Royal Caribbean has revealed its Hero of the Seas cruise ship, home to the most pools at sea (nine), and a record-breaking 28 dining venues, as well as attractions including a waterpark with two new family raft slides. Other attractions include the Crown's Edge skywalk/zip line experience, the FlowRider surf simulator, the Adrenaline Peak rock-climbing wall, and the Lost Dunes mini-golf course. Arriving in Miami in August 2027, Hero of

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.

Janu, a brand by the Aman Group, will open its second location in 2027, in Dubai, UAE – with a wellness and fitness space measuring 1,700sq m and a separate inaugural private members’ Janu Club. Developed by Dubai-based developer H&H, the 150-key hotel and 57 private residences will be located in a mixed-use development that measures 1.3 million sq ft in the heart of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

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

BodyHoliday has confirmed it is expanding the brand and developing its first European property in Portugal’s Eastern Algarve, which is set to open in 2029. BodyHoliday Algarve will be a sister destination to the operator’s flagship 155-key resort in St Lucia. This property marks the first step in a programme to create a collection of BodyHoliday resorts. A new executive team has been chosen to lead the brand’s expansion. Since

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan in Ubud, Indonesia, has unveiled a new Fitness Hub, almost year after the property launched its redesigned Sacred River Spa at Sayan. The new 536sq m fitness centre is located high above the Ayung River, with panoramic views of the jungle. It has multiple training modalities and offers a range of recovery therapies. The facilities on offer include a gym, measuring 75sq m, with

Italian architecture firm ABCPlus Studio has revealed plans for an environmentally-conscious mixed-use destination near the coastal town of Bibione, which is located between Venice and Trieste on the Adriatic coast. Commissioned by Italian real estate company, Bibione Darsena SRL, which also operates marinas, the project is scheduled to break ground in 2027 following completion of all required environmental and landscape approvals. The estimated opening date is 2030. The scheme will

A new recovery brand – Re:set by Pure – will open its first studio in Hong Kong on 1 July. The ‘smart wellness studio’ concept is the brainchild of industry veterans Colin Grant, Rey Bolivar, and Richard Boyd, who already have further studios in development, along with plans to franchise. Backed by Pure Group, which operates health clubs and yoga studios in Asia and the US, the new concept has

The Naturhotel Forsthofgut resort has opened a health-focused extension to its existing spa in the forests of Salzburg at the base of the Asitz mountain in Austria. The 109-key hotel and land has been privately owned and managed for more than 400 years by the Schmuck family, whose hospitality philosophy is ‘harmony with nature’. The family has expanded its existing 5,700sq m WaldSpa (translated in English to Forest Spa) by

Aire Ancient Baths has selected New York City’s Upper East Side neighbourhood for its latest bathhouse, marking its second destination in the city and ninth location worldwide. Known for revitalising historical buildings into luxurious bathing havens, Aire offers an immersive bathhouse experience inspired by ancient Roman, Greek and Ottoman traditions. Each location features the brand’s signature candle-lit ambience, is infused with orange-blossom scents and offers access to a range of

Merlin Entertainments has launched its new Hyperia rollercoaster at Thorpe Park to celebrate its 45th year. The ride is billed as the UK's tallest, fastest and most weightless rollercoaster, beating The Big One in Blackpool for height by 13ft and at 81 mph, besting Thorpe Park's Stealth coaster for speed. It has two 20-passenger trains. Designed in-house by Merlin Magic Making – led by global creative director, Megan Wastell –

Sri Lankan retreat brand Santani Wellness Resorts has joined forces with the Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran Group) to develop and operate two new locations in Oman, marking its international debut outside of Sri Lanka. The resorts, located in the Jabal Shams in Ad Dakhiliyah and Dhofar Governorates, will encompass a total of 182 accommodations and adhere to high-level sustainability standards. Unveiled at the ITB 2024 travel trade show in

Construction work on the second phase of the Universal Resort Beijing is set to begin by 2025. The expansion of the resort, which first opened in September 2021, will form part of the Chinese government's wider action plan to invest in Beijing's tourism infrastructure and to develop the city into a global destination. The second phase will add around 2.2sq km to the total park area at Universal Beijing and

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will unveil a brand new Asaya wellness spa in 2024 at a lakeside castle in the Austrian countryside. The spa will open at the luxury hotel and spa operator’s upcoming hotel Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, complete with eight treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a fitness centre. Asaya is Rosewood’s signature wellness concept focused on the intersections between physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. The Asaya

Austrian eco-resort Puradies in Leogang, Austria, has been upgraded with a brand new spa inspired by the four natural elements and designed to integrate smoothly into the natural landscape. Italian architecture and interior design firm Network of Architecture (Noa*) was appointed to realise the new 1,500sq m Heaven Spa in October 2022. With 76 rooms and 14 chalets, the family-run hotel is laid out as a village and is dedicated

