Bryan Gabriel, CCO of Six Senses Opens Up About What Goes into the Making of a 5 Star Hotel Brand
Bryan Gabriel
CCO, Six Senses
inVOYAGE: Firstly, congratulations on your latest hotel opening in Grenada and debut into Japan! It looks like it’s already been a very exciting year for Six Senses with plenty more to look forward to on the horizon. Now before we go into the brand’s latest developments, as Chief Commercial Officer of Six Senses, and a real driving force in the brand’s overall strategy, could you give us some insight into what makes Six Senses such a stand out in the luxury hospitality market?
Bryan: Six Senses properties share the same essential elements as any luxury item: they call for extraordinary creativity and design and they need to be made from exceptional materials. But for us, luxury is not about crystal chandeliers; it is about standing for something: in our case finding ways to improve the health and well-being of our guests and hosts, and the health of the planet too.
While still being exclusive, the delivery of luxury is losing its formality, with a greater focus on achieving exceptional guest experiences based on empathy. We call this emotional hospitality. Less is more in the travel industry today as people are looking to escape their stressed lifestyles in favor of meaningful, out-of-the-ordinary moments, whether that means fresh air, waking up to birdsong, pioneering wellness, homegrown food, or a chance to interact with the community around them in a way that feels genuine and authentic.
The truest measure of luxury is something that survives to be passed on to the next generation, and every generation to come.
Our DNA is built on our vision of helping our guests reconnect to themselves, others, and the world around them. We’ve found that this can be successfully replicated across a broad property portfolio, from our original rustic vibe to edgy design and urban splendor. This is because with Six Senses, reconnection can happen anywhere: on a remote private island, on top of a snowy mountain, in the middle of the desert, in a lush forest, wine estate, or in the middle of a city.
inVOYAGE: Now I know sustainability and wellness are key pillars of Six Senses. How do these principles shape the design and offerings of your resorts, particularly for incentive programs?
Bryan: Far from being a barrier, taking an ecological and sustainable approach to our developments and operations adds meaning, drives innovation, and enhances our hospitality offering. People want more meaning and a greater takeaway from a stay in a resort or a hotel. We are very thoughtful about what we are doing and why and how we impact our physical world and those around us. Sometimes we even impact government policy, for example the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI) based at Six Senses Laamu contributed to the designation of six Marine Protected Areas in the Laamu Atoll in 2021.
To support local projects on the ground, each resort allocates a Sustainability Fund comprising 0.5 percent of total hotel revenue coming directly from guest bookings that goes towards meaningful and measurable initiatives. Just as there’s often a misconception that eco-conscious can’t be sumptuous or delicious, there’s also a misconception that it can’t be fun. At each Six Senses property, we engage with guests young and old on sustainability topics, whether through Grow With Six Senses or in our Earth Lab, or directly immersed in community activities. For example, Six Senses Zighy Bay launched a new experience in October 2022 for guests to directly support the Dibba Women Association which provides a vital gathering place, income-generating marketplace, and education for children. It was a finalist in the Regenerative Travel Experience of the Year award in 2023.
Our approach to wellness actually starts with our hosts through our Mission Wellness initiative launched in October 2019. Activities are linked to the eight dimensions of wellness and extend beyond physical and mental health into financial and social health, too.
We’re one of the only hospitality brands to take wellness out of the spa or gym and infuse it into everything we do.
We don’t follow trends but do our own research along with scientists and engineers to pioneer signature standards, and wellness programs from sleep, nutrition, and longevity to movement and energy medicine. This turns our properties into healing spaces, whether consciously through our labyrinth journeys or unconsciously through the energy of the physical environment itself.
inVOYAGE: That’s a really great point you raise there. You talk about the importance you place on creating experiences not just facilities. Can you share any insider tips or behind-the-scenes insights into how Six Senses creates memorable experiences specifically for corporate gatherings?
Bryan: We look at “corporate hospitality” in a different way. Ultimately, hospitality is never just about a place to stay. When hosting larger groups, we consider the small details carefully. We want our places and spaces to help people reconnect and explore what it means to be mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally happy, supporting them as whole people rather than businesspeople!
When it comes to memorable experiences, it isn’t about what you do but how you feel about it that makes the difference. There are many ways to stimulate, energize, and restore both individually and in a group. We’re interested in the concept and power of community and have been running a range of successful retreats and festivals across our properties in recent years, sometimes bringing in experts to share their knowledge or offer new experiences that people can find quite transformational.
Different configurations for guest bedrooms and suites still allow for moments of privacy and seclusion.
Don’t be surprised if we introduce a Raag therapy meditation or Sanctum movement and “ha” chanting into the proceedings in lieu of a day of presentations.
inVOYAGE: I love that! Now, turning back to the part destination plays in hospitality - from your perspective, what makes a location ideal for hosting incentives, and are there any specific Six Senses settings that you would recommend for such events?
Bryan: Extraordinary can’t happen in an ordinary place. That’s why, whether people join us in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, or the Middle East, we integrate our Six Senses brand standards and hallmarks into every property, from a Guest Experience Maker to group-wide initiatives such as Sleep, Eat, and Grow With Six Senses, Earth Lab, and Alchemy Bar.
Following on from our urban properties in Istanbul, Kyoto, and Rome, we’ll be opening Six Senses London next year. Naturally, a fifteenth-century Palazzo in the heart of the Eternal City or former art deco department store is going to give off a different vibe than our stilted and thatched hideaways in Vietnam’s Ninh Van Bay, for example, but it doesn’t mean we can’t apply the same principles when it comes to out-of-the-ordinary experiences, a fierce commitment to sustainability, building a community, and love of wellness.
That’s not to say we’re formulaic. We tossed the rulebook on that a long time ago. Our hosts can come up with endless ways to put a smile on your face and laugh in your belly.
Let’s just look at some of our recent openings in 2023 and 2024. Six Senses Rome takes you on a journey into heritage, discovery, and community within Rome’s historic city center. Six Senses Crans-Montana marks our debut in Switzerland with an ethos on vitality, serenity, and adventure. Six Senses Kanuhura is home to one of the largest and most iconic natural beaches in the Maldives and encompasses another two white-sand private islands. With no building higher than a palm tree, Six Senses La Sagesse in Grenada mimics a Caribbean village along the lakefront promenade and beach walk. For culture, cuisine, and of course cherry blossom, Six Senses Kyoto is sited in front of the Myoho-in temple and Tokyokuni-Jinja shrine and within walking distance of the colorful Gion district.
inVOYAGE: Well, Bryan it’s been a real pleasure! Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us today and sharing with us what it means to work behind the scenes of one of the world’s leading luxury hotel brands. We’re looking forward to seeing the rest of the team in Mykonos later this year and wish you all the very best on your future endeavours.
This article is sponsored by IHG Hotels & Resorts. Book now or get in touch with Fiona.McGrory@ihg.com today