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

Minor Hotels has signed an agreement with Egyptian hospitality group Sunrise Resorts and Cruises to form a new joint venture company that will open up to 50 hotels over the next decade. Minor Hotels is a global hospitality group with hotels, resorts and branded residences in 59 countries and Sunrise Resorts and Cruises seven Nile cruise ships and 27 resorts – with destinations across Egypt as well as Greece, Zanzibar

Actress, entrepreneur and founder of lifestyle brand goop Gwyneth Paltrow has been appointed wellbeing advisor for cruise operator Celebrity Cruises. Paltrow has designed a wellness concept called goop at Sea for the company’s new luxury liner Celebrity Beyond, complete with a spa designed by Kelly Hoppen. Celebrity Beyond will also showcase the design talents of designer Nate Berkus; Paris-based design firm Jouin Manku; architect Tom Wright; and the culinary gifts

Virgin Voyages has taken delivery of its first cruise ship, which has reached completion after three years of construction. Scarlet Lady will set sail in March 2020 with more than 2,770 guests and 1,150 crew on board. It weighs in at 60,000 tonnes (66,000 tons), boasts 17 decks and uses 4,800kW of power. The ship is one of four that Virgin Voyages has ordered, with the others due for delivery

Virgin Voyages has unveiled the second ship in its upcoming cruise line-up. Valiant Lady follows the firm's inaugural ship Scarlet Lady and will sail seven-night Mediterranean itineraries out of Barcelona Spain when she debuts in May 2021. Named after the Latin word 'valere' and from the French origin 'vaillant', meaning bold, strong and courageous, the ship is designed to embody the idea that women design, captain, lead and champion change

The Amerikalinjen Hotel – once the main office of one of Norway's earliest transatlantic cruise lines – has opened in Oslo. Situated on Jernbanetorget Square near the city's opera, the 6,000 sq m Den Norske Amerikalinje (Norwegian American Line) building now features refreshed exteriors by studio Kritt Arkitekter as well as a number of expanded private and common areas designed by Finnish studio Puroplan. The 122-key property, which was originally

The current trend of incorporating wellness into design shows no signs of stopping as renderings and animations from the latest Sir Richard Branson project, Virgin Voyages (a rebrand of the former Virgin Cruises), show a heavy wellness focus in its public areas. Featuring a running track, boxing ring, yoga deck, wellness pool and hydrotherapy pool, the ambitious cruise ship project is looking to change the way people think about sea

Designer Kelly Hoppen has created the accommodations and spa for the new vessel Celebrity Edge, the latest member of the Celebrity Cruises-branded fleet. Homeporting and cruising from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Celebrity Edge will be making her first voyage on 1 December 2018 and will spend her inaugural season sailing alternating seven-night eastern and western Caribbean cruise itineraries. Passengers will be able to enjoy the 22,000sq ft (2,000sq m) The Spa

The Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) has opened its doors to the public following a transformation of the historic cruise liner into a tourist destination and hotel by the government of Dubai. The world-famous vessel, which was decommissioned in 2008, is now docked permanently at Mina Rashid in Dubai. Reimagined as a floating 13-deck attraction, it is welcoming visitors on board for the soft opening of some of its dining, accommodation

At first glance it may appear as just another cruise ship moored in Southampton – but look closer and you will see it is, in fact, a new spa hotel. UK-based boutique hotel operator Harbour Hotels' latest property occupies a prominent spot at Southampton Port’s Ocean Village marina and mimics the design of a super-yacht, helping it blend into its surroundings. The 91-bedroom Southampton Harbour Hotel is owned by property

A former sand extraction station in the Bahamas is to be transformed into a luxury private island featuring bars, restaurants, sports facilities and an exclusive spa and wellness sanctuary. The Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve – located 65 miles (104.5 km) east of Miami, Florida – has been launched by MSC Cruises, who have partnered with ecologists and the government of the Bahamas to create a US$200m (€182.7m, £139m) “flourishing

Raison d’Etre’s spa and wellness brand LivNordic has launched the first of three spas planned on cruise ships as part of a partnership with Viking Ocean Cruises. Inspired by Nordic bathing traditions, including alternating hot and cold experiences, this ship’s spa offers the first snow grotto at sea. Inspired by nature, the LivNordic design, by Raison d'Etre, uses white pigmented ash, reminiscent of the Tree of Life in Norse Mythology