Six Senses Hotels, Resorts and Spas will debut in the Americas with an eco-friendly property in southeastern Brazil in 2021.
Located in the Mantiqueira Mountains, the hotel formerly operated as the Botanique Hotel and Spa but will be rebranded as the Six Senses Botanique next year.
The hotel lies 1,200 metres above sea level at the intersection of three river valleys in the Mantiqueira area, situated two and half hours from Sao Paulo and three and a half hours from Rio de Janeiro.
Six Senses Botanique will maintain Fernanda Ralston Semler’s design of the existing property, which draws on local traditions, culture and the region’s topography. The hotel was built in 2012 by local architects and designers using indigenous materials such as jacaranda wood, natural stone and chocolate slate, while 120-year-old wooden beams were reclaimed from nearby farms.
The hotel will continue to have seven suites in the main hotel and 13 private villas, but Six Senses will construct a further 14 villas off-site using an eco-friendly modular approach and local materials.
Six Senses will also build 37 branded residences in the same sustainable manner, which will be available for purchase. Owners will have access to the hotel facilities, amenities and services, as well as the opportunity to rent out their homes in a programme managed by Six Senses.
The hotel has maximised views of the surrounding scenery through its design – the dining room in the main building is perched on a ridge, while glass panels throughout the hotel offer uninterrupted views of the area’s valleys and mountains.
Six Senses will add its signature public spaces Experience Centre and Alchemy Bar, and there are also plans to introduce a kids club and an Earth Lab, where the property showcases its sustainable efforts. The Six Senses Spa, which currently has eight treatment rooms, will also see the addition of new rooms, relaxation and wellness areas and a fitness centre offering activities including capoeira (the Afro-Brazilian martial art).
Fernanda Ralston Semler commented on the news:
“Ironically, Brazil did not have a hotel that was profoundly and uniquely Brazilian. Botanique was built over many years to fulfil this niche, with entirely local architecture and interiors, and also a locally inspired library, gastronomy, spa and cosmetics, and even films in its in-house cinema. Added to this was a dedicated team of locals who learned their trade in a new format that eliminated departments. This resulted in what is considered Brazil’s utmost small luxury hotel – and nothing would be more fitting than joining forces with the world’s utmost luxury hotel brand.”
Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses, added:
“Six Senses Botanique will appeal to guests seeking an eco-retreat in nature along with authentic Brazilian design, culture and cuisine. We’re also putting together a program of rituals, workshops and festivals, offering time out to focus on living at ease with oneself and others and in a more reciprocal way with the natural world. What a wonderful place to breathe in the peace and beauty all around to find harmony and reconnection.”
Six Senses is also planning to open its first property in Italy in late 2021, followed by a hotel in Iceland in 2022, and its first London property in 2023.
Six Senses Hotels, Resorts and Spas manages 16 hotels and resorts and 27 spas in 20 countries, and has a further 28 properties in the development pipeline. It was acquired by Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) in 2019.
