BACKGROUND: Evason Ma’in Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa opened on February 14 following a huge refurbishment. Six Senses also manages the public hot springs area adjacent to the resort.
THE ARRIVAL: A Six Senses representative meets customers from the plane and organises visas. Guests are escorted through passport control and customs and their luggage attended to until it is loaded into the back of one of the chauffeur-driven 4X4 vehicles. From Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport, the journey takes you around the outskirts of Amman, through the city of Madaba and then high in the mountains above the Dead Sea before you wind down to 264 metres below sea level to the resort.
THE ACCOMMODATION: The property comprises 94 rooms and suites, plus two Royal Suites and the Honeymoon Suite, which is where we stayed. Located on the top floor of the resort, the suite boasts views of the waterfall, valley and in the distance through the crevice between cliffs, the Dead Sea. The suite features a bedroom with door leading to the terrace; large bathroom; a living room with sofas, work station, 42-inch flat-screen TV and CD/DVD player plus a dining table and chairs; but the piece de resistance is the private terrace, complete with four-poster day bed, sunbeds and another dining table. There is also a sleeping area for security/bodyguards. The suite décor is truly Six Senses — orange and yellow linen cushions and upholstery and natural wood furniture and fixtures.
THE F&B: This resort is a foodie’s dream come true, serving international and regional cuisine made from the freshest ingredients possible, some of which are sourced from the resort’s own organic herb and vegetable gardens. There’s the Brown and White Bar with daybed-style seating; a fine-dining Arabic restaurant offering degustation menus and floor-based cushion seating overlooking the waterfall; an all-day dining restaurant with outdoor terrace; a Wine Bar serving Arabic tapas and offering wine tasting; the Pool Bar serving homemade ice-creams; the ‘Zarb’ — a traditional Bedouin tent in the olive grove where local Bedouins serve their homemade dishes; and Panorama — a cliff top restaurant where guests can take in the breathtaking sunsets over the Dead Sea.
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REDEFINING EXPERIENCES: The tagline for Six Senses’ Evason brand is ‘Redefining Experiences’ and it certainly lives up to this objective at Ma’in Hot Springs. Some of the exclusive activities we were lucky to experience included a private picnic at the Dead Sea; a private breakfast at the top of the waterfall; wine and cheese tasting in the Wine Cellar; and private dinner and drinks experiences at the resort and on the cliff edge at the Panorama restaurant. Of course, there’s a Six Senses spa offering treatments combining indigenous products, executed by professional therapists in authentic and relaxing surroundings. The resort can also arrange guided trips to Petra, Jerash, the Mosaic city of Madaba.
PRICES: A three-night ‘Enchanting Jordan’ package including accommodation in an Evason Room on a full-board basis, private transfers and a tailor-made itinerary is priced from US $2955 for two people. Itinerary includes spa treatments, dining experiences and visits to the Dead Sea and Petra.
BOOKING IT: Tel +962 5 324 5500; email reservations-main@sixsenses.com; or use any of the four GDS systems.
EDITOR’S VERDICT
Evason Ma’in Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa is a versatile resort catering to all client types, from honeymooners seeking romance, to families and groups. It’s a great base from which to explore the north of Jordan, but in the unique Six Senses way. If you stay in resort, there is plenty to do, from exclusive dining experiences to spa treatments and a dip in the hot springs.
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