Six Senses unveils ambitious plans

Luxury hotel brand Six Senses is planning an ambitious expansion in 2027, with five new luxury properties scheduled to open across Europe, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The new properties will add city hotels, historic estates and destination resorts to the Six Senses portfolio.

The openings will strengthen the brand’s presence in key luxury markets, including Italy, Spain and France, while extending its Middle East footprint, news hub Travel Mole reports.

Six Senses Milan (top image) is scheduled to open in early 2027 in Brera, opposite the Pinacoteca di Brera and close to Milan’s Duomo.

The 85-room property will feature 69 rooms and 16 suites, including two with private relaxation pools and another with a private terrace and 12.5-meter pool. Dining options will include a seasonal restaurant and deli, alongside two bars, including a rooftop venue.

The Six Senses Spa will feature a 15-meter indoor pool, saunas, hammam, cold plunge and rooftop pool. An Earth Lab will focus on sustainability and community initiatives.

In Spain, Six Senses Quexigal Palace will bring the brand to a historic estate near Madrid in early 2027. Built in 1563 by architect Juan de Herrera, the property was once a royal country residence and hunting lodge.

Six Senses Tel Aviv will also open in early 2027, combining five historic buildings dating from 1909 with a new 10-story tower. The project will feature 140 hotel rooms and 55 residences, plus a spa, rooftop sky pool and cocktail bar, chef-led restaurant and Six Senses Place. It might prove a hard sell.

In France, Six Senses Loire Valley is targeted for the third quarter of 2027.

The resort will feature 88 suites and villas, a golf course with a second 18-hole course planned, equestrian and tennis facilities, an organic farm and extensive hiking and cycling trails. Another 70 private villas are planned.

The expansion will extend into the Gulf with Six Senses Wadi Safar in Saudi Arabia scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2027.

Perth gains a third Mercure hotel

Booming Perth has a new accommodation option with the opening of Mercure Perth Aurea Kings Park.

The new hotel is the third Mercure property in Western Australia.

Mercure Perth Aurea Kings Park is said to offer "contemporary accommodation designed for both business and leisure travellers".

It features 70 guest rooms and a spacious suite, with somet rooms boasting private balconies overlooking the Perth skyline, John Oldham Park and the Swan River, which is just a short stroll away.

The new hotel marks global hotel giant Accor's second partnership with Capital Bay Management, following the successful operation of The Sebel West Perth.

"The opening of Mercure Perth Aurea Kings Park is a strong addition to our network in Western Australia," says Adrian Williams, Chief Operating Officer, Accor Pacific.

"As the third Mercure hotel in Perth, it reflects the growing appeal of the brand and our commitment to providing quality accommodation that connects guests with the unique character of each destination.”

Peow Lim, general manager at Capital Bay Management, added: "Joining the Accor family through the Mercure brand marks an important milestone for Capital Bay Management.

"With its prime position between Kings Park and the Swan River, the hotel offers guests a unique sense of space and connectivity to the Perth CBD."

Rooms start from just $235 per night, available via all.com.

Get hot, cold, wet and chilled on Sydney Harbour

Pier One Sydney Harbour has partnered with Wellness Afloat to launch a premium floating sauna and cold water therapy wellness experience on Sydney Harbour.

Blending luxury hospitality with eco-wellness rituals, the floating sanctuary offers contrast therapy (hot sauna + cold plunge) paired with uninterrupted harbour views.

I'm told the experience aims to help guests to "relax, recover, and reset".

Anchored in a secluded harbour cove, the experience centres around The ARK, a timber-clad floating sauna with direct views of the Harbour Bridge.

All guests are collected from Pier One Sydney Harbour’s private pontoon.

Once aboard The ARK, they embark on a contrast therapy ritual of alternating heat and cold, designed to support relaxation, recovery and wellbeing.

Designed for two, the Romantic Harbour Escape is a private two-hour wellness experience that concludes with complimentary glass of bubbles each at Pier Bar. 

For the a ritzy harbourside experience, you can add on the Pier One Package, including a reserved cabana at Pier Bar, bottle of Champagne, six freshly shucked oysters and a curated grazing board at Pier Bar for two.

All bookings receive a voucher for 20% off at Pier Bar following their experience.

The Wellness Afloat experiences at Pier One Sydney Harbour are available at https://www.pieronesydneyharbour.com.au/wellness-afloat-at-pier-one/.

