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

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

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

Ian Mulcahey, global director of cities at Gensler, says its masterplan for a former military camp near Baghdad could act as a model for the repair of cities globally. As part of the rehabilitation of the Iraqi capital, the heavily polluted site will be transformed into an ecological and urban district. Called Baghdad Sustainable Forests, it will feature an expansive network of forests, parks and green corridors. Early proposals outline

Work has started on the £68.7 million refurbishment of the historic Kings Hall Leisure Centre in Hackney, with a planned reopening in early 2029. FaulknerBrowns Architects have drawn up the designs, which will preserve the features of the Grade II listed building, retaining important parts of the building’s heritage. New structures will be matched with the existing brickwork.   The swimming pool will be refurbished and a new large pool and

The much delayed, billion dollar Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, celebrates its full public opening today (4 November), following a lavish opening gala on 1 November. Designed by Heneghan Peng Architects, the museum is set across a 500,000sq m site, and houses more than 100,000 pharaonic antiquities – many of which have never been displayed in public before. It covers 5,000 years of Egyptian history, from pre-dynastic times to

Third Space has unveiled further details of its 14th location, The Whiteley, which opens near Hyde Park in London on 12 December. The new club will be located in the three-storey, Grade II-listed, former department store and have design sympathetic to the architecture, including floor to ceiling windows, terrazzo floors and walnut flooring in the members’ lounge. There will also be a bespoke glazed wrapped staircase. Facilities in the club

The opening date for Disneyland Paris’ new World of Frozen land has been announced, along with more details about the Frozen-themed land. The new land will be part of Disneyland Paris’ Walt Disney Studios Park, which is undergoing a major redevelopment to become Disney Adventure World. It is set to open in spring 2026, and will feature the Frozen Ever After boat ride, Immersive dining and shopping experiences, and views of Arendelle

Urban Gym Group opened its first new site since acquiring Gymbox last October. The 22,000 site in London’s Finsbury Park will become the blueprint for future clubs. This is the 10th Gymbox in London. This hotly contested site was acquired by Gymbox in 2019, now part of Netherlands-based Urban Gym Group. The company has invested more than £250k in creating a health club with a nightclub feel. Architect and founder

Simone Gibertoni, CEO of Clinique La Prairie, has confirmed the company will open a longevity hub in New York’s Hudson Valley in 2028. Gibertoni expects this Clinique La Prairie location to become the benchmark for longevity centres in the US. The hub will be located within the new One and Only Hudson Valley following the agreement of a partnership with Kerzner International. Kerzner recently announced the 21-acre property, which will

Disney has announced it will build its first theme park in the Middle East, with Abu Dhabi's Yas Island the location. It will be the seventh Disney development globally. The development will see the theme park giant partnering with entertainment company Miral, the organisation behind the development of Yas Island as a tourist destination. Miral currently operates Warner Bros park, where it's adding a Harry Potter attraction and also SeaWorld

Corinthia Hotels has announced the opening of its newest urban property, Corinthia Brussels, in the historic centre of the Belgian capital. Housed in a meticulously restored 100-year-old Belle Époque landmark, the hotel is now preparing to unveil its 1,200sq m subterranean spa on 16 December. The Sisley-branded urban wellness facility will be home to seven private treatment rooms and be defined by elegant yet understated marble interiors complemented with gold

Luxury fragrance, beauty and spa brand Guerlain is gearing up to open its first spa in the Seychelles at Cheval Blanc’s new 52-key beachfront retreat, launching 1 December. This will mark Guerlain’s 29th spa worldwide and continue its partnership with Cheval Blanc, luxury goods conglomerate LVMH’s ultra-premium hotel brand managed by LVMH Hotel Management. Guerlain already powers wellness offerings in Cheval Blanc’s locations in Saint Tropez, St. Barts, the Maldives

New York’s iconic Surrey Hotel is set to begin a new chapter as it reopens next week under the name The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel, marking the first venture of the Malta-based Corinthia Hotels into the US market. Originally built in 1926 as a residential hotel, the Surrey has long been a prestigious Upper East Side landmark, having hosted an array of celebrities, creatives and world leaders over the decades.

