Six Senses Archives

These Maldives Resorts are Turning Conservation Into a Guest Experience

May 5, 2026

Six Senses Kanuhura and Laamu Are Running the World’s First Resort-Led 3D Reef Monitoring Program.

Two Six Senses properties in the Maldives are redefining what responsible luxury travel actually looks like – and the numbers back it up.

At Six Senses Kanuhura, the newly launched Kanuhura Coral Census is the first long-term 3D reef monitoring program ever implemented by a resort, anywhere in the world. Using advanced imaging and AI, it creates living digital replicas of coral reefs – continuously updated records of reef health, biodiversity, and resilience. The data informs a smarter, longer-view approach to reef restoration rather than reactive fixes after damage is done.

At Six Senses Laamu, the focus is education and community impact. The resort’s SHELL (Sea Hub of Environmental Learning in Laamu) is a 2,336-square-foot marine education and conservation centre that has welcomed over 6,000 guests and local community members since opening. Through the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI), a resident team of marine biologists works with NGO partners including Manta Trust, Blue Marine Foundation, and the Olive Ridley Project.

The outcomes so far: more than 10,000 baby corals grown across five species, over 12 million coral larvae released onto the resort’s house reef, and catalogues of 1,000-plus turtles and 140 manta rays in Laamu Atoll. The SHELL’s “Hello Haldu” education programme has reached 237 students across every school in the atoll.

For guests, that means a stay where conservation isn’t a talking point – it’s the experience. Reef dives alongside resident marine biologists, coral planting sessions, sea turtle monitoring: these are activities built into the fabric of both resorts, not optional add-ons.

Six Senses Kanuhura and Six Senses Laamu are located in the Maldives. More at sixsenses.com.

Six Senses is opening properties in Lake Como and Milan

October 21, 2024

Six Senses has signed hotel management agreements with Gruppo Statuto as part of an exciting new chapter in its Italian story. Six Senses Milan and Six Senses Lake Como will follow the debut opening of Six Senses Rome in 2023 in the restored Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini and the announcement of the upcoming Six Senses Antognolla in Umbria.

IHG Hotels & Resorts’ fast-growing Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio now features nearly 100 open hotels in Europe, including eight Six Senses properties in Italy, Switzerland, France, Israel, Portugal, Spain and Türkiye.

Six Senses Milan enjoys a prime address at Via Brera 19 in the heart of the artistic Brera quarter, emblematic of authentic Milanese heritage and culture. Six Senses Lake Como will continue the legacy of the first hospitality destination opened on the shores of Lake Como in 1820 in Cadenabbia di Griante, an area rich in history, art, and nature, which over the years has drawn illustrious emperors, monarchs, writers and celebrities to its sparkling shores.

These two latest Italian signings also establish Gruppo Statuto as the leading Italian real estate group with a portfolio of international hotels, having acquired Six Senses London and Six Senses Ibiza in addition to Six Senses Rome.

Six Senses Milan

The galleries around Via Brera and masterpieces within the Pinacoteca Museum offer a pause from Milan’s high-energy rhythms.

Tucked away in this artists’ quarter, Six Senses Milan is therefore well positioned to take guests on a journey of discovery through craftsmanship and timeless style, from the arabescato marble to the antique brass detailing, handmade smoked glass, textured ceilings, and mosaic borders.

Six Senses Milan also showcases the brand’s deep commitment to sustainability, which flows from the materials and furnishings to the prominent space dedicated to the Earth Lab, tranquil internal courtyard, and specialty restaurant and deli featuring seasonal gastronomy.

Of the 68 guest rooms, 15 are suites, and two feature plunge pools. No Six Senses is complete without a state-of-the-art spa to administer a range of high-tech, high-touch treatments, and the rooftop bar and sky pool also make a splash.

Six Senses Lake Como

A nearby retreat for the Milanese, an inspiration for romantics Wordsworth, Shelley, and Byron, and a holiday spot for Queen Victoria and Hollywood legends: Lake Como has long been a dreamy leisure destination with a storied past and glamorous present.

Following a full restoration of the Grand Hotel Cadenabbia on the lake’s western shores, Six Senses Lake Como will blend a resort lifestyle with the region’s rich heritage for a unique retreat amid picturesque gardens, where rare plants and rejuvenated guests will flourish on the lake’s shores.

The number of guest rooms within the six-story property will be significantly reduced to accommodate 102 generously sized rooms and suites as well as more space dedicated to the spa and wellness area. The outdoor pool and sun deck will be complemented by a floating pool on the lake. Along with the specialty restaurant, the terrace bar and restaurant with quintessential lake views on the fourth floor will no doubt continue to inspire poetry, prose, and proposals.

IHG more than doubled its Luxury & Lifestyle offering in Italy in 2023, which also saw the return of the InterContinental brand with the opening of InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace. Six Senses Milan and Six Senses Lake Como join 30 open hotels in the country, and an additional eight in development, including brand debuts for the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and Vignette Collection brands.

Six Senses Milan is set to open in 2025 and Six Senses Lake Como in 2028. In the meantime, for more on the global Six Senses portfolio, or to book a stay, visit sixsenses.com.