Simply Abu Dhabi XXIX

2 7 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Prices range from €1.5m to €8.8m and buyers who are not using their apartment throughout the season have the option of renting it out. Residents have access to unrivalled amenities provided by Six Senses’ peerless service team, including a 24/7 concierge, a residents’ club lounge, private catering and a dedicated ski concierge located in a private chalet under the main ski lift in Courchevel 1850. Yet more extras include state-of-the-art security technology, dedicated ski lockers, private car parking and storage caves. Getting to the slopes the next morning couldn’t be easier. Following a zingy fresh juice and a continental breakfast in the Six Senses Lounge and being efficiently measured up and provided with award-winning Black Crow skis and boots in the Six Senses rental store, which are both adjacent to each other and the Residences, the Six Senses resident’s concierge—who is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year— whisks me off in a limo van to the piste, saving me from schlepping up the hill lugging my skis and boots. The skiing itself is spectacular—the bright blue firmament above our heads throws into sharp detail the monumental mountains that make up the Three Valleys. The snow conditions are awesome, and I overhear a couple of ski instructors saying it hasn’t been this good for 15 years or more. Imagine deftly-groomed runs, inviting off-piste powder slopes, effortless runs at village level and superb tree skiing—there’s something to please all levels of skiing ability and preference. And when it’s time for après ski, there are boutique stores from the upper echelons of luxury brands, such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton and many more. These are blended together with art galleries and of course, the numerous aforementioned fine restaurants. Bel Air, Cap Horn and Chalet de Pierres are three exceptional places, and you can even take a course in cooking withMichel Rochedy, the Michelin starred chef at Le Chabichou. There are other winter sports available too, from a hair-raising toboggan run down to the village of 1550, plus show-shoeing, cross-country skiing, ice karting and an Olympic ice rink. For those who want nothing to do with any kind of winter sports there are activities such as bowling, rock climbing, paragliding, horse-drawn carriage rides, forest walks and hot-air balloon rides. Whatever your activity of choice, one thing most people will appreciate after any kind of exertion, is the chance to relax and allow your body to recover in the tender embrace of a world-class spa. The Residence’s Spa is a 695-square-metre haven of serenity and calm with a team of warm and talented professionals, offering a long menu of enticing therapies and treatments. There is an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor Jacuzzi, a healthy juice bar, various steam and sauna rooms, plus a fitness centre and a studio for classes. As well as first-class facilities, the spa also offers the latest ground-breaking treatments and the spa manager, Olivier, recommended I try a new compression technology called NormaTech Boots, which are effectively inflatable boots that cover your entire legs, and then inflate and deflate, as though you were having your blood pressure taken. Olivier—who has run ultra-marathons all over the world in his spare time, including once running an event for three days straight!—assures me the treatment dramatically speeds up muscle recovery. Whether it helps aching legs heal faster or not, it feels strangely nice. A perfect day is blissfully rounded off with a hot oil massage and drifting in and out of consciousness I can hear that inner voice again, “I want to live here”. A commitment to community, sustainability and wellness has helped allowed Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas to establish a solid brand and a remarkable experience. By 2021, the company project they will double in size, which is great news for travel lovers, as it means more Six Senses hideaways to lose a sense of time in.