The UK’s first Six Senses hotel is to debut at the former Whiteleys department store in London’s Bayswater in 2023.
Residing in the former art deco department store Whiteleys, in Bayswater, the hotel will comprise 110 guest rooms and suites, as well as a Six Senses Spa.
The guest rooms will start from 33 square metres and celebrate the building’s origins, while making space for modern living.
There will also be 14 branded residences available to buy.
Owners will have access to privileges that come with a Six Senses home, including bespoke interior design, concierge service, dining, housekeeping and wellness programming.
As well as being “reminiscent of an old-fashioned London underground station”, the spa will include 3,500 metres dedicated to fitness, a 20-metre indoor swimming pool, an Alchemy bar and a relaxation room with vaulted ceilings. On the second floor will be a social and wellness club with a bar and lounge, coworking spaces, a restaurant and wellness rooms.
The announcement comes following the acquisition of the luxury brand in February by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for £232m from Pegasus Capital Advisors.
Whiteleys, which first opened as a drapery shop in Westbourne Grove in 1863, was redeveloped in the 1980s into a shopping centre with a cinema and bowling alley but closed in December 2018.
The original Grade II façade, central courtyard and dome will all be preserved, as will the majestic internal staircase (modelled on the La Scala opera house in Milan), which features as the centrepiece on the ground floor of the hotel.
With its proximity to Hyde Park and Kensington Palace, Bayswater in west London is recognised for its streets lined with grand terraces of white stucco houses and garden squares.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas manages 18 hotels and resorts and 30 spas in 21 countries.
