Six Senses Crans-Montana

I’ve stayed in six senses in Switzerland, Italy and Japan. And this is the best one among all. Also the best hotel that I stayed in Europe. Highly recommended.

We have stayed at the Six Senses on two occasions, firstly in Portugal and now at Crans Montana. We stayed for three nights and spent over 7,500 CHP for the accommodation and extras. There was so much that the hotel does right, largely the architecture and finish of the building but there is so much they have got wrong with their approach and service. It feels like this location wants to be a luxury offering but without the accompanying service levels and they make so many basic mistakes that are simply not becoming of a 5 star hotel. I felt compelled to write this review after being harassed post our stay for 65 CHP which was the cost of the in room teddy that the hotel leave in every room. It’s a money maker when you turn up with multiple children. We read and re-read the accompanying card which stated that the cost of the stay and the teddies adoption fee goes towards their sustainability initiatives. Clearly a mistake on our part as busy parents juggling multiple children on arrival. But here’s the issue, we overlooked all the other money grabbing that the hotel did and let that go until this last episode. During our stay we had baby sitting that was offered to us on the basis of 35 CHP for an in house nanny and 55 CHP for an external nanny per hour. We took the in house option. Upon check out however we were told that this was 35 CHP per child per hour. For a 3.5 hr service they wanted to charge us 367 CHP. The external option would have been 577 CHP and in addition the hotel wanted to charge us a 10% handling fee. We were also charged 45 CHP for 5 scoops of ice cream for our children (9 CHP per scoop). I understand the hotel plays to a 5 star audience who may not always check their bills but this is disgusting. In the greater context of cost of living and the have and have not’s the approach of the hotel is shocking. I am glad to say that the hotel relented on the baby sitting charges and accepted they misinformed us but at every turn there was money to be made. We paid an extra agent 300 CHP to hire bicycles for 2-hours (a day charge was the minimum). The service we had from the individuals that looked after us at concierge (Arthur) and the setting up of the bikes was brilliant and it really made the stay but the cost was way too much. It was another thing that was just extra revenue for the hotel. We have finished a 6-week journey through France and Italy and stayed at some wonderful hotels who went the extra mile to build a client base and who could easily have penny pinched on the small stuff but didn’t. The Six Senses in Crans Montana did so much so well but let themselves down on the easy stuff. Teaching great customer services is an art and unfortunately it isn’t one that they have mastered at this location. We also had a terrible interaction with the cleaning staff who even though the hotel knew our schedule with young children sleeping and our restaurant t bookings, continued to send staff to knock on the door at 9am a

Best spa i ever visited. Rooms are very nice and service is beyond expectation. Breakfast is excellent. The hotel offers numerous adventures, including biking on the mountains and more. Activities inside the hotel include alchemy lab where you learn to make natural beauty products. Will come back again for sure.

This was our first visit to a Six Senses Property. I am not certain we will return. Positive features: 1. The room was stunning and the facilities (spa, fitness center, etc.) are top notch. 2. Dinner at Byakko our first night was lovely. Issues during our stay: We used the six senses app for most communication. This was generally good but things were challenging on our last day. 1. We went to the outdoor pool in the afternoon but no one came to bring towels or check on us. 2. We went to dinner and were surprised no one turned down the room despite having the housekeeping sign on. 3. We asked for a ride home after dinner but got no response and ended up walking back. None of these issues are dealbreakers but at this price point I do not expect issues.

I live in the city and was a very regular customer (almost every day of the week) at six senses’ Ora bar, Wild cabin restaurant and Byakko restaurant. At first my friends and I were very pleased with the service, however, with time the staff became extremely rude and disregarding. There have been multiple situations after which our desire to come to Six Senses has completely disappeared. For example, I arrived with my friends and we had some younger people with us, we asked them to get a table at Wild Cabin for dinner while we use the restroom and they got told the restaurant was full. However, another friend of mine called the restaurant and asked for a booking, to which they said there is availability. We were told multiple times that we will ‘not be served’ or ‘have access to the hotel’ if we are seen using electronic cigarettes- when we weren’t the ones smoking. Additionally, after we decided to give the Wild Cabin restaurant another chance, we were disappointed once again. The waiters were rude to our face as behind our backs- pointing fingers and whispering. Overall our experience in Six Senses Crans Montana went from being great to absolutely horrible. We felt unwelcome and mocked.

