Portavadie’s new Stewart Associates-designed Loch-side spa takes advantage of stunning Scottish views to create an atmosphere of ‘understated luxury’
Scottish destination property Portavadie is opening a 1,991sq m (21,431sq ft) spa and leisure centre in the coming months that takes full advantage of its views over Loch Fyne on Scotland’s west coast.
Designed by Largs, Ayrshire-based Stewart Associates, the spa uses glass, local stone, white oak and walnut to create a natural setting that is “sympathetic to the view at all times,” and creates a feeling of “understated luxury,” Iain Jurgensen, general manager of Portavadie, told CLADglobal.
The new facilities mark the next stage in a £10m (US$15.5m, €14m) phased development and will include a 9x9m (30x30ft) heated outdoor infinity pool that the owners say is the largest in Scotland.
The spa and leisure centre includes four treatment rooms, six swimming pools (including a children’s splash pool), a Scandinavian glass sauna that faces the Loch, hydro pool, steam room, Precor-equipped gym, and a 10-bed relaxation area with floor-to-ceiling views across Loch Fyne to the Isle of Arran.
“The ethos of the entire project is to capture the beauty of the Highland landscape,” said Jurgensen. “...We want to create a picture frame for the changing seasons, the changing moods, the changing skyline, and the changing colours of the landscape.
“...You won’t see too much artwork on the walls, because the artwork is outside,” he continued.
When the spa was still in the planning stages, architect Brian Stewart discussed the idea of the infinity pool, saying he wanted to design it to feel like it was part of the Loch, and that, “On a clear day, it will feel like you’re swimming over to Arran.”
The entire spa and leisure centre will be powered by a biomass boiler, using locally harvested wood chips.
Owned by the Bulloch family, Portavadie includes 33 properties in wide range of accommodation, from five-star luxury apartments to self-catering, pet-friendly cottages; lodge bedrooms; studio apartments; and even an eco-retreat. The property has pitched itself as a destination rather than an exclusive resort, said Jurgensen, and aims “to become the inclusive destination of choice on the west coast of Scotland.”
The property also includes a marina with 230 berths, as well as two function rooms, a boutique retail shop, and a new cafe that will churn its own ice cream and serve wood-fired pizzas. The spa cafe will serve locally-sourced Bento box lunches, as well as tea and coffee.
The spa will use Decleor products for anti-ageing facials, as well as the Portavadie Signature Red Island Exfoliation Ritual and the Portavadie Signature Madagascar Escape Massage. It will also use aroma wraps, full-body aromatherapy treatments and an anti-fatigue citrus energy boost.
In addition, it will feature ishga products, developed in the Outer Hebrides using Scottish seaweed from the Isle of Lewis, in keeping with the focus on the local area. A hot poultice massage, lava shells massage, and an anti-ageing rejuvenator facial all use the ishga line.
The spa also features custom-made cabinets and manicure stations, and ergonomically designed relaxation beds by Lemi Group. Stephen McCafferty has been named spa & leisure manager.
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
BodyHoliday plans 10-15 locations in the next 15 years
Floating wellbeing destination planned for London’s Royal Docks
Aman Group to open second Janu in Dubai with inaugural Janu Club
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
