As most of you are aware, especially if you’re following my Instagram stories, I’m in Portugal on a Virtuoso study tour. These trips are great ways for us advisors to get to know the properties personally. Most of this trip has been focused on food and wine and Virtuoso wellness properties, but we have had some free time to experience the spa or simply relax (and work). During our stay at the Six Senses Douro Valley Portugal, I took the time to experience the spa. I love spas. Massages are my guilty pleasure and I often have tension in my shoulders and neck. The Six Senses Spa was everything I could ever have wanted in a spa. Here’s a walkthrough of my experience to entice you to reserve your treatment at the Six Senses Spa!
Six Senses & Douro Valley, Portugal
Before we get into the details, I want to share some background on Six Senses. I will be posting another hotel post where I go into details though, so this is brief. Six Senses is a Southeast Asian hotel brand. All properties are located in exquisite locations where they coexist with the natural environment. Sustainability is at the heart of the brand, which is evident in all of the elements of the hotel. In the Six Senses Spa specifically (say that three times fast!), there are organic products, sound healing, and sustainable/eco-friendly materials combined with a high-tech, modern approach to wellness.
Did you know? Portugal is one of this year’s top travel destinations! It’s also a great destination combination with Italy, Spain, France, or Morocco.
The Douro Valley, of course, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its unique terraced vineyards. It is also the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. The Douro Valley lies in the northern part of Portugal, between the coast and the Spanish border. It’s only an hour from Porto, but the winding highways, swiftly rushing river, and ancient farmsteads makes it feel a world away.
experience: Six Senses Spa
Our hostess during our stay, Sara, briefly showed us the spa reception during our site tour. It is located on the 3rd floor of the hotel. The reception also acts as a shop, where guests can purchase products or clothing. This is where check-in happens, and also where guests meet their therapist.
I arrived a half an hour early because I wanted to check out the sauna and pool, and get some photos. I filled out my paperwork, enjoyed a cup of hot ginger & cinnamon tea, and a warm towel infused with lemongrass. Then, a young woman led me to the women’s dressing room. She pointed out the indoor pool and saunas beyond it and the Alchemy Bar.
The Alchemy Bar at the Six Senses Spa is a unique feature where guests can create their own products. Staff teach you how to make products the old fashioned way, with real ingredients you can find in your own kitchen. (And while some jars are labelled “seahorse tails,” I am 99% sure there are none in there…)
Six Senses Spa Sauna and Indoor Pool
Because I wanted to experience the saunas, I changed and made my way over to the vitality room. This room has large daybeds where people were relaxing. There are also cool showers and four different treatment rooms. Some are hot saunas while others utilise the chromotherapy. A Finnish/Swedish sauna is across the way, in a beautifully modern addition with a large window overlooking the gardens.
Everything was calm and quiet … no one talking in the pool area, no one splashing around, no music. Just the sound of trickling water from the fountain and the outside rain hitting the floor to ceiling window. It was sensational.
my Six Senses Spa experience
When it was close to 4pm, I went back up to reception. Several of my travel advisor colleagues were there waiting for their treatment. A staff member offered me more tea, which I declined, and brought me another warm lemongrass towel. Sigh – bliss. (I didn’t take my phone into the treatment room so all photos in this section are the spa’s common areas.)
My therapist, Cristina, introduced herself and led me to the treatment room. She asked me to sit and read over the sheet of paper I had filled out on arrival. Then she offered me a choice of olive oils – lavender & pepper or citrus. I opted for the pepper & lavender, which I figured would both invigorate me and relax my muscles. Some of the treatment rooms offer views over the gardens and others are without windows. Mine overlooked the gardens, which are public. Cristina gave me the choice of a blackout curtain or open windows and since it was raining I went for the natural light.
When I was situated on the table (nice, comfortable, and warm), Cristina came back in and began the treatment. She started with a traditional Tibetan singing bowl, which gonged three times. When she placed it on my back, I could feel the vibrations through my entire body.
The entire treatment was incredible. I won’t bore you with the details of how deep she dug into my sore muscles. I will say the hour ended too quickly, as I was in heaven. Deep tissue massages are my jam – the harder the elbows, the deeper the digging into my neck, the more they massage my scalp, I’d do anything for that. Some therapists call themselves deep tissue therapists, and aren’t really. Some truly are though, and Cristina was one.
post-spa experience
After I donned my cosy robe, Cristina took me into the relaxation room and offered me more tea. It came with a selection of walnuts and grapes as well. The relaxation room for post spa-services at the Six Senses Spa looks over the indoor pool. Across the way, I could see people in the fitness centre as well as someone practising sound healing in the yoga room. It was here that Cristina brought my bill, and also where she offered me samples of products for my skin.
While I didn’t buy anything, I learned more about my particular skin type (I never really paid attention before) and also what products to look for at home. I assure you, my experience at the Six Senses Spa was over far too soon – I could have done another hour or two! However, I had to dress for dinner and a wine tasting … which I will share with you in more details later.
Because Six Senses uses ancient techniques infused with modern technology, the approach to wellness is tailored to individuals with a focus on sustainable products. I always knew olive oil was good for my skin … I never expected a massage therapist to use it in practise! No matter which Six Senses Spa you end up at, you can be assured that the attention to detail and the personalised service will be there.
Does the Douro Valley make your bucket list? I’ll be writing more about it soon! Be sure to stay tuned for the hotel post about all eight Virtuoso hotels we visited as well as a special post about both Porto and Lisbon. Pin this >>> for future reference!