Blue Run Spirits has released the first images of its planned distillery and visitor attraction in Georgetown, Kentucky, US. Blue Run, a company specialising in bourbon and rhye whiskies, launched in October 2020 and appointed Bjarke Ingels Group’s (BIG) as the lead architect for the US$51m project. BIG's plans for the new headquarters include a 35,000sq ft distillery and a 20,000sq ft rickhouse. Called ‘Meander' the designs evoke the journey

Universal Beijing Resort in China is preparing to embark on the second phase of its construction programme. The project will add around 2.2sq km to the total park area and will include up to five new hotels. This means the second phase will more than double the current size of the 1.8sq km park. The announcement comes less than three months after the park opened its doors to the public,

Nordic Hotels & Resorts is creating an urban wellness retreat in Norway’s capital city of Oslo as part of its 231-room hotel project. Owned by Norwegian hotelier Petter Stordalen, the luxury destination will be named Sommerro and welcome guests in the city’s Frogner neighbourhood as of September 2022. Sommerro will be housed in a restored 1930s building – formerly the headquarters of the city’s original electrical company – and encompass

Luxury eco-resort Kisawa Sanctuary has launched with a soft opening on Mozambique's subtropical island of Benguerra, complete with a Natural Wellness Centre inspired by Mozambican dwellings. Kisawa has been brought to life using patented 3D sand-printing technology and is the brainchild of entrepreneur Nina Flohr – the daughter of Thomas Flohr, Swiss billionaire and founder of private aviation company VistaJet. The method was used wherever possible to replace less sustainable

Baca Architects has submitted a scheme to transform an unused flooded quarry and surrounding land into an eco-wellness resort, centred on waterside living and water-based recreation. In development is a response to pandemic travel bans, which are driving growth in the UK holiday market. The 80-hectare Ashwicken Lake site is situated in East Anglia, UK, and features woodlands, wetlands and a 1sq km lake. A £35m (US$49.4m, €40,7m) investment by

Coventry, the UK City of Culture in 2021, wants to seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create an arts hub to establish the city as an international destination for culture. Coventry City Council (CCC) has revealed multi-million pound plans to transform the IKEA building in the city into a visitor attraction showcasing some of the UK's greatest works of art. The new national Collections Centre would be created through a partnership

Plans by Forest Green Rovers Football Club (FGRFC) to play its games at the world’s first entirely wooden stadium have been approved by the English Football League (EFL). Getting approval to host games at the proposed stadium clears another planning hurdle for the project, which would see a 5,000-seat venue built near the UK town of Eastington. Plans for the stadium were first unveiled in 2015 and it is expected

Maslina Resort has opened on the Croatian island of Hvar, inspired by local healing traditions and nature. Croatian architect Tomislav Alujevic, interior designer Léonie Alma Mason and landscaper Thomas Seconde were responsible for the project, working with Melany Martinez Thomas, founder of consultancy, Spa and Wellness Collective on the spa. Located near Stari Grad, the 53-key resort is surrounded by olive groves and terraced vineyards, stretching across two hectares of

The UK government has revealed the six finalists for its Home of 2030 initiative. Launched in November 2019, the competition has been designed to encourage the best and brightest talents of the design industry to create environmentally sustainable, practical and scalable ideas for future homes. A particular focus in deciding a winner will be on designs which support people to live independent, fulfilling lives as society ages. The six teams

FAAB Architektura have designed a conceptual eco-building for Saudi Arabia aimed at changing the environment around it. The Vertical Oasis Building would feature 59 above- and below-ground levels spread across a height of 220m (722ft). A mixed-use programme would include retail, office, hotel and residential spaces, as well as a 712sq m (7,700sq ft) rooftop park. The main feature of the tower's design, though, is a permeable façade broken up

​ Wheeler Kearns Architects have transformed a decommissioned cheese factory in the US city of Bentonville, Arkansas, into a multidisciplinary space for visual, performing and culinary artists. The Momentary was opened at the end of February as a satellite location of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which is also in Bentonville. The 63,000sq ft (5,900sq m) facility was conceived with the aim of providing a unique cultural hub

Oppenheim Architecture are creating an environmentally sustainable eco-resort in the Bahamas that is aimed at providing a secluded retreat for guests while helping them to develop a deeper connection with nature. illa Bimini will cover 40ac (16ha) along a 9,000ft (2,750m) stretch of coastline on Rockwell Island and is described as "a holistic community where every element is designed to blur the boundary between architecture and the landscape". The design