When people hear Six Senses, they think of modern rooms, the Earth Lab tutorials, and a puritanical organic philosophy woven into everything from spa treatments to headboard materials. And that’s exactly what they delivered, in the Crans side of Crans-Montana, high above the lake, the parks and the boutiques.
The anti-waste and anti-consumption ethos is (somehow) reconciled with high-octane food, angular interiors, hugely delicious local food and the spa to end all spas, worth heading down the slopes to whoosh.
Where is it?
It is located on the Crans side of Crans-Montana, high above the town to ensure the ski-in, ski-out promise is kept – as long as there is enough snow. Six Senses’ decision to set up an Alpine store in this unpretentious resort was curious, especially since the designer hoodie-wearing crowds they attract feel a little out of step with the British contingent flying in from London. or the fur industry here. -coated vintage cars pacing along the main road. As this is hearty fondu and raclette country, few are here for the salads. But take a look through the history of Crans-Montana and it all makes sense.
This resort is no stranger to glamor and glitz. In its heyday of the 1980s it was considered a tasteful, quiet place for socialites. Charlie Chaplin dined here, Roger Moore moved here from Gstaad and celebrities and royals have long found their resting place here, away from the paps and all the ostentatious fanfare. It can be reached by train from Geneva and then via a cable car up the mountain, or via an airport transfer, which is usually a lot smoother (especially if you’re traveling with children) and means you’re guaranteed a seat.
Style
Imagine a sprawling, Bond-esque chalet rising from the snow-capped pines, a chalet that swallows blacked-out Mercedes whole through secret underground doors and is far enough up the mountain to be both vast and invisible. Six Senses Crans Montana is an architectural marvel, no matter your taste or design preferences, and its hodgepodge of upscale restaurants and bars gives you plenty of reason to stay on the slopes or poolside all week.
The cavernous interior spaces are warmed with thick carpets and moody lighting, and nature is pulled in (and given a contemporary treatment) at every corner, from the glass-encased forest floor (open to the elements) that lines the corridor, to the expansive balconies with stunning views of the Rhône Valley. The summers here shine emerald green in all directions, the winters are shrouded in soft white, whether you sit in this colossus of an Alpine hotel or enjoy the sun on the terraces.
Aesthetic highlights include the indoor-outdoor pool, which reflects a contemporary wooden art installation hanging above and then flows outdoors into a brutalist, cube-shaped space that is lined, to minimalist effect, by orderly birch trees. Then there’s the salon-like reception area, with striking patterned rugs underfoot, cool circular light installations seemingly scrawled in the air above, and low-slung sofas, all choreographed into one highly Instagrammable spot.
Eat Drink
Six Senses’ wellness cachet too often overshadows its food, which is generally very good. So good that you’d be forgiven for staying put all week and forgoing the city’s hearty raclette joints to work your way through the menus. Wild Cabin’s is radically seasonal and fairly global, with a Swiss slant. It hits all the right notes for the high-end palate in a relaxed environment. Alpine light pours in through a glass wall, illuminating the patterned carpets and open kitchen, where chefs prepare grilled asparagus and miso cream, rosti and salmon tartare starters, and generous, succulent pork belly with seasonal carrots and sea bass in champagne sauce.
Each dish is unctuous, spicy and shiny under the atmospheric lighting. Lunch often ends up on the sunny terrace and breakfast is a feast of alpine delights, with a Six Senses twist) – think freshly made berry juices, thick Swiss yoghurt lathered with local honey and baked nut muesli. A real advantage of this hotel is the lack of strict breakfast times: after sleeping in, guests can stroll for Negroni Wallisans and eggs which all hotels must take into account.
A few will slump in, worn out from last night’s sake cocktails at Byakko, Six Senses’ metropolitan-style Japanese restaurant, which serves brand new sushi alongside favorites like black cod and Wagyu beef. A DJ might very well call the night before you’ve even gotten to the Blue Crystal Shrimp, and by the time the black sesame mochi show up, most of the table will have found the cigar room or are dancing at the bar are.
Facilities
This is where Six Senses really outdoes itself. The spa feels both cavernous and cozy, with a glass pool in the center rippling beneath a MOMA-worthy wooden art installation – with hundreds of wooden stumps protruding from the ceiling. This body of water flows out through a glass partition into a brutalist-style courtyard that cuts through the light. And this is just the underground part. Upstairs, a large pool is located on terrace level, perfectly next to the piste, inviting for après shenanigans – no fussing with shoes, but definitely a few rounds of herbal cocktails by the pool. The open-air cinema is an exciting place, especially when night envelops the hotel and pine trees blow through the cold air.
Inside, tired ski legs can head to the treatment rooms, where therapists will manipulate the muscles as energy flows and cortisol leaves the body thanks to a heavenly series of treatments and an ancient and modern scientific approach. The menu includes an intensely hydrating Swiss chocolate wrap and the anti-aging, sleep-inducing body ritual with grapes from the Valais region. Plus, guests have full access to the biohack recovery lounge – where far from being limited to thigh-busting afternoons on the slopes, the healing techniques target all levels of physical and psychological stress (think compression boots, red light LED face masks and Therabody loungers with guided meditations). Young children are sensibly separated from the zen with a children’s pool and fixed pool times.
Families
Surprisingly, this sultry, grown-up hotel welcomes kids – well-behaved kids with parents who can read the room (i.e., head to the kiddie pool and leave the main character’s slumbering couple alone). The GROW by Six Senses program engages children aged three and up with a range of activities, from finger painting to outdoor activities such as foraging and sleigh rides. Families can settle into the cinema room with a decadent array of snacks, and those hoping their kids find their ski legs can ask the hotel for ski school advice.
Extracurricular activities
Six Senses’ ‘health is wealth’ philosophy is right at home in Crans-Montana, where its year-round appeal takes the pressure off snow forecasts. Skiing in sunny Crans is fantastic and relatively peaceful – although you’ll need to take the gondola for more powder and bracing runs, which is conveniently just below this ski-in, ski-out hotel. Adrenaline junkies can scramble to the legendary Plaine Morte Glacier, and skiers of all levels can look forward to wide, cruising pistes with high-altitude spots like Buvette de Pepinet or Cabane Violettes worth clicking on their skis for.
The ski concierge is fantastic and ensures that guests’ equipment is as tailored and comfortable as possible, and that they hit the right slopes for their level (or with a pre-arranged ski guide). When snow globe Crans-Montana starts to thaw, guests can hop on e-bikes and follow scenic trails along mountains and lakes, hike to peaks for a morning sun salute or even refine their swing on the golf course. Gourmets can settle into a cheese-making workshop in Valais, while thrill-seekers take to the skies and paraglide over the countryside of The Sound of Music.
Which room?
The rooms are carved from granite, marble and wood, with dark knotty oak and larch cabinetry, stunning technical accents and masculine, dimly lit bathrooms. Showers are designed to warm you from every angle, baths are deep enough to soak tired ski muscles (with delicious-smelling salts) and in some rooms guests can sweat out all the mulled wine in their own private sauna.
Six Senses take their sleep seriously: beds are the epitome of comfort: fresh, soft and difficult to get out of for breakfast. Ultimately, it’s the space you pay for when you start moving up the room categories. No one loses a terrace or a high design. Side note: the ski storage design is excellent – with clever compartments for all paraphernalia.
Best for…
A pampering ski and spa weekend, where fresh mountain air, phenomenally good food and biohacking treatments are the order of the day.
Details
Rates at Six Senses Crans Montana, part of IHG’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio, start from CHF730 (approximately £653) for a Superior Terrace Room. sixsenses.com