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

A 25ac (10ha) site in New Orleans is to be transformed by into an environmental, recreational and educational amenity that will use natural processes to store and treat excess stormwater. Designed by Waggonner & Ball, Mirabeau Water Garden will provide a place for stormwater to drain to, be stored and be naturally filtered. In addition to reducing the impact of potential flooding on streets and homes, it will be a

Clymb Abu Dhabi, a climbing and sky diving attraction on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island, is to open on 29 November 2019, according to owner Miral. The building was designed by Cansult Maunsell, an operating company based in Dubai and part of global consulting firm Aecom. The US$100m (€89.8m, £77.3m) project will deliver the world's tallest indoor climbing wall at 140ft (43 metres) tall, and its widest skydiving flight chamber, spanning

Hyatt has opened Miraval Austin in Texas, US, the brand’s second wellness resort to open outside of its flagship property in Tucson, Arizona, US. Set on 220 acres in Texas Hill Country overlooking Lake Travis, Miraval Austin was previously the Travaasa Austin Resort, which was acquired by Miraval in December 2016, just before Hyatt acquired Miraval in January 2017. Offering 117 guestrooms and suites, a Life in Balance Spa, a

The ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, has greenlit plans for a 3.3km (2.1 miles) beachfront development incorporating new sports facilities, pedestrian areas, public services and landscaping. The Sharjah Urban Planning Council’s (SUPC) has proposed the project – which will include dedicated cycling paths, exercise areas and places for family activities – as part of its wider strategic plan to use leisure and regeneration to attract more

The first Park Hyatt in the Caribbean has opened, the Park Hyatt St Kitts, which also includes the first Miraval Life in Balance spa to open since Hyatt acquired Miraval earlier this year. Miraval Life in Balance Spa at Park Hyatt St Kitts Christophe Harbour is described as a “37,752sq ft (3,000sq m) state-of-the-art oasis.” The spa entrance and reception area provide a view of Mount Nevis and also overlook

One of London’s most famous monuments, the Admiralty Arch, is to be converted into a Waldorf Astoria hotel. The iconic building was commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of Queen Victoria, and completed in 1910 by architect Sir Aston Webb – the creator of The Mall and the main facade at Buckingham Palace. Sir Winston Churchill had an office in the Arch when he was First Sea Lord of

A group spa industry veterans have come together to create a new hospitality and real estate company, Civana, based around sustainable wellness through an affordable travel and lifestyle platform. Led by Kevin Kelly – who was former Canyon Ranch president and chief branding officer, and most recently was CEO and co-owner of California’s Two Bunch Palms – Civana will bring together wellness programming, sustainable design and hotel asset and property

The drive to make Abu Dhabi's Yas Island one of the world’s top leisure and entertainment destination continues with the under-construction CLYMB, a futuristic building that will hold a supersized flight chamber and climbing wall. Miral, the developers and management company behind Yas Island, has said the 9.75m (32ft) flight chamber will be the widest in the world and the 43m (141ft) indoor climbing wall will be the tallest. “CLYMB

In a move that illustrates the explosive growth of wellness tourism, Hyatt Hotels has acquired wellness resort provider Miraval Group for US$215m (€201m, £175m) from an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners. The deal includes Miraval’s flagship property in Tucson, Arizona, as well as the Miraval Life in Balance Spa brand; Hyatt will also continue Miraval’s plans to redevelop the recently acquired 220-acre Travaasa Resort in Austin, Texas and pursue the

In a move that illustrates the explosive growth of wellness tourism, Hyatt Hotels has acquired wellness resort provider Miraval Group for US$215m (€201m, £175m) from an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners. The deal includes Miraval’s flagship property in Tucson, Arizona, as well as the Miraval Life in Balance Spa brand; Hyatt will also continue Miraval’s plans to redevelop the recently acquired 220-acre Travaasa Resort in Austin, Texas and pursue the

Wellness resort operator Miraval Group today announced it has acquired the 220-acre Travaasa Austin Resort in the Hill Country of Texas, which it will redevelop and expand into a 120-bedroom destination wellness resort, its first in Texas and the American South. The purchase, from a wholly owned subsidiary of Amstar Group LLC, closed today following the approval of Miraval’s development plans. The project is expected to be completed by January

Architects, interior designers and engineers in the construction industry could, and should, use more wool in their buildings rather than relying on synthetic alternatives. That is the view of Charles, Prince of Wales, who is fronting a new campaign to inspire creators from multiple disciplines to embrace the possibilities of a material that “is an excellent insulator even when wet, a natural fire retardant, odour-resistant, and absorbent of both shocks

Destination spa Miraval is set to buy the historic Cranwell Spa and Golf Resort in Lenox, Massachusetts, marking the brand’s first East Coast location and the first “full-blown” Miraval outside of Tucson. “Cranwell is a great fit for us – it’s a large property where we can create the Miraval experiences,” Chevis Hosea, Miraval Group vice president of development told CLAD. “It’s got a great history, great architecture – the

A Belgian radio station has teamed up with an observatory to design a unique tribute to David Bowie: his own constellation. The British singer, who died on 10 January 2016 at the age of 69, was often inspired by space in his music; penning songs such as Life on Mars, Starman and Space Oddity and creating his own extraterrestrial alter-ego Ziggy Stardust and the recurring astronaut character Major Tom. To

Australia’s Northern Territory Government has unveiled plans by Darwin-based DKJ projects.architecture to create a new visual art gallery in the centre of Darwin. Led by DKJ in partnership with Fender Katsalidis Mirams, the A$18.5m (US$13.5m, €12.3m, £8.9m) plans feature the redevelopment of the existing Harry Chan building, which will become a gallery for the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT). “Our view about museums and galleries is

A proposed US$100m-plus (€93m, £66m) resort and spa in Rancho Mirage, California, has received approval from the city’s Architectural Review Board – following amendments made to the project’s design by Derek Sola from architecture firm Gensler. The 24-acre (10-hectare) Thunderbird Resort and Spa plans will be sent to the city’s planning commission for approval. The ‘six-star’ resort – which will be tucked into the landscape with the mountains serving as

UK-based international construction services company, ISG, has secured a US$37m (€25m, £21m) contract to refurbish all 393 rooms at Majid Al Futtaim Properties’ Kempinski Mall of the Emirates Hotel in Dubai. The work will involve upgrades to all rooms and suites, ski chalets – next to Ski Dubai – meeting rooms and gym facilities. The property’s external façade will also undergo refurbishment. The existing Softouch Spa is not scheduled to

More than 100,000 visitors attended the opening weekend of Glasgow's new Emirates Arena. The sports arena, which opened its doors on 5 October, will play host to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The 10.5-hectare arena is located beside the Commonwealth Games Athletes' Village and the Celtic Park. It will include an indoor sports arena, three sports halls with 12 badminton courts, four outdoor five-a-side football pitches, an outdoor 1km cycle

Image: Mayor Boris Johnson launched the new service Emirates Air Line, the new 1.1km (0.7-mile) cable car service linking Greenwich with the Royal Docks in London, has embarked on its first passenger flight today (28 June). Mayor Boris Johnson officially launched the new service spanning the river Thames, which offers panoramic views overlooking the capital and has taken nearly a year to construct. A total of 34 cabins will cater

Image: The Yhi Spa's planned Vascular Path Meliá Hotels and Resorts, the Spain-based hospitality group, has announced its debut in the United Arab Emirates with the soft launch of the new 164-bedroom Meliá Dubai hotel. Located in the centre of Bur Dubai, the Marco Mangili -designed property is to open in two phases and includes the Titanic by Marco Pierre White restaurant offering European cuisine. The second phase will add