Just over a 90-minute drive south of Paris is the breathtaking Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage region renowned for historic chateaux, medieval towns, fine wines, great food and unspoiled landscape. At the heart of the region sits the village of Saint-Laurent-Nouan, which will be home to Six Senses Loire Valley.
Developed to embrace the environmental and community values that are core to Six Senses, the resort sits within the Les Bordes Estate, a 1,400-acre (560-hectare) site in the Sologne forest, home to Les Bordes Golf Club, one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world. The development will incorporate equestrian and tennis centers, an organic farm, an art gallery, a petting farm, a natural swimming lake with beach, water sports, biking and walking trails and an abundance of additional activities for children and adults alike. Whilst the golf club’s two 18-hole courses will remain fully private, hotel guests will have access to the new Gil Hanse-designed par three course and a new state-of-the-art golf practice facility.
President Bernhard Bohnenberger of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, said: “We feel really fortunate to be collaborating with RoundShield Partners on a very unique project which will give a new dynamic to this world-famous destination and complement our existing and upcoming resorts in Europe. 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.”
Guests arriving at Six Senses Loire Valley will be welcomed at a beautifully preserved château, which also hosts an elegant restaurant and bar, event facilities including function lawns plus a garden with earth sculpture and water feature designed to enhance personal meditation and reconnection. Many of the activities will also be centered around the 13th and 15th century priory buildings adjacent to a stunning lake complex.
Encompassing 88 generously-sized guest suites and villas, accommodations are clustered as enclaves in the woodland landscape and built alongside streams and waterways. Provision is being made for 70 residential villas, which are offered for private ownership, with the opportunity to include them in the resort’s inventory. Owners will enjoy all the unique amenities and privileges of Six Senses Loire Valley whilst retaining the intimacy and personal touches of a private home.
Six Senses Spa will be an integral part of the resort and in addition to the menu of signature specialties, this is also the setting for a medicinal garden where plants and herbs will be grown for inclusion in locally-inspired treatments and Alchemy Bar workshops. Adjoining this will be the main organic kitchen garden and Earth Lab, the center for guests to learn about the resort’s conservation initiatives.
Epicureans can rejoice, as gastronomy takes center stage. After all, this is the glorious Loire Valley. The central château will feature an all-day restaurant and lounge bar that reflect the traditions of the region in taste and style. There will be a specialty restaurant offering cuisine that reflects the Eat With Six Senses principles, enabling guests to reconnect with food in the knowledge that it is good for them and for the world around them.
A meeting and conference center with state-of-the-art facilities will also be developed. In addition to the interrelated rooms, the center will include outdoor meeting facilities, some with walled gardens, and will host pop-up activities. Six Senses experience team can also arrange visits to some of the most beautiful places in the region including towns steeped in tradition and architectural heritage, castles and vineyards.
Six Senses Loire Valley will be developed by an affiliate of London-based RoundShield Partners LLP, an investment firm focused on European special opportunities.
Driss Benkirane, managing partner of RoundShield Partners LLP, said: “We are delighted to partner with Six Senses to develop a unique hotel and lifestyle offering at Les Bordes. The brand’s ethos of understated luxury, connection with nature and the local environment, personal growth, health and wellness fits perfectly with our vision for the estate. We are developing a community where all family members have myriad activities to pursue on and off-site, and are excited to have Six Senses accompany us on this journey.”
Six Senses Loire Valley is expected to open in May 2022.
