Industry Insider: London with Ruairi McDowell, Chief Concierge at the new Six Senses London
“On the surface, Bayswater feels understated, but look closer and there's history, character, and unexpected stories. That's exactly how the hotel feels: there's depth behind everything.”
Ruairi McDowell
Chief Concierge, Six Senses London
Ruairi’s London Recommendations
Restaurants & Bars
Whiteley's Kitchen — The hotel's all-day restaurant, where the Siu Mai chicken wings are, in McDowell's words, "unexpected, full of flavor, and slightly addictive."
Gold (Notting Hill) — McDowell's go-to for a special dinner out.
Wild (Westbourne Grove) — A relaxed lunch favorite.
Akub (Notting Hill) — Seasonal Palestinian cuisine; McDowell's current personal favorite.
Farm Girl (Notting Hill) — His first stop on an early morning Notting Hill ride.
Shops & Boutiques
Lisou — Bold, beautiful prints.
Rellik — Vintage with real character.
Pierre Marcolini — For something sweet.
When Six Senses, the brand synonymous with boundary-pushing wellness and intentional travel, decided to plant its first UK flag, the team looked outside of Kensington and Mayfair to Bayswater, a charming enclave between Paddington and Notting Hill. Their striking new London outpost occupies a beautifully restored corner of Whiteley's, an Art Deco landmark and one of the world's first department stores that has been reimagined as a mixed-use landmark, anchored by the hotel and surrounded by residences, restaurants, and boutiques. Here, Six Senses’ blend of wellness, sustainability, and curiosity finds a home in one of London's most layered neighborhoods.
Overseeing the guest experience is Ruairi McDowell, Chief Concierge and a man for whom hospitality is quite literally in the blood. "I've worked in hotels my entire life, starting in concierge at 16," he says. "My father has been a Head Concierge for over 35 years, so it was always part of who we are." Before joining Six Senses London, McDowell held the same role at ME London and Kimpton Fitzroy, but he describes the energy of a new opening as something categorically different. "Everyone is moving towards the same goal, figuring things out together, building something from the ground up. The hotel becomes deeply personal." The property offers 109 rooms and suites, 30 of them with terraces, designed by AvroKO with London's Art Deco heritage as its touchstone, and each featuring the brand's signature Sleep With Six Senses program.
A Neighborhood Worth Rediscovering
Ask McDowell to describe the vibe of Six Senses London in a few words and he doesn't hesitate: "Calm. Curious. Unexpected." The same three words, it turns out, apply to the neighborhood itself. "Bayswater has layers," he says. "On the surface, it feels understated, but look closer and there's history, character, and unexpected stories. That's exactly how the hotel feels: there's depth behind everything."
The area's reputation has previously been overshadowed by its more famous neighbors, with Hyde Park to the south and Notting Hill to the north, but McDowell is passionate about the case for Bayswater on its own terms. "You can walk five minutes and feel like you're somewhere completely different. Grand townhouses, quiet mews, music history, street art. It's creative, slightly off-center, and constantly evolving." Six Senses, he continues, isn't changing the neighborhood so much as reintroducing it. "We're part of bringing the area back into focus, showing people what's always been here."
One neighborhood spot he thinks guests consistently overlook is Leighton House, the extraordinary Victorian studio-house and museum tucked into nearby Holland Park. "Leighton House is unexpected, detailed, and impressive," he says. "And the garden is perfect on a sunny day." For shopping, he steers guests toward Lisou for bold printed fashion, Rellik for serious vintage, and Pierre Marcolini for exceptional Belgian chocolate. And for dinner, his current personal favorite is Akub, a Palestinian restaurant drawing on seasonal ingredients with a philosophy that, he notes, aligns naturally with how Six Senses thinks about food.
Landmarks & Neighborhoods
Holland Park & Kyoto Garden — The neighborhood's green heart, essential for both couples and families.
