Six Senses confirms plans to open first hotel in Scandinavia

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas will open its first hotel in Scandinavia in 2024.

The hotel group claims Six Senses Svart in Norway will be the first net energy-positive destination in the world and will set a “new standard” in carbon-neutral travel.

The 94-room property will be located at the foot of the Svartisen glacier in northern Norway, set on poles above the waters of the Holandsfjorden fjord to minimise environmental impact.

The hotel will feature a futuristic circular design with modern and sustainable Scandic interiors.

It is the first building to be designed and built after the highest energy-efficiency standard in the northern hemisphere.

Six Senses Svart will harvest enough solar energy to go back into the system, covering the hotel, adjacent operations, boat shuttle and the energy needed to construct the building, rendering it independent from the power grid.

The property will also be self-sustaining with its own waste and water management, recycling and renewable infrastructure. The team will work with existing sustainable fishing and farming operations and local suppliers for the restaurants and bars, which will include zero-waste dining venue The Marketplace.

There will be an Experience Centre; an Alchemy Bar highlighting the history of regional healing techniques; an Earth Lab for sustainability outreach; and a Svart Design Lab which will act as an incubator for innovation and education for guests to understand how new technologies can bring the sector closer to carbon neutrality.

Six Senses Svart will follow other Six Senses properties by filtering and bottling its own drinking water. The property will also harness organic materials that use the least embedded energy.

Guests will be able to access the brand’s signature programmes including Eat With Six Senses, Sleep With Six Senses and Grow With Six Senses, the brand’s education and entertainment programme for younger guests.

Wellness features will include a biohacking lounge offering everything from compression boots to vitamin IVs. Each guest room will also feature the Svart Touch concept, a touchless technology that will adapt the room to the guest’s state of mind and health.

Six Senses said the new property will meet “booming demand” for adventurous and eco-conscious travel.

Six Senses chief executive Neil Jacobs said: “Sustainable properties call for extraordinary creativity, and Six Senses Svart takes us to a whole new level in terms of pushing boundaries.

“The concept has become bigger than the project itself, as it will provide a futuristic showcase for what can be achieved in terms of sustainability and energy solutions, and therefore a blueprint within our hospitality industry and the development sector in general.”

Jan-Gunnar Mathisen, chief executive of the project’s owner and developer, added: “To enhance the vision of Svart, we have established a Net Zero Lab, a vehicle for developing and taking to market the technology created by us in a joint effort with Six Senses to reach the common goal for net-zero travel.

“This means the guest journey will have zero environmental impact from start to end. The mission is to achieve common ground for all stakeholders pushing the technology to the next level to benefit the resort and the industry at large.”