This is a new build that just opened in March. It is in a very convenient location next to a ski run/bike road (so it is ski-in ski-out and bike-in bike-out). It is also just above and an easy walk to the Cry d’Er Gondola and Crans. It appears (I don’t know) that there were design challenges fitting it into its location, which may account for some of the comments below. The facilities are obviously quite new and modern. The lobby, restaurants, and rooms are open and airy - very modern combined with mountain traditional and outdoor themes. The rooms are large, comfortable and well-equipped. The bathroom is large (although the tub being in the center looks cool it is a bit in the way). Our room (and the rooms on our side of the hotel over a number of floors) have large terraces and full window walls. The views aren’t great, though - overlooking the ski run/gravel road and the side of a hill. It appears for a view you need to stay in one of the residences (there is a rental program) or perhaps a suite on the top floors. The staff is outstanding (though they seem a bit inexperienced, as to be expected for a new hotel). They were very friendly and helpful all through the hotel. The Guest experience Manager (GEM) greeted us upon arrival and helped with any arrangements. The activity staff (downstairs at the ski/bike area) were incredibly helpful in discussing activities and directing us how to get where we wanted to go (such as the easy access from the hotel to the Bisse du Ro hiking trail - an absolute must-do). The hotel provides lift ticket cards at a much lower cost than the ticket window rack rate, which is very convenient. The spa staff was excellent, including the massage therapists The spa facilities are huge, with an indoor/outdoor pool, relaxation areas, a variety of saunas, steam, etc., both coed as well as individual ones in each of the locker rooms. The indoor/outdoor pool is integral to the spa facilities ; the only drawback is that it is below grade so the outdoor potion of the pool is only semi-outdoor (there are no views - if you are looking for a great view of the mountains ala Hotel Mont Blanc in Chamonix, you will be sorely disappointed). There is a separate outdoor pool on the 5th (lobby) floor which is not connected to the spa. It’s location seems a bit odd other than that may have been the only place they could put it. There is free transportation to he Violette gondola in Montana, from where you can ride to the base of the tram to the top and to the glacier. From Violette there is also a free bus to reach the Bisse du Tsittoret trailhead - another great hike with waterfalls (the free bus runs all through Crans-Montana, to the Cry d’Er as well). Be warned - there is no AC (in the interest of sustainability I guess) or other air circulation system (or ceiling fan) and it was in the mid to high 80’s while we were there. The room was very hot (the window walls which face west didn’t help) and sleeping was very difficult. W

The place is great and has an amazing view. The staff were great and accommodating. And the services they provide were good as well. It’s a great place to get away from the busy cities and they are very environmentally conscious. However, I think the best time to visit will be during the winter season.

Our visit was during the February half term when ski resorts are packed and we are in Switzerland so probably highest priced week of the year so excuse me if I comment on this in the context of price a little too often… Pros: Location is beautiful and easy walking distance from the beautiful village. Crans Montana is lovely Hotel is truly ski-in, ski-out and the ski room/area/staff is first class Rooms in the hotel are great, new, well laid out and (for the most part, see below) very quiet Cons: Too many service items which are taken from granted at other high-end hotels missing (see below) Conclusion: for the price, this should be a perfect stay but it had frustrations. I would rate on the service alone that this was comparable at about 50% of the price (still an expensive holiday) but maybe that’s the Swiss/half term premium. We are a family of four booked in to a Terrace Suite (King Bed) connecting to a Deluxe Terrace Room (configured as a twin). My stock questions to start were to make sure all the facilities in the hotel would be open, there was no work happening in the hotel which might disturb us and that the rooms we would be choosing would be quiet. All confirmed. Ahead of time, it was pretty smooth sailing and we arranged a pick up from the airport which was seamless, comfortable door-to-door and while no doubt more expensive than getting the train, didn’t require changes with suitcases etc. Because we booked late, we had limited choice of ski instructor times but that was our bad - the hotel helped get this organised and we were v happy with the result. Only one comment on the pre-arrival: my wife was intrigued by the biohacking program on offer but the pressure to book - including offers to call her the morning we were departing - just became too intense and created more stress than anything so although she would have done it, the process of getting it organised turned her off. We’ve been to many nice places with Spas and never experienced this level of pressure so although the hotel’s fear of her missing out if she didn’t book was obviously high (and I’m sure some guests are more demanding if they don’t get what they want), the way it was communicated was not ideal. On arriving, the rooms were as described and v nice; the resort opened recently so it still feels quite new. Wood panelling throughout - note that as it’s new, a couple of us suffered splinters but I am sure over the years, those sharp edges will wear off (sorry for all those in future who help with that process as we did LOL!). We had a large terrace off the Suite where we would happily sit any time of year as it is bathed in sun and has great views over the piste directly below and Alps all around. A good range of furniture options to eat, work and relax on the terrace. This is a great space. However, as we discovered on Day 1, the first surprise (!) for us and no doubt all those in the suites above and below us, was that at sometime between 3-4pm, di