The padel craze continues with the launch of a new club at Champneys Mottram Hall in Cheshire and a pop-up at London’s Marble Arch. Developed by The Padel Group, The Hook Club at Champneys Mottram Hall, is a £400,000, three-court padel venue with installation by Padelgest, supported by a clubhouse for pre- and post-match socialising and a heated patio area in the landscaped grounds. The venue is open to anyone

Wellness industry figure Deepak Chopra is co-developing a new wellness community and resort focused on wellbeing and longevity in Utah’s Heber Valley, centred around natural geothermal springs. Named Ameyalli – an Aztec term meaning "a place where the healing water flows" – the project is a collaboration between Chopra, the Chopra Foundation and developer and managing partner Charles Heath. Heath, who acquired the thermal springs site, has set out to

Universal Studios is assessing the feasibility of opening its first European resort in the UK, following the purchase of a former brickworks in Bedfordshire. The theme park operator has confirmed it’s in the “very early stages of exploring the possibility of a potential park and resort experience in Bedford.” Parent company, Comcast Corporation has purchased the 480-acre site, which previously had planning permission for 1,000 homes. Universal Destinations and Experiences

An AV experience project, which turned the Sydney Opera House's famous 'sails' into huge video screens, has won the Experience Design category in Fast Company's 2023 Innovation by Design Awards. Created by Australia-based Art Processors, the From the Sails: Light Years project included an original film artwork projected onto the Sydney Opera House's western sails to mark the iconic landmark's 50th-year celebrations. The 17-minute film charts the building's history and

Third Space has signed a deal to open a club at The Whiteley, the iconic West London landmark which is undergoing a £1bn transformation into a mixed-use development. The luxury fitness operator will take 34,000sq ft of space across three floors within The Whiteley, directly accessed via Porchester Gardens in Bayswater. Third Space currently operates 10 clubs across London and is rolling out its high-end brand following investment from KSL

The Eden Project has revealed new visuals for its planned Dundee project in the city’s East Docks, with architecture by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. The images show plans for an attraction which has been inspired by the Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee – a group formed in the 16th century to bring professions from bakers to tailors into a single organisation with more bargaining power. Eden Project Dundee will be themed

London has a new double Olympic skating centre following a £30m investment by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. The aim is to encourage physical activity and community within the local population. In addition to the rinks, it has a large gym and a dance studio, as well as community spaces and a café. Designed by architects FaulkerBrowns, The Lee Valley Ice Centre will open on Saturday 17 June, with

A new floating visitor center and art installation is showcasing aquaculture, informing the world on how to better feed the planet with sustainable seafood. Called Salmon Eye, the aquaculture centre is located in Norway’s Hardangerfjord, just outside the town of Rosendal. Created by Kvorning Design, the project was conceived and financed by Sondre Eide, the CEO of third-generation salmon farming business Eide Fjordbruk. A world-class visitor and learning center, Salmon

Disney is set to undergo a "major restructuring" following the shock return of CEO Bob Iger. Iger, who steered Disney as CEO from 2005 until 2020 – when his contract expired – returned to the entertainment giant recently. His return follows the exit of Bob Chapek, who took over as Disney CEO from Iger in February 2020 – just as the COVID-19 pandemic began hitting the entertainment and visitor attraction industry

A permanent public art sculpture allows the public to observe the galaxy's exoplanets – which human life could potentially exist on. Data Gate is the brainchild of creative media studio, Ouchhh, and is comprised of 360 LED installations. Commissioned by the Chinese Government and located in Nanjing, the installation utilises NASA's Kepler data sets to create AI-driven content. Weighing 15 tons, the sculpture was created in collaboration with Dawn Gelino,

The iconic Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the River Thames, London, UK, has finally reopened, following a £9bn redevelopment project. The Grade II* listed former coal-fired power station has been transformed into an entirely new district featuring a blend of residential and leisure, with health clubs, a visitor attraction, spa and wellness offerings, retail, bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, parks and historic spaces. Developments within the 42-acre site

Hospitality and entertainment design firm HBG Design is helming the design of Michigan's new Gun Lake Casino Resort Aquadome – a glass-roofed, climate-controlled, indoor landscaped pool and event centre atrium environment. The six-storey, 32,000sq ft Aquadome is part of a US$300m (£259.1m, €298.4m) site-wide overhaul of the casino. The investment is also funding the construction of a 252-room hotel and further entertainment amenities. “The Aquadome is sure to become a

Work has been completed on two new spectator stands at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, UK, adding 2,600 seats to the total capacity of "the home of cricket". The Compton and Edrich stands, designed by WilkinsonEyre, form an integral part of the Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) plans to future-proof the historic venue. The two new stands, designed in partnership with structural engineers Buro Happold, deliver improved sightlines and an enhanced