Whiteleys department store soon to become home to Six Senses London
Denham, United Kingdom, 2019-Dec-19 — /Travel PR News/ — With its proximity to Hyde Park and Kensington Palace, Bayswater in West London is recognized for its streets lined with grand terraces of white stucco houses and garden squares. Among them is an iconic building and former department store – Whiteleys – soon to become home to Six Senses London.
The hotel, wellness club and spa mark the brand’s entry into the UK and will open with 110 guest rooms and suites, starting from 355 square feet (33 square meters) and celebrating the building’s origins, while making space for modern living. There will also be 14 branded residences, with owners able to tap into all the privileges that come with a Six Senses home, including bespoke interior design, concierge service, dining, housekeeping and wellness programming.
Sustainable heritage preservation
Whiteleys takes its name from visionary entrepreneur, William Whiteley, who opened his first drapery shop in Westbourne Grove in 1863. A little over a decade later, the shop had grown to a department store described as “an immense symposium of the arts and industries of the nation and of the world”. Once a vibrant destination that formed the focus for the surrounding residential neighborhood, Whiteleys was then redeveloped in the 1980s into a shopping center with a cinema and bowling alley. It subsequently closed its doors in December 2018 as its popularity diminished.
The redevelopment of Whiteleys is headed by a Meyer Bergman-advised fund, with the preeminent residential real estate developer Finchatton as development manager. In collaboration with the British architectural firm, Foster + Partners, renowned for its eco credentials and responsible design approach, this historic landmark will become a sensitively restored mixed-use development. The original Grade II façade, central courtyard and dome will all be preserved, as will the majestic internal staircase (modeled on the La Scala opera house in Milan), which features as the centerpiece on the ground floor of the hotel.
Design inspired by connectivity
Inspired by the building’s origins, the interiors of Six Senses London are designed by internationally celebrated AvroKO in conjunction with executive architects EPR, and combine nostalgic nods to classical detailing and art deco along with modern streamlining. To add a touch of local culture to the preserved Great Exhibition mood, contemporary art from British artists will be showcased throughout the hotel.
The Six Senses brand philosophy of connection to people and nature is central to the convivial and biophilic tone of the ground floor. It features a cozy lobby bar and lounge (for talking to friends or the plants), all-day dining restaurant with an open kitchen and seating area in the courtyard. Much of the lobby’s character derives from its verdant, elegant and eclectic style. Imaginative planting, textured fabrics, bespoke flooring, reclaimed wood furniture and upholstery in natural tones with glass display cabinets flanking its walls cleverly bring about coziness in 14,000 square feet (1,300 square meters) of public space which encourages guests to socialize, eat, play or simply be.
Chief Executive Officer, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Neil Jacobs, said: “I feel nostalgic when talking about Whiteleys. I grew up in the neighborhood and my parents used to bring me here. It is a wonderful opportunity to pay homage to this heritage and bring our brand values to life in this part of town, while celebrating our first port of call for Six Senses in the UK.”
Non-conventional approach to wellness
In today’s hyper-connected world and stressed lifestyle, Six Senses Spa will play an integral part in the hotel’s offering. In a space reminiscent of an old-fashioned London underground station, the spa journey will mirror the different energies of the city life, from the sensory stimulation and movement of the street to the stillness and calm of a quiet café or park. In this way, lively and vibrant areas flow into more serene and silent ones to offer energizing and restorative sensations; a perfectly balanced environment in which to achieve overall well-being. Highlights include 3,500 square feet (325 square meters) dedicated to fitness, a 65-foot (20-meter) indoor swimming pool, an Alchemy Bar and a relaxation room with vaulted ceilings.
On the second floor, residents and members will access a new kind of social and wellness club. Away from the density and intensity of the city, this space will feature a central bar and lounge, coworking spaces, a restaurant and wellness rooms, and offer pioneering programming to encourage growth, reflection and reconnection.
