The Six Senses Quexigal Palace resort will open in 2027 in Ávila, Spain, on Philip II’s former estate

Fifty minutes from Madrid, the country estate that Philip II bought for himself is about to welcome its first guests. The Six Senses Quexigal Palace resort will open in 2027 in the province of Ávila, according to the brand’s official website. It will bring together 60 keys and a villa across 100 hectares, around a palace built in 1563 by the architect of El Escorial.

☰Contents

1. The estate of El Escorial’s architect
2. An opening pushed back to 2027
3. 60 keys and a five-bedroom villa
4. Farm to table, and a bar in the aviary
5. A spa with a salt cave and an ice bath
6. Why look up at night in Quexigal?

The estate of El Escorial’s architect

El Quexigal was built in 1563 by Juan de Herrera, the architect of El Escorial, the great royal monastery nearby. At the time it was considered the finest country estate in Spain, according to the brand’s press release. Philip II acquired it for the leisure of the royal family.

Hieronymite monks produced oil, wine and honey here, and took timber from the quejigo oaks, a local species that gave the estate its name. The current owners, brought together in a joint venture between Sidercom and El Enebro, belong to two leading Spanish wine families.

An opening pushed back to 2027

In December 2024, on signing the management agreement, Six Senses announced an opening in late 2026. Its official page now states 2027, with no specific month. It will be the brand’s first address in mainland Spain, after Six Senses Ibiza.

The group, a subsidiary of IHG, is multiplying its projects in Europe: Six Senses Milan has also slipped to 2027, as we reported for the Six Senses Milan hotel, in Brera, and France is awaiting the Six Senses Loire Valley.

60 keys and a five-bedroom villa

The 60 rooms will be spread between the palace and its outbuildings: 13 suites and a presidential suite with private gardens. For families and private celebrations, a five-bedroom villa will be looked after by its own team.

Madrid firm Arvo Arquitectura is restoring the great hall, the courtyard and the outbuildings, to recreate the atmosphere of a royal village. Designer Raphaël Navot, named Designer of the Year by the Maison&Objet fair in 2023, is creating the interiors; the old wine and oil jars are being turned into sculptures and light fittings.

Farm to table, and a bar in the aviary

The cuisine will focus on vegetables from the estate’s fields, served in the main restaurant, in the lounges and at private dinners in the gardens. There will also be a tasting room, a poolside bar and grill, a secret bar and a bar set up in the former aviary.

With owners from the world of wine, the cellar promises to be outstanding, the brand says. For other addresses in the country, see our selection of the best hotels in Spain.

A spa with a salt cave and an ice bath

The Six Senses Spa will have 4 single and 2 double treatment rooms, a wellness pool, infrared and Finnish saunas, a hammam, a salt cave and, for the bravest, an ice bath. A recovery lounge will offer the latest equipment.

A herbal hammam and a workshop, the Alchemy Bar, where guests make their own scrubs with plants from the garden, will complete the offer. Children will have their own club, Grow With Six Senses.

Why look up at night in Quexigal?

The estate neighbours the European Space Agency’s Cebreros station, a sign of often clear skies. An observation platform will let guests gaze at the stars, and an Earth Lab will tell the story of the palace’s sustainable restoration.

Ávila, a city of medieval walls listed by Unesco, and El Escorial are within easy driving distance. Rates have not yet been published; enquiries go through the official Six Senses website.