Kensington Gardens & Palace — The Round Pond, the Sunken Garden, and a slice of royal history.
Leighton House — McDowell's top hidden gem, a Victorian artist's house museum that rewards the curious.
Portobello Market & Notting Hill — Best explored early, before the crowds arrive.
The Perfect Day (or Two)
For a couple, McDowell's ideal London itinerary leans into the particular pleasures of this corner of the city. "Start early, and take one of our electric bikes to Notting Hill before it wakes up. Have coffee at Farm Girl, then a wander through Portobello Market." From there, he suggests cycling to Holland Park to spend time in the Kyoto Garden, before looping back through Westbourne Grove for lunch at Wild. The afternoon belongs to Kensington Gardens: a walk around the Round Pond, a visit to Kensington Palace, and what he describes as "a moment in the Sunken Garden as the light softens."
The evening is equally considered. "Come back to the hotel to reset, have a drink at Whiteley's Bar, and then head out in the Lotus house car to dinner at Gold." And the next morning? "There's a couples' treatment waiting."
Families get a version that trades some of the quiet for more texture. Holland Park remains central, as he cites "the adventure playground, the waterfall, the koi pond; it keeps everyone engaged," but the afternoon takes a more hands-on turn. "A workshop in our Alchemy Bar is a great way for families to get involved together. It's playful, a little unexpected, and gives everyone something to take away." The hotel's Paddington Bear Hunt, a curated experience that turns the surrounding streets into a living treasure trail, is another standout. "It makes the whole area feel like an experience rather than just a visit." After ice cream by the Round Pond and dinner at Whiteley's Kitchen, where the menu celebrates British cuisine, with seasonal ingredients and plenty of playfulness, parents can slip away to Scala Bar while the hotel arranges childcare.
Wellness as a Way of Being
Summer Events
Holland Park Opera — Open-air performances in one of London's most beautiful settings.
BST Hyde Park — A summer-long music festival in the park, minutes from the hotel.
Wimbledon — Always worth it, whether you have tickets or not.
Buckingham Palace State Rooms — Open in summer; one of those things, McDowell says, "people always mean to do and never get around to."
What sets Six Senses London's wellness offerings apart from the capital's long roster of luxury hotels isn't just the spa (though the spa is exceptional), but the degree to which wellness is woven into the entire stay. The Earth Lab and Alchemy Bar invite guests to reconnect through hands-on workshops rooted in sustainability, creativity, and conscious living, while one-to-one sessions with an in-house medical herbalist offer something genuinely rare in a city hotel. The 2,500 sqm Six Senses Spa, which will add a 20x8 meter indoor pool and thermal area when it completes its opening later this summer, already features 13 treatment rooms including a hammam, floatation pod, and cryotherapy chamber, alongside a 350 sqm Technogym-equipped gym and fitness studio with daily classes. "That contrast sums it up," McDowell says. "Indulgence and intention, side by side."
And he’s already noticed something telling in how guests are responding. "You'll see people you wouldn't expect genuinely leaning in to the programming here. That level of curiosity is refreshing. It shows people are ready for a different kind of luxury." The experience feels effortless, he says, but that's by design. "The teams collaborate so closely, and information flows, preferences are remembered, handovers are seamless. Guests feel it, even if they don't always see it."
For summer evenings, McDowell's philosophy is simple: "Find a view, open a great bottle of something, and take your time." With Hyde Park Concert Series and Holland Park Opera on the doorstep, Wimbledon a short ride away, and the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace open to visitors once again, with Six Senses London as your home base, there's no shortage of occasions to do exactly that.
Why rush off? Stay three nights and enjoy your fourth on the house. Valid on stays through April 7, 2027 and subject to availability at the time of booking.
Local Foreigner Benefits:
Daily complimentary breakfast at Whiteley’s Kitchen for 2 guests per day
$100 USD food & beverage credit per stay
Complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability)
Early Check-in/Late Check-out (subject to availability)
