Top news this week: Baha Mar resumes construction, Wynn Palace in Macau opens 48,000sq ft spa, Aman to spend US$30m in new spa developments and refurbs
by Jane Kitchen | 28 Aug 2016
Vladislav Doronin, the owner of boutique hotel brand Aman, has told Spa Business that the group is looking to spend up to US$30m (€26m, £21m) in new spa developments and refurbs
It’s nearly the end of August and many of us have been on our holidays, but things in the spa industry haven’t slowed down.
This week we learned that the troubled Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas – which has faced a host of delays and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing – is set to resume construction in September.
Meanwhile, the Wynn Palace in Macau has just opened its doors, with an impressive 4,450sqm) 48,000sq ft spa complete with its own Foucault pendulum.
Vladislav Doronin, the owner of boutique hotel brand Aman, has told Spa Business that the group is planning to spend up to US$30m (€26m, £21m) on new spa developments and refurbishments.
And we take a closer look at how visiting practitioners can boost spa profits.
Look out for fresh news all next week on spaopportunities.com, where we’ll bring you news on a new beachfront Grenadines spa, take a look at the new spa at Four Seasons Prague, and explore LivNordic’s latest project in Qatar.
Don’t forget the latest issue of Spa Business is available online. Click here to download our online turning pages version.
top spa news wynn hotels macau aman resorts visiting practitioners spa resense beiruit
It’s nearly the end of August and many of us have been on our holidays, but things in the spa industry haven’t slowed down. This week we learned that the troubled Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas – which has faced a host of delays and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing – is set to resume construction in September. Resense is also debuting their 1,500sq m (16,000sq ft) stand-alone circular
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Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
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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
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
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
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
by Liz Terry | 27 May 2026
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All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
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Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
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Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
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MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
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Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
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Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
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
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by Helen Andrews | 22 May 2026
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Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
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by Helen Andrews | 15 May 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 06 May 2026
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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
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David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
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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
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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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