Six Senses is known around the world for its sustainability resorts free of waste, toxins and plastic, and now, the brand has announced it’ll be opening its first-ever Australian property outside of Melbourne.
The hotel will be housed in heritage mansion Burnham Beeches, on a 22-hectare estate in the Dandenong Ranges and neighbouring Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens. Designed by architect Harry Norris in 1933 for the Nicholas ‘Aspro’ family, the mansion is one of the finest examples of domestic art déco in Australia.
The hotel will initially house 43 guest rooms, which will feature different layouts and be spread over the mansion’s three main wings. The property will also offer 39 glamping tents, as well as several food and drink venues, including a welcome lounge and terrace, a restaurant with outdoor seating, a library bar and a rooftop retreat.
The road to the resorts ascends into mountain mists and the shady canopies of towering trees. There, guests are invited to enjoy good food, good company and the crackle of a fire, breathing in forest air and listening to birdsong. The property’s farm gardens will provide fruit and veggies for the restaurant, while the herb garden will produce healing and aromatic plants for use in the Alchemy Bar workshops and Six Senses Spa treatments.
Six Senses are known for their spas, and this resort seems to be no exception to that, with its spa on the ground level providing a “botanical environment” with treatment rooms, a tea lounge and a hydro area and sauna.
“For Six Senses Burnham Beeches to be regenerative, it will not be a static place,” says Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs. “We’ll evolve and respond to bring the rich heritage of Burnham Beeches to life, inviting moments of exploration, discovery, connection to nature, and delight through interactive gastronomy, wellness, and sustainability experiences.”
The hotel is set to open in mid-2025, if all goes to plan.
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