Monthly Archives: March 2026

Food & Dining, Health & Wellness, Reviews, Travel

Six Senses London, Hotel & Spa

Six Senses Hotel Bar NHYM 2026

The Whiteley’s has had a complete, long awaited, transformation: for years, it lay in a desolate, destitute state that people avoided (except for Gymboree classes at the top floor, which is how I know it best) but now it has been transformed into a beautiful, architectural feat led by Foster + Partners Architects and project-managed by Valouran Partners. I have watched it slowly develop over the years, both as a local, but also as a friend of the masterminds behind the facade. I was more than excited when it opened last year, first as residences, and now the Six Senses London, Hotel & Spa, which officially just opened March 1st.

Courtesy of Instagram 2026

The Six Senses Hotel brand is known for its wellness, barefoot rustic chic approach to hospitality with hotels all over the world. I’ve been to the Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, which I loved for its remote location and gorgeous villas in the jungle and by the water, remniscent of the Soneva brand (I was first introduced to Six Senses Spa 20 years ago in the old Soneva Gili that had a Six Senses Spa). I’ve also been to Six Senses Ibiza with its fantastic spa and great food and view, while the Six Senses Lamuu and Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman are all time family favourites. So, when I heard a Six Senses was coming to London, I was already excited: a well-known luxury and wellness brand was coming to my neighborhood! It is the right location in London, right next to the epicentre of Wellness Central, Notting Hill (There are so many matcha shops and plenty of organic food stores from Acai girls to Daylesford Organic and Planet Organic, as well as vegan restaurants like the Holy Carrot). This crowd is seriously health conscious and wellness oriented, so I think the luxury + wellness clientele is definitely around here.

Courtesy of Instagram 2026

The hotel, full of plants hanging and draped everywhere, reminds me of the 1Hotels ethos, ‘sustainable luxury hotel experience where nature inspires,’ which has done very well so far with its hotels in Mayfair, New York and Toronto. When you enter the Six Senses, an overwhelming sense of calm and peace envelops you; it is truly an oasis in grey London. It was a rainy, dreary day in early February when I visited for the first time before it opened, and it really felt like I was being transported to a holiday for a few hours. The entrance is framed by the original Whiteley’s staircase which was painstakingly moved from its original position to become the backdrop of the hotel lobby. The design, the furniture and the finishings are all soothing but luxurious, fitting with what the Six Senses brand trying to do in cities recently: a soothing urban oasis in the middle of the city.

There is nothing like this hotel in the immediate vicinity: most of the luxury hotels are in Knightsbridge or Mayfair and this is the first five star hotel in West London, covering Queensway, Bayswater, Notting Hill and West Kensington.It is an ambitious gamble to put it in Bayswater/Queensway, more known for its souvenir shops than its glamourous neighbours nearby, Notting Hill and Kensington but there is a commitment to redevelop the entire area, which I am really waiting eagerly, and so far the Everyman Cinema, Guillam Coffeshop, ThirdSpace and Nela are so far hitting the right notes. I will definitely be encouraging my friends and family to stay here.

Courtyard of the Whiteley NHYM 2026

Six Senses Spa

The piece de resistance of the hotel really is the Six Senses Spa: it is stunning. The entrance lobby of the spa below the hotel with its hanging chandelier and highest ceilings you can imagine is probably my favourite part of the whole hotel. The pool was still closed when I visited, but the rest of the spa really is one-of-a-kind in London. There is everything you could think of in a spa from pods to cryo, and there’s a biohacking recovery lounge, a magnesium pool, and a state of the art gym. There is even an Alchemy bar, but which was closed when I visited so can’t tell you much about it. So the next time I want to spa but don’t want to trek to the Bulgari Spa or the Corinthian, I will definitely be heading there. (FYI – the pool is still not open yet as of March 2026).

Six Senses Kitchen

Courtesy of a friend 2026

The Six Senses Kitchen is very good, better than expected, but with a luxury 5 star hotel, the food has to be on point. I had a delicious beetroot dip, Lamb koftas and green chard rolls as starters, which were all delicious. The mains, the stone bass and Red Suffolk pork, were both tasty and memorable. My friend who stayed overnight highly praised the Asian inspired breakfast and brunch. The bar is also quite stunning, served with a perfect caprinha cocktail, one of the best in Notting Hill, Mr. X said. The manager was absolutely lovely, which is essential for this type of hotel. It still feels like the hotel is in its soft opening stage, but it is a wonderful addition to the neighbourhood.

