Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has announced plans for the Six Senses Ossura Valley, slated to open in Iceland in 2022.
Set among the glacier tongues, craggy volcanoes, ice-filled lagoons and geothermal lakes of Iceland, the Six Senses Ossura Valley will be located on 4,000 acres of privately owned land in Svinholar near Loni. The first phase of the project will see the opening of a 70-room resort as well as several private Six Senses-branded residences dotted on the surrounding land.
The flatland at the southern end of the development is adjacent to the Lon Lagoon, which is separated from the North Atlantic Ocean by a black-sand beach. This is the biggest gathering space for swans in the country, and Six Senses will be involved in monitoring and protecting this Icelandic population.
“This development epitomizes our commitment to finding locations where guests can be right in the heart of nature, and where they will come face-to-face with the raw beauty, power and soul of this magical destination.” said Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas’ CEO Neil Jacobs, in press material. “It will also appeal to experience-seekers looking for something uniquely joyful and playful. Legend holds that mystical elves still occupy the rocks and cliffs of this land.”
The resort will be designed using renewable and locally sourced materials and adhering to high standards of energy and water efficiency. Architect John Brevard was also given the design brief to create a space that considers the implications of human bioenergy, electromagnetism, astrology, sacred geometries and the principles of Feng Shui.
The resort’s welcome lounge will include a library, a cinema room, an Earth Lab showcasing the project’s sustainability efforts, and a water bar. The Six Senses Spa itself will include a functional fitness center, yoga studio and comprehensive wellness programming, and there will be a farmhouse with an organic garden and a cooking school where chefs will showcase farm-to-table seasonal recipes.
Six Senses Ossura Valley is located a 30-minute drive from the airport at Hofn. It is also an hour’s drive away from Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, one of the most popular sites in Iceland to watch the Northern Lights. To the north is the vast Ossura Valley and River, which lend themselves to activities such as dog sledging, horseback riding, ice and rock climbing, birdwatching and boat trips. While to the northwest is the Vatnajokull National Park with Europe’s largest glacier and Iceland’s highest peak, the Oræfajokull volcano.
For more information, visit sixsenses.com.
