IHG to bring Six Senses brand to France's Loire Valley

Less than six months since acquiring the brand, IHG is bringing Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas to a new destination.

The French village of Saint-Laurent-Nouan, a 90-minute drive south from Paris, will be home to the Six Senses Loire Valley when it opens in May 2022.

The property is being developed by an affiliate of London-based RoundShield Partners LLP, an investment firm focused on European opportunities. 

The resort will be part of the Les Bordes Estate, a 1,400-acre site in the Sologne forest, home to Les Bordes Golf Club. The development will include equestrian and tennis centers, an organic farm, an art gallery, a petting farm, a natural swimming lake with a beach, water sports, biking and walking trails. 

While the golf club’s two 18-hole courses will remain private, hotel guests will have access to the new Gil Hanse-designed par three course and a new golf practice facility.

"We feel really fortunate to be collaborating with RoundShield Partners on a very unique project [that] will give a new dynamic to this world-famous destination and complement our existing and upcoming resorts in Europe," said Six Senses President Bernhard Bohnenberger. "Six Senses Loire Valley is being designed with our sustainability values at its heart and will appeal to experience seekers, nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts looking to get up close with this region’s exceptional beauty, culture and history."

The development includes a preserved historic château that will house the hotel's restaurant and bar as well as its event facilities. The 88 suites and villas are clustered as enclaves in the woodland landscape and built alongside streams and waterways. In the coming years, the property will add 70 residential villas that will be available for private ownership, with the opportunity to include them in the resort’s rooms inventory.

The property's spa will have a medicinal garden where plants and herbs will be grown for inclusion in treatments and Alchemy Bar workshops. Adjoining this will be the main organic kitchen garden and Earth Lab where guests can learn about the resort’s conservation initiatives. 

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas manages 18 hotels and resorts across 14 countries as well as 37 spas under the brand names Six Senses, Evason, Six Senses Spas and Raison d’Etre. There are a further 17 hotels and resorts in its development pipeline.