Six Senses Crans-Montana — Hotel in Lens

We spent a most relaxing seven days summer break here recently

After a lovely holiday in Six Senses Yao Noi in Thailand a while ago, we decided to give this relatively new alpine addition of the brand a try, the main goal being a cool escape from south of Europe's summer heat

This is a very solid option where warm and attentive hospitality is delivered on a daily basis. We found some minor issues that were always resolved professionally

These are in my view the main pros:

Amazing breakfast

Lovely staff

Relaxed overall ambiance, albeit with a luxurious and exclusive feeling all around the property

Top notch pool area facilities & Spa. We spent hours and hours in both indoors and occasionally outdoors pools, all heated. Really very nice

Amazing rooms, extremely comfortable. Very good bed linen quality. Nice furniture and generally very comfortable rest

Room service was fast and good. Reasonably priced for CH and short but enough menu, perhaps expensive but generous portions, normal for Switzerland. You can set up a beautiful table in your room terrace in summer

Did I say breakfasts are to die for?

• The take into account part:

Some rooms have better views than others and this might have an impact on your stay. Inside they are all very good. It's difficult to know what you will get however before you are there

Some masseurs in the Spa are better than others

Roomwise, everything works very comfortably. Maybe more hangers for towels bathrobes etc would be appreciated

Also they arrange too much the room in my opinion, for instance they put like towels under the shoes you leave outside the wardrobes, even if nicely arranged under the desk, or they disconnected my phone charger everytime and fixed the cord making it look nice? I had to waste time everynight to put the thing back in place. I am very like this myself, but that's taking it a bit too far maybe?

Also in the bathroom they put the tissues just in front of the soap dispenser, for some reason. This is wrong placement because it just interferes with the flow of you being hand wet before dispensing soap. I put it on a side every time and they put it right back as per their symmetric design. By day Six they finally got the message or realised it was a lost battle with me and just did not touched anymore 😅 I know they do that in places like Six Senses and Soneva but man... relax 😂 it's just a tissue holder out of sync

There are three main buildings and the lower one is a bit far off, to be honest

The pedestrian access from the hotel up to the mountains and town is a bit confusing and hard to get used to. They suggest using the car tunnel parking entrace even by walking which we found weird

Not having a normal pedestrian main entrance, by design, feels very strange, like a fortress almost. There are other easier and less car-centric accesses more humane and connected to the wilderness and resort around it, and you can use them all with your room key, never a problem. Every day we discovered a new one

The hotel has also residences sharing the space, not that you notice much

In summer there are fast mountain bikes going downhill around the edges of the property which is also very weird, but it makes it sporty feeling and colourful I guess?

One Asian fusion restaurant is closed in summer

The other restaurant, the Wild Cabin, has a relatively short food selection not very much Swiss oriented and prices are very much on the steep side. This is normal and to be expected in a high end resort in Switzerland. Restaurant has an outdoor area we did not use, indoors is cosy and service was good. We liked it

There is a poolside bistro as well, close to the reception. We used it for lunch and it was lovely

They do offer a complimentary pick up shuttle upon check in and out. We decided to have a sustainable and relaxed car free holiday and that made it very convenient. From the funicular of Crans where they leave you, you can then take trains down from Sierre. It's easy and well organised

All in all we had a fantastic stay. We would...

The hotel is located right inside a ski slope, making it extremely convenient for those who like to ski. In fact, it is possible to leave the hotel directly on skis and reach the ski lift. The architecture is well integrated into the context, lots of wood and natural materials.

The structure of the hotel itself is peculiar, the entrance to the parking lots leads to a first reception desk underground, here the car is parked by a valet, and you are greeted with initial explanations and a fun experiment with bells inspired just by the "six senses." Shortly thereafter, we were escorted to the main reception where we did the check-in paperwork. The hotel maintains its style and stands out in many details that we will see in a moment. Each guest is provided with a GEM member - Guest Experience Management. These people are also available via the Six Senses App to answer guest inquiries. We found a young and friendly team.

Even though the room was a simple double, we found it quite spacious and well finished. Lots of wood and stone, virtually no plastic, and more than enough amenities. The toilet has a bidet built in and operated by remote control, a great little bonus is the heated board. The shower is standard, a bit small but not to be a problem.

During our inspection, however, we found two hairs. The first in the bathtub, the second on top of a brochure near the coffee machine. Truly a shame because it is these small mishaps that greatly affect the first impact.

The hotel has both a spa and a gym, this one is obviously as new as the whole hotel and well equipped. The environment entices one to work out, and there is dried and fresh fruit available.

