Spring clean

The Arabic fine-dining restaurant.
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Lying 264m below sea level, and lauded for their therapeutic qualities, Jordan’s Ma’In hot springs have been attracting visitors since early Roman times.

The springs are located at the edge of Wadi Mujib and feed into one of Jordan’s most remarkable attractions, the Dead Sea. They are currently receiving more visitors than ever, following the opening of Six Senses Hotels and Resorts’ latest Middle East property, Evason Ma’In Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa.

The natural approach

The design of the resort focuses heavily on the natural marvels on its doorstep, Manish Puri, the hotel’s general manager, explained. “The primary focus was the springs and the waterfall – we wanted to direct the attention to these natural features as much as possible. In terms of design, we wanted to put emphasis on the local element as much as possible throughout the design, always interpreting this in a Six Senses way.”

This is in keeping with the core values of the Six Senses brand, which is renowned for its responsible attitude towards local communities and natural environments. In this instance, careful consideration was given to the setting of the building, to ensure that it blended unassumingly into its natural surroundings. The site’s existing features, which included a cave, palm trees, and the surrounding cliff face, were carefully maintained, and intelligently incorporated into the design scheme.

The building adopted a south-north orientation in order to minimise the impact of the sun in the summer, while ensuring that the winter sun would enter deep into the building. At the same time, walls and roofs were thermally insulated to minimise energy consumption within the resort.

To reiterate its respect for local cultures, the company used indigenous, natural rough stone for external finishings, while wood and plaster were utilised in a way that reflected authentic Jordanian architecture.

Ensuring that the resort looked and felt quintessentially Jordanian was a key priority, Puri explained. “Much of this was achieved through the use of local materials and the study of architectural and design features in historical sites in Jordan – in Amman as well as local villages. Beyond stately buildings, we were looking for influences in local dwellings, interpreting them in a Six Senses way and adding the elements of space, amenities, and service true to a luxury product.

“We adopted local design details but translated them into a less detailed or ornate form. We brought traditional Six Senses elements into the design through our use of fabric and fabric colour, generous daybeds and occasional playful and fun elements true to Six Senses, such as swing seating in the lobby area,” Puri said.

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The resort consists of 92 rooms and suites, as well as two Royal Suites and a Terrace Suite located on the highest level of the eight-storey property. This offers almost 360º views of the top of the waterfall, the Dead Sea and the surrounding valley.

A highlight of the property is the Six Senses Spa, which is tucked beneath the hot spring waterfalls.

The waterfall cascades down into the spa’s main pool and relaxation area, and is complemented by a natural steam cave.

Built in Jordanian stone, the stand-alone spa features ten treatment rooms – four single and one double for both males and females. “Treatments focus on the therapeutic properties of the mineral-rich waters, offering healing mineral and deep sea therapies combined with Asian and Six Senses signature treatments to ensure pure pampering in the hands of expertly trained Six Senses Spa therapists,” said Puri.

The resort’s extensive array of food and beverage outlets also capitalise on their natural surroundings. An Arabic fine-dining restaurant is set 50m from the waterfalls, and offers a specialty menu and floor-level seating. “The restaurant aims to serve guests ‘menu degustation’ on individual trays,” explained Puri. “One can equate this to menu styles of Michelin restaurants where one chooses between two or three menus only and is served top
cuisine prepared by a great chef. Here we plan to address this by having a top chef specialising in Arabic cuisine.”

Other food and beverage options include the aptly-named White Bar, which has 18 seats on the inside, along with an outdoor area that includes 24 seats set around a fire. “The name is acquired by the décor, which is primarily in shades of white, serving drinks that are almost of a transparent nature, along with interesting cocktail concepts that follow the theme.

“The idea here is to have a story teller telling stories of Jordan, while in the evening guests enjoy a cocktail close to the open fireplace, seated on comfortable day bed-style seating, amongst the quaint fire torches,” said Puri.

Its antithesis is the Brown Bar, which specialises in spirits that are brown in colour. The design is more Arabesque in nature, with private tents and an outdoor shisha area that give it a more laid back feel. The use of leather helps to create a more relaxed ambience.

Meanwhile, an all-day dining restaurant serves cuisine from around the world. “The restaurant is set on the lobby level of the hotel and the design features different colours. To add to the uniqueness, there are different designs of chairs for each table, so that guests have the opportunity to sit on a different-styled chair each day, adding to the concept of ‘fun’ dining. This will eventually become a place for the perfect Sunday brunch.”