’s London news hub<\/a>.<\/p>\n Founded in 1995, the brand\u2019s ethos is to \u2018take people beyond destinations and reawaken their senses so they can disconnect yet be reconnected \u2026 to themselves, others, and the world around them\u2019.<\/p>\n How do they do that, then? <\/p>\n In this new London location, you can have a consultation with a \u2018medical herbalist\u2019, spend time in a cryotherapy pod, have a full body MOT or enjoy a vast array of outlandishly indulgent spa treatments.<\/p>\n When I went to check it out earlier this month, I had a 60-minute sculpting facial, which was not only one of the most relaxing experiences I\u2019ve had in a while, but also left me with a whole new complexion (see below).<\/p>\n \t\t The design of the spa is a marvel: a maze of poured-concrete tunnels with low lighting, state-of-the-art facilities and sweeping Romanesque ceilings.<\/p>\n The 20-metre pool is, without question, one of the best in the city, too.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not about spectacle, it\u2019s about creating a space where you\u2019re encouraged to switch off entirely, something that now feels like the real marker of true modern luxury in a place like London.<\/p>\n My appointment at Alchemy Bar with one of the in-house herbalists was the first time I\u2019d had this kind of experience. <\/p>\n The design is like Alice in Wonderland, Narnia, and a Victorian apothecary were stuck in a blender.<\/p>\n \t\t Led like a hybrid of a medical consultation and therapy session, the herbalist gets to know your body, lifestyle and emotions through a series of questions before making an assessment. <\/p>\n The Alchemy Bar is inspired by traditional European herbalism, drawing on the properties of different herbs and botanicals to create something tailored to you. <\/p>\n From there, the herbalist designs a unique blend, either as a tea or tincture, for you to take home and continue using after your stay.<\/p>\n If I am honest, however, the sheer volume of what\u2019s on offer can feel a bit intimidating.<\/p>\n With cryotherapy, medical consultations, herbalism, treatments and biohacking all on offer, there is a danger of turning relaxation into another itinerary to navigate.<\/p>\n \t\t The technology is impressive, but ultimately it\u2019s the feeling of leaving calmer and better rested that makes the stay memorable.<\/p>\n My junior suite keeps pace with the spa. It\u2019s all soft lighting, muted tones and a sumptuously comfortable bed with sleep mist waiting to be spritzed.<\/p>\n In most rooms, mine included, the bath is encased in Crittall glass right in the middle of the room. <\/p>\n The design certainly looks good, but some might find it less practical on the privacy front. Personally, though, I think it\u2019s sexy as hell.<\/p>\n The minibar is not included. It\u2019s well stocked, though, with a good selection of fancy soft drinks, including Karma Cola and ginger beer, which I\u2019m partial to. <\/p>\n There was also a rather small container of pick \u2019n\u2019 mix sweets which looked delicious but for \u00a38 I think you\u2019d struggle to justify that jelly baby.<\/p>\n \t\t In the evening, I took myself on a date for seasonal cocktails at Whiteley\u2019s Bar which, I don\u2019t say lightly, were some of the best concoctions I\u2019ve tasted.<\/p>\n Dinner was a 10\/10 experience which is almost impossible to critique.<\/p>\n A gorgeous touch on the menu is the option to \u2018trust the chef\u2019, where the maestro creates a bespoke menu based on your preferences.<\/p>\n This led me to the joy of some of their top dishes: tuna tartare, Oxford<\/a> Sandy & Black pork chop and their signature crispy smashed potatoes, each course paired with an impeccable selection of wines by their director of wine, Eugenio Egorov.<\/p>\n At dinner and breakfast, there is a wide range of pickles, kefir drinks<\/a> and ferments, all designed by their in-house fermentation specialist.<\/p>\n Perhaps that is what Six Senses gets right. It doesn\u2019t just tack wellness onto the side of a luxury hotel and call it a day.<\/p>\n \t\t It has woven the idea through every part of the experience, from what you eat and drink to how you sleep, move, relax and spend your time.<\/p>\n That philosophy extends beyond the hotel itself and into Six Senses Place too, the members\u2019 club within the building.<\/p>\n After check-out, guests receive an email which signs off with a note: \u2018London moves fast, but our doors are always open whenever you feel like returning for a different rhythm.\u2019<\/p>\n It\u2019s a nice message, but this kind of living, of course, comes at a price.<\/p>\n Rooms at Six Senses London start from around \u00a3600 a night. Spa treatments and immersive wellness experiences are charged separately, with current packages starting at around \u00a3425 per person. <\/p>\n Once you throw in dinner and drinks, you\u2019re easily looking at a four-figure stay. <\/p>\n As a best in class destination, this is to be expected, and if you have the money to spend, Six Senses London is the perfect place to do it.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s the catch 22 of modern wellness: slowing down and investing in yourself can be wonderful, but only if you have the budget to do so.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tThe essentials\t\t\t<\/p>\n Getting there<\/p>\n Six Senses is in The Whiteley at 1 Redan Place, Bayswater, West London. The nearest Tube station is Queensway.<\/p>\n Price<\/p>\n Rooms at Six Senses London start from around \u00a3600 per night, depending on the time of year.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image00002-2-3664-rotated-e1787130294574.jpeg\")
\n\t\tSomething of a grand dame, Whiteleys is mentioned in the 1964 Audrey Hepburn classic My Fair Lady (Picture: Alexander O\u2019Loughlin)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Six_Senses_London_Lobby_Courtyard_Host-f1d7.jpg\")
\n\t\tIt\u2019s giving the staircase from the Titanic (Picture: Six Senses)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image00001-f847-rotated.jpeg\")
\n\t\tSettling in (Picture: Alexander O\u2019Loughlin)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image00006-4e74-rotated.jpeg\")
\n\t\tSee? (Picture: Alexander O\u2019Loughlin)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Six_Senses_London_Hammam-7109.jpg\")
\n\t\tFacial sculpting, hammam, thermal circuit with magnesium baths\u2026 there\u2019s not enough hours in a day for this level of luxury (Picture: Six Senses)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Six_Senses_London_Junior_Suite_Bathtub-6668.jpg\")
\n\t\tWhen do we move in? (Picture: Six Senses)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image00005-4db5-rotated.jpeg\")
\n\t\tA feast for the eyes (Picture: Alexander O\u2019Loughlin)<\/p>\n
\nMORE: Man, 46, charged after 75-year-old pensioner is \u2018killed in burglary gone wrong\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: We \u2018retired\u2019 in our 30s and travel the world on \u00a360 a day with our kids<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: Black belt law student, 19, dies after heart stopped suddenly while she slept<\/a><\/p>\n