City set for new landmark building
by Pete Hayman | 28 May 2009
Southampton City Council (SCC) has approved planning permission for the construction of a new 25-storey hotel and apartment building, which is to become one of the tallest buildings in the city.
Orchard Homes is the developer behind the £30m project, which will see a three or four-star hotel and restaurant will occupy six storeys of the new building, with a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom properties contained on the remaining 19 floors. The building will be built on the former Cedar Press site between the city's Royal Crescent Road and Saltmarsh Road, and SCC leader Royston Smith hopes that the scheme will encourage further development in Southampton.
Smith said: "It demonstrates that the developers have confidence in the city's future. Gaining planning consent is an important first step towards Orchard Homes' ambition to complete this impressive building in the not too distant future and help transform the city's skyline." Ken Lake, managing director of Orchard Homes, added: "This scheme will create an iconic building in a key part of the city centre. In the meantime, we all appreciate the wider market forces that prevail in our economy and we hope to start work on site as soon conditions allow."
Southampton City Council (SCC) has approved planning permission for the construction of a new 25-storey hotel and apartment building, which is to become one of the tallest buildings in the city. Orchard Homes is the developer behind the £30m project, which will see a three or four-star hotel and restaurant will occupy six storeys of the new building, with a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom properties contained on the
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by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 21 May 2026
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by Magali Robathan | 21 May 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 22 May 2026
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by Kath Hudson | 04 May 2026
A wellness club opens on London’s River Thames in June, offering luxury facilities and personalised wellness protocols focused on recovery and longevity. Sæl Spa at Fulham Pier – London’s new lifestyle destination on the River Thames – will be set across four floors and has been conceived as a “modern British sanctuary.” Facilities include a 15-metre heated rooftop infinity pool and sun terrace and a movement studio with integrated infrared
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by Helen Andrews | 30 Apr 2026
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by Magali Robathan | 21 Apr 2026
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by Magali Robathan | 18 Apr 2026
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David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
by Magali Robathan | 21 Apr 2026
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New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
by Helen Andrews | 20 Apr 2026
The heritage-listed Department of Lands building in Sydney, Australia, has relaunched as a major cultural and events destination, as part of a mixed-use redevelopment of two iconic buildings known collectively as the Sandstone Precinct. Singapore-based Pontiac Land Group owns the property, as well as the building next door that was the former Department of Education building. The two-phase restoration project has seen Pontiac turn the Department of Education building into
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
by Magali Robathan | 16 Apr 2026
World of Frozen has opened at Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris with new offerings across the entire park. The expansion almost doubles the size of Disneyland Paris, immersing guests in a life-size recreation of the Kingdom of Arendel. The World of Frozen features a Tangled -inspired attraction, 14 new dining locations and a large lake debuting a new night-time spectacular. It also features a daytime celebration, themed shopping, and
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by Helen Andrews | 14 Apr 2026
The €200m (US$221.3 million, £169.7 million) Pical Resort, Valamar Collection has opened in Croatia with the country’s first ESPA spa. Valamar Riviera, a Croatian tourism company and hotel operator has revealed the 514-key property in Poreč, Istria. The development of the Pical Resort represents Valamar’s largest investment to date. The accommodation is split into the following options: the Pical Hotel, the luxury all-inclusive Pical Family Hotel, the exclusive Pical Suites
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
by Helen Andrews | 13 Apr 2026
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has revealed plans to expand its presence in Egypt with the renovation and operation of two historic hotel properties and the brand’s first-ever luxury river cruise. In 2022, Mandarin Oriental announced it would open its first Egyptian property, Mandarin Oriental Shepheard in Cairo. The hotel is undergoing a comprehensive renovation and is due to open in 2027. Ownership and development The river cruise, Old Cataract
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
by Helen Andrews | 27 Mar 2026
Holistic design and architecture practice Mendil + Meyer, based in Arizona in the US, has introduced a new division called Lām Concepts to integrate and align wellness goals for projects before they reach the design stage. Ben Meyer, architect and co-founder of Mendil + Meyer, told Spa Business exclusively about the new division: “Lām comes from the word loam, meaning fertile ground – the place where conditions are right for
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
by Helen Andrews | 05 Mar 2026
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4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
Design firm 4a Architekten has shared details of the recently-completed extension to the wellness facilities at destination spa park Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa in Germany. The upgrades to the leisure pool facility, which has been in operation since 1984, included the addition of a thermal spa and sauna in a new building that integrated sensitively into the landscape. Commissioned by the facility’s operator, utility company Stadtwerke Bad Dürkheim, the
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