Six Senses will open its first resort in Europe next week, located in the Portuguese UNESCO World Heritage area of the Douro Valley.
Set on 22 acres and designed by New York-based Clodagh Design, the 57-bedroom, 19th century Six Senses Douro Valley will feature a 24,000sq ft (2,230sq m) Six Senses spa.
Designed with an interior palette of light greys and sandy tones, the resort uses eco-friendly materials to blend together nature, Portuguese tradition, and the elements of water, space, stone and wood.
The spa features ten treatment rooms, an indoor swimming pool, laconium, herbal bath, experience showers, forest bathing and a nail bar. Five of the spa’s treatment rooms offer views of the surrounding vineyards and valley, and signature treatments are inspired by the region’s wine culture.
The Complete Grape Rejuvenation is an antioxidant body treatment that involves dry brushing of the skin followed by exfoliation with grape pulp and grape seed oil. The Schist Stone and Almond Body Soother treatment incorporates stones that are used with port wine production whose dark colours absorb the heat of the day and slowly release it at night.
The resort also includes five hectares of surrounding forest that can be used for forest bathing, a Japanese term used to describe an gentle and quiet walk in the woods with senses open to sounds, smells, colours and feel of the forest designed to have a therapeutic effect on the body and mind.
Javier Suarez has been named spa and wellness director, and comes to the location from Six Senses Yao Noi in Thailand, where he was also spa and wellness director.
The resort also includes an outdoor swimming pool, an activities hut and gym and on-site personal trainers. A wine library pairs a selection of regional wines with tapas, cheese, smoked hams and local sausages. Group wellness activities such as yoga, forest meditation, aerial yoga and hiking will be on offer several times a week on a complimentary basis.