Meet a liquid take on the Raspberry Lamington

Calling wine lovers with a sweet tooth.

The innovative Patisserie Wines brand is expanding its collection through a new collaboration with renowned Australian pâtissier Reece Hignell, the founder of Cakeboi (above).

Patisserie Raspberry Lamington Rosé, a frizzante wine, is inspired by one of Hignell's signature creations.

Patisserie was launched in 2025 to reimagine the wine experience through flavours inspired by desserts and sweet treats. So not for your tweed jacket-wearing Claret drinker.

“Patisserie, since launch, has been a fun flavour journey for all involved,’ says Ross Marshall, managing director at Fourth Wave Wine.

"In seeking enjoyment and deliciousness above all, working with Reece was a wonderful chance to take the decadent drinks experience even further. Turning one of Australia’s most loved cakes - and a signature Cakeboi creation - into a sparkling wine will be a great addition to the Patisserie range.”

Patisserie Raspberry Lamington Rosé is now available at Dan Murphy stores nationally for an RRP of $26.99.

For more info see www.patisseriewines.com.

New architect-designed cabins put Orange on the national design map

Orange, in the Central West of New South Wales, is one of the most enticing wine regions within striking distance of Sydney. 

Now a striking new pair of architecturally designed cabins has opened on a working cattle farm just outside Orange, offering visitors a unique off-grid retreat. 

pc3orange comprises two steel-framed cabins inspired by the simple form of a tent and the curve of a pipi shell. The retreats are the third instalment in the celebrated Permanent Camping series by Casey Brown Architecture, following earlier projects in the same Australian state: at Mudgee and Berry.

Each self-contained cabin distils the idea of a retreat down to its essentials: a bed, a deck, a fireplace, a bathroom and a place to sit and watch the world go by. 

Inside, recycled ironbark lines the walls and ceilings, custom steel benches finished in a deep "volcanic orange" duco add a sculptural touch, and circular skylights frame views of the surrounding gum trees and night sky. 

A slow-combustion wood heater with a stone hearth set into the timber floor, fully louvred bathrooms, and Japanese-inspired furniture complete the considered interiors.

Owner Andrew Kermode said the cabins were designed to give visitors a genuine sense of reconnection, both with the landscape and with each other. 

"From the moment you arrive, the soaring steel forms are the first thing you notice," Kermode said. "They sit so naturally as part of the landscape, but inside it's all warmth, timber and quiet luxury. 

"This is a part of the country that throws everything at a building: cold winters with snow heavy enough to bring down trees, hot, bushfire-prone summers, strong winds sweeping across open paddocks, and termites that make timber construction a real risk," said project manager Daniel Weber said.

"So the response had to be robust as well as beautiful. Each cabin is built entirely from steel, clad in corten so it weathers into the landscape rather than fighting it. 

"From a distance the cabins read almost like rusted tents dropped into the paddock, but up close every element has been resolved with real precision. It's a small building, but it's not a house shrunk down. It's its own considered response to this particular place, and we think it gives Orange something genuinely unique." he said.

pc3orange was shortlisted in the Small Project category of the 2026 Australian Institute of Architects awards. 

Bookings and further info at www.pc3orange.au.

New look, new vibe for leading Australian wine brand

Hardys, one of Australia’s historic wine brands, is to get a global brand transformation starting in the UK market.

A radical portfolio and packaging overhaul across its three core ranges, will give each a clearer and more distinctive role within the portfolio, brand owner Vinarchy reports.

Stamp puts the Hardy's horseman icon front and centre, VR becomes Voyaging Range, and Crest becomes Core, "the beating heart of the brand".

The new look will go live in the UK in November.

“Hardys is one of Australia’s most legendary wine brands, and its recognition and consumer trust give us a very strong place to start," says Lucy Bearman, global brand director for Hardys at Vinarchy, said:

"But the epic story behind the brand hasn’t always been visible to shoppers. Consumers told us they found the brand confusing, with too many tiers, products and price points, and that the packaging had started to feel tired.

“We saw a real opportunity to change that. We’ve overhauled everything, from brand architecture, wines and packaging to positioning and how we tell our story, so Hardys is easier to shop, more modern on shelf and more emotionally engaging.

"Our ambition is to return Hardys to its place as the number one Australian wine brand.”

Thomas Hardy arrived in Australia from Devon in England in 1850 with £30 and established the brand three years later.

See www.vinarchy.com.