Six Senses closed forever both Hotels in Singapore
Jun 5, 2020, 6:02 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Zurich
Posts: 37
Six Senses closed forever both Hotels in Singapore
Six Senses has closed, with immediate action and forever, both of its hotels (Duxton & Maxwell) in Singapore due to the corona crisis.
Apparently, there was some disagreement with the owners.
It's a shame because these were two charming and small boutique hotels - and how many other luxury hotels will follow soon?
Apparently, there was some disagreement with the owners.
It's a shame because these were two charming and small boutique hotels - and how many other luxury hotels will follow soon?
Jun 30, 2020, 9:32 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 413
I personally have not stayed at either properties yet, but it's a shame. I think the owner will probably rebrand and set up as boutique hotels.
https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.co...apore-12884424
The owner initially was about to sign with Starwood and carry the Luxury Collection Brand, then got cold feet when he heard about the Marriott Merger.
Then a year after signing with Six Senses, it was bought by IHG. Either way, the fit under six senses didn't sound quite right.. the owner probably will be better off as a boutique brand or position to a luxury chain like Hyatt's SLH.
His confidence in it is such that “I’ve signed my life away”, he laughs. “Seriously. You put in all this effort, do all this work. And then the day you sign, it’s over. They run the show. I’m just a guest. The way management contracts work, they put zero in, no cash, but they take a cut of the revenue.” So what is the split? “I cannot disclose it. I’m under very strict confidentiality. But that’s how it works. These companies are insulated if things are bad.”
I found its name perplexing both in the light of Singapore’s hardline attitude to narcotics (when you arrive in the country, your landing card is printed with “Death for Drug Traffickers”), and its grim history of opium addiction. It’s no more shorthand for chic than crack. It’s especially odd in light of Six Senses’ otherwise holier-than-thou, if clearly admirable, attitude to wholesomeness and the environment. Garcha had wanted a cigar lounge, but Six Senses takes a dim view of smoking, so that room is now a library. The Nespresso machines he’d bought for each of its 49 rooms will soon, I was assured, be replaced with a less environmentally hostile means of making coffee. (They also pointedly don’t provide sugar.) And the London taxi it uses for airport transfers will be retrofitted with a greener engine as soon as practicable.
https://www.ft.com/content/95d7c8e0-...7-8fd33f423c09
https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.co...apore-12884424
The owner initially was about to sign with Starwood and carry the Luxury Collection Brand, then got cold feet when he heard about the Marriott Merger.
Then a year after signing with Six Senses, it was bought by IHG. Either way, the fit under six senses didn't sound quite right.. the owner probably will be better off as a boutique brand or position to a luxury chain like Hyatt's SLH.
His confidence in it is such that “I’ve signed my life away”, he laughs. “Seriously. You put in all this effort, do all this work. And then the day you sign, it’s over. They run the show. I’m just a guest. The way management contracts work, they put zero in, no cash, but they take a cut of the revenue.” So what is the split? “I cannot disclose it. I’m under very strict confidentiality. But that’s how it works. These companies are insulated if things are bad.”
I found its name perplexing both in the light of Singapore’s hardline attitude to narcotics (when you arrive in the country, your landing card is printed with “Death for Drug Traffickers”), and its grim history of opium addiction. It’s no more shorthand for chic than crack. It’s especially odd in light of Six Senses’ otherwise holier-than-thou, if clearly admirable, attitude to wholesomeness and the environment. Garcha had wanted a cigar lounge, but Six Senses takes a dim view of smoking, so that room is now a library. The Nespresso machines he’d bought for each of its 49 rooms will soon, I was assured, be replaced with a less environmentally hostile means of making coffee. (They also pointedly don’t provide sugar.) And the London taxi it uses for airport transfers will be retrofitted with a greener engine as soon as practicable.
Jul 1, 2020, 1:29 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,712
I might be in the minority here, but I was never thrilled at Six Senses' acquisition by IHG. Not that I look at IHG as having an inferior portfolio, mind, but I would much rather preferred seeing them build out their luxury portfolio by focusing on Regent and properly positioning it at the top-end of the market as per their original plans. They picked Regent up with six hotels two years ago, and have since added one open hotel with six more in the pipeline - all of which are in Asia no less. I would have liked to see more announcements and emphasis in the company's investment in Regent, as well as more effort put into a thoroughly global rollout beyond Asia. Grabbing Six Senses comes off as 'acquisition fever' to me. Funny enough, I was talking to a friend of mine in the hospitality industry yesterday and he told me that a common opinion between his circle of colleagues was that Six Senses' brand image/value was diminished through the IHG acquisition, and also mentioned that due to Six Senses being part of IHG, he expected to see greater distancing of non-IHG investment in Six Senses' standalone Spa offering [specifically mentioning how the Al Bustan Palace - a Ritz-Carlton property - in Muscat was severing its ties with Six Senses Spas and would instead brand its own spa]. I wonder if we'll see more of this worldwide - i.e. the Six Senses Spa in Kuwait at the Symphony Style Hotel [Radisson Collection].
