Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing. Van Phu Real Estate Development JSC owns the property, which is set along the Son River in the UNESCO-listed landscape of Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park. The site borders the world’s largest cave system by volume (38.5 million cubic metres), the Son

Hotel owner-operator MCR Hotels is inviting the public to provide feedback on development plans for London’s iconic BT Tower as a luxury hotel and mixed use project. Public access to the tower – for the first time in 50 years – will also be part of the scheme. In February 2024, British telecommunications company BT Group sold the BT Tower for £275 million (US$347 million, €321.3 million) to MCR Hotels.

Orient Express Sailing Yachts and beauty house Guerlain have announced that the newly launched luxury yacht, Orient Express Corinthian, will host a fourteen-day wellness retreat called Ocean Rebirth. Orient Express is part of Accor Group’s collection of luxury brands. In 2024, luxury goods conglomerate LVMH entered into a strategic partnership to grow the Orient Express brand. Accor and cruise liner developer Chantiers de l’Atlantique have since created sailing yachts Orient

Luxury members’ club Tramp has expanded into the fitness, health and wellness sector with the launch of Tramp Health, a 16,000sq ft high-end fitness and longevity club in London’s Mayfair. The new concept was created by Luca Maggiora, the entrepreneur who bought Tramp at the end of 2023 and represents a £10m investment. The new fitness, health and wellness club is being promoted by the company as the antithesis of the

Miraval The Red Sea has opened on Shura Island in Saudi Arabia as part of The Red Sea Project. The development is the first Miraval-branded property outside the US. This site is the fourth Miraval resort in the world – following US-based properties in Arizona, Texas and Massachusetts. Hyatt bought Miraval from previous owners Steve Case and investor KSL in 2017 and has also started putting its Life in Balance

Zannier Île De Bendor, a new island retreat, has been unveiled off the south coast of Bandol in Provence, France, with a wellness concept called Rēsonance. The 93-key destination has reopened after a five-year transformation, set across three areas. Luxury hospitality operator Zannier Hotels has worked with the family-owned holding and operating company Société Paul Ricard to modernise and restore the property. The destination was bought by French entrepreneur Paul

A wellness club opens on London’s River Thames in June, offering luxury facilities and personalised wellness protocols focused on recovery and longevity. Sæl Spa at Fulham Pier – London’s new lifestyle destination on the River Thames – will be set across four floors and has been conceived as a “modern British sanctuary.” Facilities include a 15-metre heated rooftop infinity pool and sun terrace and a movement studio with integrated infrared

Construction has begun on a new wellness destination in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, US, called The Shenandoah Nature Resort, which is due to open in January 2028.  The US$200 million (€184 million, £156 million) property has been designed to reimagine the traditional spa experience by blending ancient and modern wisdom in what is described as a “spiritually expansive and scientifically grounded approach”.  The resort has been created to address

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

Design firm 4a Architekten has shared details of the recently-completed extension to the wellness facilities at destination spa park Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa in Germany. The upgrades to the leisure pool facility, which has been in operation since 1984, included the addition of a thermal spa and sauna in a new building that integrated sensitively into the landscape. Commissioned by the facility’s operator, utility company Stadtwerke Bad Dürkheim, the

Terme Preistoriche Resort and Spa in Motegrotto Terme, Italy, has opened a thermal treatment centre designed by Studio Apostoli. The new facility marks the most recent collaboration between Studio Apostoli and the resort.  The architecture and design firm designed the property’s existing 1,200sq m spa called Neró Spa, which opened in 2019. It also created a collection of zero-emission suites in 2023 and is redesigning the 47 guestrooms. The new

Hilton’s first luxury resort in Greece, Conrad Corfu, will open in the serene beachtown of Molos on the Greek island of Corfu in Q2 this year, with a design that celebrates the waterfront location with a series of lagoons and pools. The 136-key hotel, which will have its own 200m of beachfront, will be operated as part of a franchise agreement between the Greek hotel-owning Troulis family and Hilton’s Conrad

A €285 million (US$316 million, £242 million) next-generation luxury yachting destination, Marina Resort Cavtat, is being developed on the Dubrovnik Riviera with wellness and regenerative programming by Under a Tree Consulting. The property, which is scheduled to open in 2029, will have a 151-berth marina, two five-star hotels, luxury villas, branded apartments, a wellness retreat, a performance hub, yacht club and a retail/dining village called Lungomare. The location was chosen