Six Senses Place

For those who don’t know yet, they have started a Six Senses Place Membership, which gives access to the gym, pool, spa, and the 1st floor of the hotel which has another restaurant and many other lounges and spaces. Here, it is all about wellness and wellbeing, and I am intrigued to see who they will attract. The owners of the Six Senses Residences and Whiteley’s Residences will get instant membership to the Six Senses Place, which is really an attractive proposition: there’s everything you could need under one giant Whiteleys roof.

The Whiteley’s has truly returned to its glory days, with beautiful residences, restaurants and a hotel and spa to attract the gliterrati. Queensway’s redevelopment has to follow, but I am really hopeful that it will match the grandeur and beauty of the Whiteley’s so far. I wish it all the best success and I’ll be back soon for the Spa and Sunday brunch!

xx

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

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food, Reviews, Travel

Review: Celeste, New Notting Hill Member’s Club

NHYM 2026

A few months ago, I was asked to write a review on Maison Estelle, the very swanky London members club celebrated for its wonderful art collection, but the weeks went by and I just never found the time. And now, Celeste, its Notting Hill satellite, has opened! So, given I’ve already been twice, I thought it more appropriate to review it.

I went opening week, during the soft launch when they were offering their members a taste of their new club (thank you!). Firstly, let me give you a brief set up of the club: the ground floor is an Italian-American restaurant opened to the public, the first floor is a very cool, jazzy bar area, the second floor is their Japanese and the top floor is a quiet, loungey space for drinks.

NHYM 2026

We went to the Italian-American restaurant our first time. The front room is definitely channeling the American-Italian Soprano restaurant vibe, with a bar and mahogany panelled walls and tables, all decorated with gold accents. To me, it’s a little too nostalgic and misses the opportunity of a modern twist and feels like a complete different restaurant to the back room, The Courtyard.

The Courtyard, has a completely different feel to it, lighter with white walls, and I personally prefer it to the front room: it feels more like an all-day restaurant it advertises itself to be and just feels more welcoming to me. We ate there, and had the tri pomodoro pasta and the seabass, which was all good, but it is difficult to compete with all the ridiculous choices of new restaurants in the neighborhood, which focuses on inventive new food: Japanese/Mexican, North African, Michelin-starred Brasserie and Modern Greek just to begin with. But if you’re looking for more simple, straightforward American-Italian food, this won’t disappoint. Celeste sample menu. (For now, it is still not open to the public, and they have yet to announce an opening date).

The first floor bar is cozy and very cool, with old vinyls stacked on shelves with Marvin Gaye records and a DJ loud enough to create a buzzy, fun atmosphere. The staff is young and cool, and very attentive. There’s nothing like it in Notting Hill, and it definitely feels intimate like a ‘hosted home.’ There are nibbles for sharing, should you just want to show up one night without reserving. I ran into the same neighbour twice both times I went there, she is fan: definitely a new hotspot in the making.

NHYM 2026

On our second visit to Celeste, we tried the Japanese. The Japanese restaurant on the second floor is sleek and attractive; there is an open kitchen where the chefs prepare their plates meticulously, and next to it are only about ten/twelve tables, of twos or fives, so again, very intimate and small. The food is very good, although on the expensive side. The hamachi starter is large and tasty, the wagyu is excellent, so good I will go back for it, but be willing to fork out £54. The salmon maki could use a bit more taste, but that’s something that could be easily fixed. Their chocolate mousse dessert is delicious and the jelly pieces really does make it a stand out dish.

The top floor, under the eaves, is a beautifully decorated space and feels like an art collector’s library, with an eclectic pick of art and books. We had a drink on our first night there, but I could see people going there for an afternoon coffee.

The crowd is a mix of locals (I saw local friends each time I went), and Maison Estelle members. They are a well heeled, international crowd, from French to Americans to Italians to Germans to Dutch and Swiss. One table next to us was a group of finance bros talking about their family ski trip to Courchevel, another table was an English ex-magazine editor with her girlfriends, and we ran into friends in the real estate business. It is definitely more grown up than the Electric’s crowd on a Saturday night, (which makes me feel like a proper grandma).

I was very curious to see how they were going to use Beach Blanket Babylon’s space, and they have used it as well as possible. It’s cozy and intimate, with a neighbourhood feel, but brings in a bit of Mayfair glamour to the ‘hood. It’s a great addition to Notting Hill, especially since it’s literally 2 minutes away from me.

You know where to find me now for drinks on a Friday night 😉

xx

NHYM

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