London has no shortage of luxury hotels, but the arrival of Six Senses London feels like something different. Hidden inside the vast restored shell of The Whiteley on Queensway, the brand’s first UK property brings together heritage architecture, cutting-edge wellness and a quietly ambitious reinvention of one of the capital’s most storied buildings.
Just moments from Hyde Park and the colourful streets of Notting Hill, the hotel occupies the former Whiteleys department store, a Victorian retail landmark now reborn as part of a £3 billion regeneration of the area.
For Six Senses, the move into London marks a significant moment. Known for its remote resorts in places such as Ibiza, Maldives, and most recently Rome, the brand has built a reputation for combining sustainability, spa culture and immersive design. Bringing that philosophy into the heart of a busy city was always going to be an intriguing experiment.
A new life for Whiteleys
Whiteleys first opened in 1863 and was widely regarded as one of London’s earliest department stores. At its height it promised shoppers they could buy “everything from a pin to an elephant” beneath one roof.
Today the building has been painstakingly reimagined by Foster + Partners and design studio AvroKO, preserving the Grade II listed façade while introducing a fresh architectural rhythm inside.
At the centre of the hotel stands a spectacular reconstructed grand staircase rising towards a glass-domed ceiling, once the defining feature of the original store. Marble, deep green stone and bold Art Deco lines give the interiors a sense of drama without feeling theatrical.
The hotel itself contains 109 rooms and suites, many with terraces overlooking the surrounding neighbourhood, as well as 14 branded residences.
At the top of the building sits the Whiteley Suite, a vast penthouse-style accommodation with its own 125-square-metre roof terrace.
A wellness sanctuary in the middle of London
Wellness has always been at the core of the Six Senses brand, and the London property may be its most ambitious urban interpretation yet.
The Six Senses Spa London stretches across an impressive 2,300 square metres, making it one of the largest hotel wellness facilities in the capital.
Among its most intriguing features is London’s first magnesium hotel pool, designed to support muscle recovery and help regulate the nervous system. Alongside it sits a 20-metre indoor swimming pool and a large fitness space dedicated to movement and training.
The spa also introduces a distinctly futuristic element with the Biohack Recovery Lounge, where guests can experiment with therapies designed to accelerate recovery and optimise performance.
Facilities include:
- cryotherapy
- red-light therapy
- flotation therapy
- sound loungers
- compression recovery systems
- electro muscle stimulation
- inversion tables
The hotel has also partnered with the longevity clinic HUM2N, founded by Dr Mohammed Enayat, offering advanced blood diagnostics, IV nutrient therapy and performance health consultations.
It’s a clear sign of how luxury hotels are evolving — no longer just places to sleep, but increasingly destinations for personal optimisation.
A restaurant rooted in British ingredients
Dining at the hotel follows Six Senses’ “Eat With Six Senses” philosophy, which emphasises seasonal ingredients, sustainability and a lighter approach to luxury dining.
At Whiteley’s Kitchen, Executive Chef Eliano Crespi and Head Chef Jose Jara focus on vegetable-forward dishes and cooking techniques centred around fire and fermentation.
A dedicated fermentation lab produces house-made ingredients ranging from preserved fruits to koji cultures — adding depth of flavour while supporting gut health.
At the bar, cocktails are designed to work both with and without alcohol. One of the signature serves, “Clouds Over Islay”, blends **Bruichladdich whisky with amazake and lemon hydrosol developed by the hotel’s Alchemy Bar.
The wine list highlights British producers alongside small independent growers.
The world’s first Six Senses members club
One of the most intriguing aspects of the project sits just above the lobby.
Six Senses Place London is the brand’s first urban members’ club – a social and wellness space designed to bring the Six Senses philosophy into everyday city life.
Programming follows what the hotel calls the Almanac, a calendar of talks, workshops and gatherings aligned with seasonal rhythms. Think meditation sessions, shared meals, personal development discussions and creative experiences designed to foster connection.
In a city already famous for its members clubs, this wellness-focused interpretation may prove to be one of the more interesting additions.
Sustainability at the heart of the design
Environmental responsibility remains a defining principle of the Six Senses brand.
The hotel operates without single-use plastic and forms part of the BREEAM-certified redevelopment of The Whiteley building. More than 1,150 square metres of green roof space have been created to support biodiversity and reduce urban heat.
The property also includes an Earth Lab, a dedicated space where guests can take part in workshops focused on conservation, botanical preparation and sustainable living.
A small but notable detail: the hotel has adopted the British butterfly as its symbolic mascot, reflecting the pollinator habitats created on the rooftop gardens.
A new chapter for Queensway
The opening of Six Senses London forms part of the wider regeneration of Queensway, one of west London’s most significant urban redevelopment projects in recent years.
The Whiteley site alone spans more than one million square feet, combining residences, hospitality venues, retail and public space.
With the arrival of the hotel — along with a collection of restaurants and lifestyle brands — the area is beginning to transform from a once-faded shopping street into a new destination for visitors and locals alike.
For Six Senses, it marks the beginning of a new chapter as the brand expands its urban presence worldwide.
For London, it introduces something slightly different: a hotel that aims not simply to offer luxury, but to encourage guests to slow down, reconnect and perhaps even leave feeling a little better than when they arrived.
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