Iberian health and wellness operator, Go Fit, has made its debut in Italy – at Turin’s former flower market, Mercato dei Fiori – and is now exploring further opportunities in Milan and Bologna. The 14,000sq m site, which was previously derelict has been completely regenerated, including extensive asbestos removal. Local architect Benedetto Camerana, worked on the scheme, along with engineering and project management specialists. The new club offers more than

Laugarás Lagoon, a new two-storey geothermal day spa destination, has opened on Iceland’s Golden Circle – a popular tourist route. Located on the banks of the Hvitá River in the village of Laugarás, the facility honours traditional Icelandic turf houses – grass-roofed earth shelters that blend into the landscape. Drawing on Roman and Japanese design principles, visitors can descend from an upper pool to a lower pool through a passage

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) says wellness is becoming a mainstream priority for real estate developers and prospective residents are factoring wellbeing features into their decision-making. The GWI’s new report, Build Well to Live Well: Case Studies, Volume 1, outlines thirteen case studies across the US and the UK that demonstrate the wide range of real estate projects with wellness at their core. The authors hope the different models will

A hospital redevelopment in the UK is set to create an age-friendly wellness neighbourhood designed to support people as they get older and serve as a benchmark in the UK. As well as setting out to deliver excellent healthcare, the new North Manchester General Hospital scheme intends to tackle health inequalities, drive regeneration of the area and support the population as they age. Local housing will be developed with technology,

Four Seasons I, the first yacht by the luxury hotel and resort operator, will launch in 2026 with spa and wellness facilities on its fourth deck. The 95-key vessel will be jointly owned and operated by Four Seasons and Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings. Four Seasons Yachts will lead the hospitality and service experience with a 1:1 guest-to-staff ratio. Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings will oversee the nautical operations. Design partners for the vessel

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

Contrast bathing and social wellness start-up Othership has raised US$11.3 million (€10.5 million, £8.94 million) to expand its presence across the US. The Toronto-based firm is known for its social sauna and ice bath experiences, with three existing sites – two in Toronto, Canada and a US flagship in the Flatiron district of New York City. Othership will use the funds to increase the number of its sites in New

Tim Gurner, Australian developer and founder of Gurner Group, is expanding the Saint Haven wellness concept across Australia, with plans for its first locations in the UAE (in Dubai) and the US by the end of this year. Gurner Group aims to open 20-30 sites globally under its various brands by 2030. Saint Haven private members clubs are designed to be immersive wellness locations that act as second homes, elevating

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) says the wellness real estate market reached US$584 billion (€507 billion, £434 billion) in 2024 and the institute estimates it will double to US$1.1 trillion (€955 billion, £817 billion) by 2029. The report Build well to live well: the future reveals that wellness real estate was the fastest growing market in the 11-sector US$6.3 trillion (€5 trillion, £4.7 trillion) global wellness economy – doubling from

A new social wellness concept curated by three industry veterans will open soon in Amsterdam before being rolled out to key cities. 432 – a name which comes from 432 hertz, the earth’s natural frequency – has been created by wellness consultant, Jamie Waring, Jonathan Fisher, CEO of Holmes Place and Tribute Brands and Emlyn Brown, who is currently vice president of wellbeing at Accor. Speaking in this month’s HCM,

UAE-based developer Aldar has unveiled a masterplan to turn Fahid Island into the world’s first Fitwel-certified wellness island at a development cost of AED40 billion (US$10.8 billion, €9.5 billion, £8 billion). Aldar is planning to make Fahid Island the place where entertainment and culture meet wellness. It is located between lifestyle destination Yas Island, with its theme parks and attractions and cultural centre, Saadiyat Island. The a 2.7sq mile island

Luxury hospitality group Proper Hotels has launched its first health and fitness, wellness and athletic performance membership at the Santa Monica Proper Club in Los Angeles. Proper Hotels is a hospitality company focused on luxury design and creating cultural connection. These new club memberships are the brand’s next-generation take on a modern country club – for those seeking a third space that meets their lifestyle requirements for health and fitness

Hotels incorporating significant wellness amenities experienced strong top-line recovery in 2024, generating more than twice the Total Revenue per Available Room (TRevPAR) compared to hotels with no wellness income, according to the latest Wellness Real Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats. The average TRevPAR at major wellness properties was 56 per cent higher than at minor wellness hotels – exceeding the

Social wellness company &Soul has unveiled a new wellness and cultural hub called Shoreditch &Soul in Shoreditch, London. &Soul is an urban hospitality operator focused on fostering community and tackling loneliness. It's led by co-founder Reza Merchant, founder of all-inclusive co-living space developer The Collective. Shoreditch &Soul, based in a former Victorian textile warehouse, has 16 private residence apartments for rent, called The Villas, which give access to a 3,252sq