As to the Singapore properties - who knows how the owner will react to signing up with any chain at this point, seeing as he's so put off by being affiliated to large, faceless corporations? These hotels would have fit in perfectly well under The Luxury Collection, but alas.
khabah
As to the Singapore properties - who knows how the owner will react to signing up with any chain at this point, seeing as he's so put off by being affiliated to large, faceless corporations? These hotels would have fit in perfectly well under The Luxury Collection, but alas.
khabah
Jul 1, 2020, 3:03 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 2,188
Jul 1, 2020, 3:44 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,712
That. Is. HILARIOUS.
khabah
Jul 1, 2020, 7:00 am
#6
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Jul 1, 2020, 7:20 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 413
Personally, based on the reviews I've read, these 2 boutique properties will work fine as Autograph Collections, Design Hotels or Tribute Porfolio with Marriott. They lack the edge of offering the full services of a hotel to be a Luxury Collection.
I agree with you on the the acquisition of Six Senses, that brands I always believed is more aligned to Hyatt's goal - more in line with wellness or sustainability where brands like Alila works towards to. But the real world never worked base on theory but money, looks over to Marriott buying Starwood - Does Marriott really need 30 brands with competing logos in the same market? No.
As for the Six Senses, Regent and Kimpton - these are all great brands before acquisition, but IHG has the cash and scale to blow them up as larger portfolios. It may diminish the brand image as luxury icons due to the reduced exclusivity but it will also capture a larger wider market and more demographic. It definitely benefits the IHG image more than the other way round. At the end of the day, it would have been nice to see Six Senses go to an more elevated chain like Hyatt, but money triumph, companies merge and consolidate, that's just life.
Jul 1, 2020, 8:17 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 2,188
I know, isn't it ironic? When you hear the owner or manager dissed Marriott prior to the merger and complaining how these "large corporate chains puts in zero in, no cash and takes a pay cut off revenue", then why not stay boutique and focus on niche hospitality to grow a client base? It's clear the hotel wants to spend $0 on marketing and also wants a share of the big pie.
Personally, based on the reviews I've read, these 2 boutique properties will work fine as Autograph Collections, Design Hotels or Tribute Porfolio with Marriott. They lack the edge of offering the full services of a hotel to be a Luxury Collection.
I agree with you on the the acquisition of Six Senses, that brands I always believed is more aligned to Hyatt's goal - more in line with wellness or sustainability where brands like Alila works towards to. But the real world never worked base on theory but money, looks over to Marriott buying Starwood - Does Marriott really need 30 brands with competing logos in the same market? No.
As for the Six Senses, Regent and Kimpton - these are all great brands before acquisition, but IHG has the cash and scale to blow them up as larger portfolios. It may diminish the brand image as luxury icons due to the reduced exclusivity but it will also capture a larger wider market and more demographic. It definitely benefits the IHG image more than the other way round. At the end of the day, it would have been nice to see Six Senses go to an more elevated chain like Hyatt, but money triumph, companies merge and consolidate, that's just life.
Personally, based on the reviews I've read, these 2 boutique properties will work fine as Autograph Collections, Design Hotels or Tribute Porfolio with Marriott. They lack the edge of offering the full services of a hotel to be a Luxury Collection.
I agree with you on the the acquisition of Six Senses, that brands I always believed is more aligned to Hyatt's goal - more in line with wellness or sustainability where brands like Alila works towards to. But the real world never worked base on theory but money, looks over to Marriott buying Starwood - Does Marriott really need 30 brands with competing logos in the same market? No.
As for the Six Senses, Regent and Kimpton - these are all great brands before acquisition, but IHG has the cash and scale to blow them up as larger portfolios. It may diminish the brand image as luxury icons due to the reduced exclusivity but it will also capture a larger wider market and more demographic. It definitely benefits the IHG image more than the other way round. At the end of the day, it would have been nice to see Six Senses go to an more elevated chain like Hyatt, but money triumph, companies merge and consolidate, that's just life.
Hyatt has a lot of dumps like many HP in US. There is nothing special about Hyatt brand.