Before leaving for dinner, we again requested Memory Foam pillows as they were not delivered as requested during the reservation. Upon our return we find a small gift on the bed, but much to our regret, we find that the previously requested pillows are still not there. After writing for the third time, they were finally delivered to us.

The breakfast buffet is not huge, but it is still quite varied and mainly offers quality products. Again, however, we must note some flaws: the fish is placed right above the meat, this can unintentionally create contamination for those who are allergic to fish. This possibility is not so remote, as the tongs for picking up the food are rather uncomfortable and large for some foods, for example, smoked trout. The second counter focuses on beverages and yogurt. The selection of vegetable milk and fresh juices is also excellent.

The à la Carte menu is not extraordinary, but still appreciable.

In our room package, we had a massage included. We experienced better treatment; we expected more considering that the hotel has multi-day spa and relaxation-related packages.

We explored the spa a bit. We discover that the only hot tub is outside, but this is not a problem at all because the pool is directly connected to the indoor one and is heated. This is undoubtedly a point we appreciate so much. Less appreciable, however, is the presence of children, fortunately not many, but in high season it could become a problem. The spa is divided into two floors, the lower part being women on one side and men on the other, no whirlpool or pool. The upper part, on the other hand, is where the pool is located and the mixed area for Sauna and Turkish bath, unfortunately the latter was not working.

Overall a good stay but with some points for improvement. Cleanliness should be a paradigm, a simple request for a pillow should work immediately already during the reservation, certainly should not force the guest to repeat the same thing 3 times.

Considering the location, the price is almost totally justified, that is as long as the problems mentioned earlier are fixed. At this level, certain shortcomings cannot be tolerated.

If you want to watch our full video review, find us on YouTube...

It’s a treat to be able to enjoy such a calm place, especially when there’s barely any clients.

The location is great, however not as remarkable in it’s concept as some other branches, particularly the Nin Vanh Bay one, where you truly sense the sustainable approach to luxury and hospitality.

The facilities are great, rooms are generously furnished with all the necessary amenities. The SPA is a great experience in itself, but our review would probably be different would the place be more crowded. In any case, our time was well spent, the reception was lovely and treatments were very well executed and we felt refreshed.

We had breakfast and dinner at the Wild Cabin. Firstly, we expected a lot from the breakfast and we got what we were hoping for: a wide variety of sweet and salty treats ready to satisfy even the most complicated eater. The juice bar is a staple and the offering is on point. However, when we ordered Eggs Florentine, they seemed to have forgotten our order (which happens) and the charcoal toast that was announced ended up being a slice of white « tresse » bread. It was still delicious, however unexpected, as the menu indicated otherwise and we were not informed. We do not care to be honest, but it’s not on par with this kind of establishment’s service standards. The opposite happened during dinner: we ordered a delicious fish with fennel and the waiter announced it as « artichoke » :) For the staff’s defense, we realized they were quite young and wanted to do their best, but their stress and search for perfection made them do a few mistakes. We totally understand, but some other people might openly point this out on the spot. Anyway, congratulations to the kitchen, the meals were excellent, and to the sommelier who suggested a great organic wine to pair.

The staff is overall really friendly and helpful, some are very laid back, like the chauffeur that greeted us at the train station: we loved it and would like to thank him again as he was our first contact with the hotel and he gave a really good impression. Some seemed bit more under pressure, like the GEM that welcomed us upon checking in. Although very professional, we felt she had expectations to meet and slightly overdid the general hotel presentation. We felt it a bit forced and unnatural. It’s obviously protocol and we understand it’s part of the premium experience. Could we suggest maybe staying yourself and bringing your own natural personality to the guests instead of following traditional hospitality etiquettes? It would make the experience more tailored and less generic for all clients. Again, our Nin Vanh Bay experience was a great example of how employees kept their performance natural and likeable, creating a true relationship with the customers and a lasting impression of the hotel. Finally, the switch between french and english from one employee to another seemed a bit confusing at times: we didn’t know if the employees didn’t speak french or if they thought we didn’t speak french :) But we managed and it doesn’t really matter in the end.

All in all, we spent a great time and left refreshed and energized, which is the main reason we came.

PS: If there was a single negative point to the entire experience, it would be….the height of the SPA’s locker room locker doors 🫠 if you happen to measure 1m80 or more and have never opened these lockers, you wouldn’t expect them to be inverted « L » shaped doors and hit your head with the corners. As an industrial designer myself, this choice is absurd and whoever designed those lockers should be ashamed. Good sense would imply changing them to avoid further injuries or at least displaying...