Business Growth Fund takes investment in Xercise4Less to £20m
by Jak Phillips | 24 Feb 2016
Xercise4Less CEO Jon Wright has set out plans to open a further 15 to 20 gyms in the next twelve months
Xercise4Less has secured a new £7.6m funding round from its equity partner the Business Growth Fund (BGF), taking its total investment in the low cost gym chain to £19.7m.
BGF, which holds a minority stake in Xercise4Less, first invested in the chain in 2013 and has now pledged further funds to help finance the company’s expansion.
Having last year been named among the among the 20 fastest growing private firms in the UK, Xercise4Less has reported its sales grew to £21.9m in the 12 months to July 2015, up from £12m in its previous financial year.
The low cost operator has 35 gyms across the UK and CEO Jon Wright has set out plans to open a further 15 to 20 gyms in the next twelve months.
“Xercise4Less is an example of how an ambitious company can disrupt an established model,” said BGF’s Richard Taylor, who sits on the board of Xercise4Less.
“Jon and his team have understood the market and the opportunity available to them and have used our growth capital to build a business of scale.”
BGF, which has also been an investor in Gymbox, has backed more than 100 UK small and mid-sized businesses since 2011 and continues to provide long-term growth capital from its investment pot of £2.5bn in exchange for minority, non-controlling stakes.
Business Growth Fund Xercise4Less Jon Wright
Xercise4Less has secured a new £7.6m funding round from its equity partner the Business Growth Fund (BGF), taking its total investment in the low cost gym chain to £19.7m. BGF, which holds a minority stake in Xercise4Less, first invested in the chain in 2013 and has now pledged further funds to help finance the company’s expansion. Having last year been named among the among the 20 fastest growing private firms
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by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while remaining actively involved with the company. Ownership has transferred to president Carmel Lewis, chief creative officer Christian Lachel and vice presidents of story and creative, Brad Shelton and Matthew Solari. The move formalises a leadership structure that the company says has been operating in
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Jun 2026
Lithuanian care operator Addere Care has launched a “wellness care hospital” in Vilnius. It's the company’s second Lithuanian site, following a hospital in Trakai, but the first to offer professional medical care in a spa resort environment. The new 4,400sq m facility has been developed within a reconstructed former hotel. It features 160 rooms and a day care centre that can accommodate up to 12 patients at a time. The
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by Liz Terry | 27 May 2026
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.
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by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 05 Jun 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 21 May 2026
Hotel owner-operator MCR Hotels is inviting the public to provide feedback on development plans for London’s iconic BT Tower as a luxury hotel and mixed use project. Public access to the tower – for the first time in 50 years – will also be part of the scheme. In February 2024, British telecommunications company BT Group sold the BT Tower for £275 million (US$347 million, €321.3 million) to MCR Hotels.
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by Magali Robathan | 21 May 2026
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work). Running at London’s Cristea Roberts Gallery from 5 June to 11 July 2026, Yinka Ilori: Joy Through Resistance, He Who Laughs Last, Laughs Best, spans new
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by Kath Hudson | 01 Jun 2026
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
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by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK. The site will also have 60,000sq m of surrounding external space that will be developed as community gardens. Even compared to future sites in the Therme Group pipeline all over the world, the Manchester
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by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary, with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s Southwest coast – the Calusa. The spa, which is set across three levels, was created by Champalimaud Design and uses a layered palette of natural materials, soft textures and luminous light to echo Naples’ shoreline. The reception features a hand-painted
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
by Helen Andrews | 22 May 2026
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Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
by Liz Terry | 19 May 2026
Luxury members’ club Tramp has expanded into the fitness, health and wellness sector with the launch of Tramp Health, a 16,000sq ft high-end fitness and longevity club in London’s Mayfair. The new concept was created by Luca Maggiora, the entrepreneur who bought Tramp at the end of 2023 and represents a £10m investment. The new fitness, health and wellness club is being promoted by the company as the antithesis of the
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
by Helen Andrews | 15 May 2026
Miraval The Red Sea has opened on Shura Island in Saudi Arabia as part of The Red Sea Project. The development is the first Miraval-branded property outside the US. This site is the fourth Miraval resort in the world – following US-based properties in Arizona, Texas and Massachusetts. Hyatt bought Miraval from previous owners Steve Case and investor KSL in 2017 and has also started putting its Life in Balance
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
by Liz Terry | 13 May 2026
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.
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Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
by Helen Andrews | 06 May 2026
Zannier Île De Bendor, a new island retreat, has been unveiled off the south coast of Bandol in Provence, France, with a wellness concept called Rēsonance. The 93-key destination has reopened after a five-year transformation, set across three areas. Luxury hospitality operator Zannier Hotels has worked with the family-owned holding and operating company Société Paul Ricard to modernise and restore the property. The destination was bought by French entrepreneur Paul
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
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
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
by Helen Andrews | 30 Apr 2026
Submersive, an immersive art bathhouse concept by Corvas Brinkerhoff, co-founder of experiential art company Meow Wolf, will open in the Bouldin Creek neighbourhood in Austin, Texas, US. The bathhouse, which will open in Q3 of 2027, will combine ancient hydrotherapy traditions with art installations, with the help of international artists. The space will use the latest technology and neuroscience-informed sensory design to create transformative experiences. The flagship 20,000sq ft indoor-outdoor
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
by Helen Andrews | 02 May 2026
Construction has begun on a new wellness destination in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, US, called The Shenandoah Nature Resort, which is due to open in January 2028. The US$200 million (€184 million, £156 million) property has been designed to reimagine the traditional spa experience by blending ancient and modern wisdom in what is described as a “spiritually expansive and scientifically grounded approach”. The resort has been created to address
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
by Magali Robathan | 21 Apr 2026
Royal Caribbean has revealed its Hero of the Seas cruise ship, home to the most pools at sea (nine), and a record-breaking 28 dining venues, as well as attractions including a waterpark with two new family raft slides. Other attractions include the Crown's Edge skywalk/zip line experience, the FlowRider surf simulator, the Adrenaline Peak rock-climbing wall, and the Lost Dunes mini-golf course. Arriving in Miami in August 2027, Hero of
V&A East opens in London
by Magali Robathan | 18 Apr 2026
The much-anticipated V&A East Museum has opened in Stratford, east London, UK. Designed by architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, the new branch of the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is a cornerstone of the East Bank cultural complex in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Intended as a legacy for the 2012 London Olympics, the project was inspired by the cultural boom in South Kensington after the 1851 Great Exhibition and London's
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
by Magali Robathan | 21 Apr 2026
The Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries have opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Los Angeles, US. Spanning LA's Wilshire Boulevard, the elevated exhibition space houses LACMA's permanent collection, allowing the museum to present art from all cultures and eras on a single level without hierarchies or prescribed visitor pathways. “This building is not just about the flow of people. It's actually about the flow of
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
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
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
Wilderness, an operator of 60 safari camps across eight African countries, has unveiled the second spa under its new concept called The Sanctuary, at Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda. The Sanctuary is a concept that pairs design and wellness with raw, restorative landscapes. The offering at the Rwandan property follows the opening of a different interpretation of The Sanctuary’s concept at Wilderness Mombo in Botswana. Read more about that property here.
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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