Sustainability A Way of Life at Six Senses Vana

SUSTAINABILITY

At Six Senses Vana, sustainability is a way of life. We are grateful for the environment we exist in, and what it provides us with.

Since the Retreat’s conceptualisation, sensitivity to ecology has played an intrinsic role in our thinking. The Six Senses Vana team strives at all times to create and maintain harmony between wellness and the natural world.

With a gentle hand, we cultivate an eco-friendly Retreat that not only aligns with, but also nourishes, the ecosystem that surrounds us.

Six Senses Vana is especially conscious of energy optimisation, with special efforts put in place to manage water and waste as effectively as possible.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Six Senses Vana has been designed to ensure that all guests practice an energy-efficient means of habitation while on retreat. In order to achieve this, we carefully monitor our energy use in all spaces.

Six Senses Vana achieved LEED Platinum status in 2015 making it India’s first retreat to have attained this standard of environmental design.

From the outset Six Senses Vana was installed with 99% LED lighting to ensure maximum energy saving. Thanks to ‘Variable Frequency Drives’ on our motors, we regulate energy consumption to be as low impact as possible. Energy use from our HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and plumbing systems are determined on a ‘Revolution Per Minute’ basis.

Our ‘In Com Control’ system detects whether the room is occupied through motion-sensors, ensuring that lighting and heating are only in use when the guests are in the room. Even at night outdoor lighting is kept to a bare minimum, both to create minimal disturbance to the nocturnal habitat and mindfully preserve energy.

WATER CONSERVATION

Rainwater is harvested and our efficient water treatment plant ensures that the recycled water is then used for irrigation over 21 acres; ensuring nature is nourished naturally, without extra consumption of resources. Thanks to specially designed faucets on our taps, wastage of water is minimal.

Having our own bottling plant further allows us to reduce the use of single use plastics by a 100,000 plastic bottles per year.

Through solar heating, we are able to heat a sizable amount of water at the retreat for consumption.

CUISINE

Cuisine at Six Senses Vana connects many aspects of our philosophy. Nature and ecology are forever present in how the seasons and our supply chain influence menus.

Our emphasis is on the procurement of seasonal, local and indigenous produce, which allows us to develop a supply chain that is as sustainable as possible, working with a network of regional vendors.

As a rule, we do not airfreight in any ingredients, instead prioritising local food products, occasionally bringing in (seasonal) food by road from certain regions of India.

Packaged or canned food products are minimal; instead the emphasis is on making almost all our produce from scratch. We make our own version of classic cheeses like cheddar, feta, and haloumi with low sodium and without any preservatives. Also homemade are miso, kombucha, ghee, nut butters and paneer.

Our cuisine practices not only make the food healthier and more nutritious for our Vanavasis, but also reduces our carbon footprint.

CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION

We are committed to textiles made only with natural fibres. Our guest clothing and team uniform is made from 100% cotton with no synthetic fibres. We source the cotton for our retreat attire from an organic cotton farm in South India that adheres to the highest organic standards. Likewise, all bed and bath linen are organic.

Our decision to use FSC-certified wood (bamboo flooring in all our rooms) and disposable cotton inner-wear is in line with our other efforts to lower our overall impact on the surroundings.

We use karess paper (100% post-consumer recycled paper) for all guest stationery and communication and encourage ‘use-one-tissue-at-a-time’ practice with gentle signage to discourage excess.

Green Seal-certified solvents help us minimise harm to the surrounding natural growth and fauna, hence leaving a milder impact on our environment.

Essential oils keep away insects and small creatures around the Retreat without causing them or their habitat any damage. With soy wax T-light candles and biodegradable garbage bags, we create minimal stress on the environment.

Six Senses Vana is maintained with low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints and polish, making the space extremely low-risk for one’s health while renovating or conducting maintenance.

RECYCLING AND UPCYCLING

Recycling and up cycling are integral to daily life at Six Senses Vana. Our practice of up cycling, for example, ensures that our linens are not discarded, but converted into durries. Any waste oils are transported for recycling to Bharat Oil. Our electronic waste is responsibly transported to the certified recycling centers in India. Acupuncture needles and other biohazard by-products are disposed next door at the Max hospital.

About Six Senses Vana

Six Senses Vana is named after the sal forest it takes refuge in. As the first Six Senses dedicated wellness retreat, it offers health and healing in the Himalayan foothills of India, just outside Dehradun. Ayurveda, Yoga, Tibetan Medicine, and Natural Healing Therapies combine with a rich daily activity schedule, deep commitment, and personalized support.

The magic lies in the way these elements are fused together to best benefit guests, based on their current state of mind and body, and personal goals for the stay. Nourishing food, experiences for all the senses, and a kind-hearted team complete the retreat.

About Six Senses

Six Senses operates 20 hotels and resorts in 17 countries and has signed a further 34 properties into the development pipeline. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, Six Senses serves as a changemaker and maintains a leadership commitment to community, sustainability, emotional hospitality, wellness, and crafted experiences, infused with a touch of quirkiness. Whether an exquisite island resort, mountain retreat, or urban hotel, the vision remains the same: to reawaken people’s senses, so they feel the purpose behind their travels and ultimately reconnect with themselves, others, and the world around them.

Six Senses Residences offers all the unique amenities of a resort life community while retaining the privacy and personal touches of a beautifully appointed private villa or apartment. Each is an appreciating long-term investment to be cherished for generations to come with immediate benefits and exclusive status at other resorts worldwide.

Six Senses Spas guides guests on their personal path to well-being in all resorts as well as a handful of standalone spas. The high-tech and high-touch approach goes beyond ordinary beauty treatments to offer holistic wellness, integrative medicine, and longevity.

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