Marcus Meijer, chief executive officer of Meyer Bergman, commented: “We are very excited to announce the agreement with Six Senses. It’s a key element in the transformation of Whiteleys as well as the wider Queensway regeneration plan. The Six Senses brand stands for luxury, design, wellness and sustainability, values that form the keystone of our vision for this vibrant part of London.”
Finchatton Co-founder Alex Michelin said: “Six Senses London will be a first, not only having best-in-class spa and amenities, but also a new kind of social and wellness club unlike anything we have seen in London or for that matter, in a new development. We identified Six Senses as the ideal partner for the Whiteleys redevelopment with wellness at its core and also experiential pioneering programs. These are things which will be at the heart of the new Whiteleys offer and we look forward to creating something really incredible together.”
With unrivaled experience in delivering intelligent and inspiring urban solutions, Meyer Bergman is a privately-owned real estate investment management firm with a portfolio of real estate projects across Europe and the US. London head-quartered Finchatton specializes in creating bespoke homes for the world’s most discerning clientele around the world.
Six Senses London is slated to open in 2023.
About IHG®
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton®Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels, HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express®, Holiday Inn Club Vacations®,Holiday Inn Resort®, avid™ hotels, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®.
IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns nearly 5,400 hotels and 800,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with more than 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG® Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 375,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and corporate offices globally.
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About Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas manages 18 hotels and resorts and 30 spas in 21 countries under the brand names Six Senses, Evason and Six Senses Spas, and has signed a further 22 properties into the development pipeline. Six Senses is part of the IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) family.
Six Senses Hotels and Resorts: a leadership commitment to community, sustainability, emotional hospitality, wellness and design, infused with a touch of quirkiness. Whether an exquisite island resort, mountain retreat or urban hotel, the vision remains the same: to reawaken people’s senses so they feel the purpose behind their travels and ultimately reconnect with themselves, others and the world around them.
Six Senses Spas: a wide range of holistic wellness, rejuvenation and beauty treatments administered under the guidance of expert therapists in all resorts as well as at 14 additional standalone spas. The high-tech and high-touch approach guides guests on their personal path to well-being, taking them as deep as they want to go.
Six Senses Residences: indulgent living as nature intended, providing all the unique amenities of a resort life community, while retaining the intimacy and personal touches of a beautifully-appointed private villa or apartment. Each is an appreciating long-term investment to be cherished for generations to come with immediate benefits including fine dining, pioneering wellness programming and exclusive status at other resorts worldwide.
Evason: sharing the Six Senses philosophy of uncompromised social and environmental responsibility. Its two unique resorts provide a strong value focus, while offering a vast array of personal guest experiences that the whole family will love.
About Meyer Bergman
Meyer Bergman is a privately held real estate investment management firm specializing in urban mixed-use and last mile logistics investments. It advises three closed-ended, value-add real estate funds and a number of co-investments with a total of EUR 5 billion of assets on behalf of global institutional investors. Meyer Bergman targets under-managed or under-utilized properties across major markets in Europe and the United States, typically in off-market transactions sourced through its extensive network. It manages these actively to deliver attractive returns to its investors, which include leading pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and asset managers globally.
About Finchatton
Since 2001, Finchatton has designed, managed and financed more than 60 major development projects worth in excess of GBP 1.2 billion around the world in locations such as France, America, Switzerland, the UK, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Australasia. In addition, the company has completed over 75 prestigious, private commissions. Finchatton currently has in excess of GBP 1.1 billion worth of development in the pipeline. In May 2013, the company announced its role as development coordinator on Twenty Grosvenor Square, the former US Naval Headquarters, in London’s Mayfair which was completed in 2019. The company has two distinct divisions: Finchatton Private, which undertakes bespoke commissions around the world and Finchatton Residences for real estate developments.
For further information please contact:
Elena Black
Elena.Black@sixsenses.com
+44 (0) 7825 416 176
Source: IHG
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