A private luxury retreat – called Here, Maldives – will open in December this year, set across two natural islands in the Baa Atoll called Somewhere and Nowhere. The property is owned by a family-run hospitality investment company called Seaside Collection, which specialises in hotels and river cruises in Germany, Spain and the Maldives. The retreat has been designed by architects KulörGroup to maximise the narrow islands’ footprints. The design

Bulgari Hotels and Resorts has signed an agreement with UAE real estate developer Eagle Hills to open a new property called Bulgari Resort and Mansions Abu Dhabi, in 2030. The resort will be located on a private horseshoe-shaped island and will have a Bulgari Spa. Off the coast of the Abu Dhabi Corniche (an 8km waterfront promenade), Milanese design company ACPV Architects (Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel) will create the resort’s

Marriott International is expanding its luxury safari portfolio in Kenya with two tented camp resorts with spas under its Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott brands. The Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp and the JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari Camp will open in partnership with hospitality and safari expedition business, the Lazizi Group of Companies, under its subsidiary firms. The Ritz-Carlton will open with Lazizi Mara Limited and The JW

The Auberge Resorts Collection has opened the luxurious Collegio alla Querce in Florence, its first property in Italy. The 16th Century buildings were once home to a school, a chapel and theatre. The architectural restoration of the estate was led by Spanish father-son design duo, Esteva i Esteva, who have preserved the original character of the structures and also by Florentine interior designers, ArchFlorence, who have kept the Renaissance features

Marriott is set to bolster its exclusive Ritz-Carlton Reserve portfolio with a brand new property in South America in Costa do Sol, Rio de Janeiro. The eco-luxury resort will open as part of the ambitious Maraey project, an 844-hectare sustainably-minded urban development designed to harmonise with the local ecosystem and champion economic development. By integrating environmental conservation with economic growth, the vision behind the tourist and residential project is to

Luxury hospitality brand Bulgari Hotels & Resorts has made its Japanese debut with a new urban hotel and spa in Tokyo's Yaesu district of Chūō. Like all other Bulgari hotels and resorts, Bulgari Hotel Tokyo's interior design was entrusted to the Italian architecture and interior design practice ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel. The firm's task was to translate Bulgari's core values of contemporary design, magnificent craftsmanship and artistic detail

Bulgari Hotels & Resorts will open a luxury resort in Los Angeles in 2025. The foundation of the development – a property formerly known as The Retreat – will be upgraded and expanded with the addition of new structures, all built to LEED Platinum standards. Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, less than five miles from Rodeo Drive, the property is surrounded by 33 acres of hillside parkland, with striking views.

Bulgari Hotels & Resorts will open a new property in Miami Beach, Florida, in 2024. The Bulgari Hotel Miami Beach will be a 100-key beachfront hotel, offering a luxury wellness retreat complete with a large spa and fitness centre and outdoor pool. The hotel will be housed inside a building originally created by Miami architect Albert Anis in the late 1950s, located in the National Register Architectural District. The design

Svart, the world’s first energy-positive hotel, has appointed award-winning Danish designers Space Copenhagen to lead the property’s interior design. Designed by the Norwegian architect firm Snøhetta, Svart will be located in Arctic Norway at the base of the Svartisen glacier and will house an indoor-outdoor spa – designed by spa and wellness consultant Felicity Leahy, as well as four restaurants, an education centre and a design laboratory. The glass-fronted, circular

The Italian architect Vittorio Gregotti has died at the age of 92 after contracting the coronavirus disease COVID-19, it has been reported. Gregotti was the architect behind the renovation of the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys when it was the centrepiece for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He was also behind the renovation of the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, or Marassi Stadium, in Genoa, Italy, when it was used for

Boutique boxing gym brand BXR London, which is backed by Anthony Joshua, has revealed plans to open a new site at Battersea Power Station that will be designed by Bergman Interiors. Set to open in 2021, the 14,000sq ft (1,300sq m) gym will be BXR’s second and largest – and it will form part of Battersea Power Station’s second phase of redevelopment. As well as the BXR members-only club, the

Mario Cucinella Architects have designed a new mixed-use building for Tirana, Albania, that is inspired by the shape of the nearby Mount Dajti and is wrapped around a central scoop filled with greenery. The 93m (305ft)-tall, 24-storey Ekspozita Building will house a variety of commercial, residential and public amenity spaces. Occupying three and a half sides of a square footprint and tapering as it rises, the building will accommodate commercial

Vermland design studio has created an interior for a 100sq m (1070sq ft) restaurant in Copenhagen that is made entirely out of the wood from a single Douglas fir tree. Hverdagen was conceived to serve everyday food with an approach that is experimental and sustainable – in terms of both the ingredients used and the space in which it is served. The interior was inspired by the trends for casual,

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Mecanoo have been among the winners at the INSIDE World Festival of Interiors – the annual awards that celebrate the best interior designs from around the globe over the past 12 months. INSIDE is the sister event of the World Architecture Festival (WAF), with this year's events running concurrently from 4-6 December in Amsterdam. INSIDE celebrates projects across a variety of categories, with one category

The newly opened Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, has been designed by HKS Architects to not only be very adaptable depending on what events it is hosting but to pay homage to a neighbouring entertainment, sports and livestock complex. The $540m (€486m, £420m) centre sports an Art Deco and Moderne architectural style in keeping with the nearby Will Rogers Memorial Center, with two towers anchoring its north façade, rendered

Hudson Yards has announced that its Kohn Pedersen Fox -designed observation deck Edge will open in March next year at a height of 1,131ft (345m) and will extend 80ft (24m) out from the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards. Edge, which Hudson Yards says will be the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, features an outdoor glass floor and an outdoor staircase from levels 100 to 101 with

DSDHA has designed a luxury new residential development called The Mansion with a striking glass and terracotta exterior and 6,500sq ft (600sq m) of wellness-focused amenities for residents. The Mansion was developed by Clivedale London and designed by DSDHA to be modern and cutting edge, but also to blend in with its surroundings. The development is located in the Marylebone area of London and the terracotta fins on its façade

WDL Interior Architects have designed what is described as the "UK's first mental health club", with four separate training zones – athletic, cardio, rejuvenate and stronger. The 10,000sq ft (930sq m) Hero Training Club in Manchester has taken two years to design and build and has four studios variously equipped with facilities to run classes including boxing, HIIT, indoor cycling, circuits, combat training, yoga, pilates and barre. The zones are

The JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa is set to open this autumn on the island of Vagaru, Shaviyani Atoll, in the Maldives. With architectural design concept, interior design and art consultancy from Miaja Design Group, the resort takes design inspiration from nature and fauna, with a distinct emphasis on organic elements and modern lines. The interiors focus on comfort and lightness combined with unique experiences in a genuine Maldivian

High-end fitness giant Equinox has ventured into the hotel market with the opening of its first property in New York City, US. Located at the 72-storey skyscraper 35 Hudson Yards, the 212-bedroom hotel will focus on wellness. Facilities include a 60,000sq ft (5,574 sq m) Equinox-branded health club, a 27,000sq ft (2,500sq m) luxury spa and indoor and outdoor pools. There will also be a healthy-eating restaurant called Electric Lemon,

COMO Metropolitan hotel in London has opened ten luxury residences, offering private apartment-style accommodation adjacent to the hotel and opposite Hyde Park. The Residences offer the same five-star facilities and service as the hotel, which is a one-minute walk away, including access to the hotel's holistic wellness centre, COMO Shambhala Urban Escape. Inside, designer Linzi Coppick of Forme UK has prioritised a sense of home. Natural daylight floods the apartments,

Marriott International’s current portfolio of 130 luxury hotels across ten countries and territories in Asia Pacific is poised to grow in 2019 with 13 new openings from JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection. "Asia Pacific's luxury travel industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world, driven by markets like China and India," said Marriott International's Peggy Fang Roe. "Global luxury travellers today are seeking more

Marriott International’s current portfolio of 130 luxury hotels across ten countries and territories in Asia Pacific is poised to grow in 2019 with 13 new openings from JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection. "Asia Pacific's luxury travel industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world, driven by markets like China and India," said Marriott International's Peggy Fang Roe. "Global luxury travellers today are seeking more

The PortAventura theme park in Spain has announced it will develop PortAventura Dreams, a 9,000sq m (29,527sq ft) village of eight homes offering entertainment and fun for children with serious illnesses and their families. PortAventura Dreams, which is due to open in September, will cost around €3m (US$3.38m, £2.65m) to create. Families of up to six people will be offered six-day stays, free of charge, with access to PortAventura's three

Marriott International has concluded the final phase of expansion and renovations at its recently rebranded South Florida property, JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort and Spa in Aventura, Florida. Formerly Turnberry Isle Miami, the resort is part of Marriott's Autograph Collection. The extensive works have seen a doubling of capacity to 685 rooms, extensive renovation of amenities and the overhauling of two golf courses. Central to the property's pivot to resort

Equinox has revealed it will begin offering co-working space in its high-end health clubs. The company has signed a partnership with premium flexible workspace provider Industrious, which marks the launch of an entirely new category for Equinox. Industrious has an in-house design team, led by architect Eivind Karlsen as head of design. Operating under the co-brand, Industrious at Equinox, the first location will be at the 72-storey skyscraper 35 Hudson

Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como opened this week, following the renovation of the historic lakefront property. The hotel is located in Blevio, and is surrounded by natural beauty, enjoying a private, serene setting on the sunlit shores of the lake, nestled within verdant botanical gardens. Mandarin Oriental acquired the resort, which was previously CastaDiva Resort & Spa, last year. The 19th Century Villa Roccabruna is at the heart of the