Plans to construct a hotel and spa complex on a former naval battery outpost in Plymouth, UK, have been resurrected by Rotolok Holdings. The £10m ($16.4, €12m) scheme designed by LHC Architecture - featuring a 3,322sq.m (10,899ft) luxury hotel boasting 43 rooms and a spa overlooking Plymouth waterfront - was originally thrown out by local councillors last year, amid concerns over Drake Island’s wildlife and a Grade II-listed building. The

Velaa Private Island has opened in the Maldives, with a Spa My Blend By Clarins. Located north from Malé, in the Noonu Atoll, the island is the vision of owner Jiri Smejc. The Czech billionaire wanted a Maldivian resort that met his standards for what a luxurious private resort should be and intends to “bring new meaning to private moments” in the Maldives. The resort, designed by architect Petr Kolar,

Ritz-Carlton is set to continue its expansion into china and throughout the Asia Pacific region with the opening of a new hotel in the former Chinese capital of Nanjing in 2015. Featuring 297 bedrooms and 32 suites, the agreement with Nanjing New Universe Real Estate Development will see the Ritz-Carlton, Nanjing open in the central business district of Xiejiekou. Included in the hotel development will be a luxury spa by

Golden Globe award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio has purchased a multi-million dollar unit in Greenwich Village, New York, US, boasting more than 50 wellness and health features. The property, designed wellness property developers Delos Living, is housed inside a converted factory originally built in 1987 and is described as ‘the world’s first WELL-Certified residences.” While hotels and spas have increasingly marketed wellness environments to guests, Delos is pushing the idea into

The founder of Ace Hotels, Alex Calderwood, died suddenly and unexpectedly on 14 November at the company’s Shoreditch hotel, in London. A day after his body was discovered, Ace Hotels posted a short message on its website, stating: “Yesterday Alex Calderwood passed away. Alex was our teacher, mentor, guru and most importantly our dear friend. We will miss him.” The cause of his death has not been specified. Ace Hotel’s

The man associated with the formation of the boutique hotel concept, cheap chic and lobby socialising, Ian Schrager, is being honoured with a lifetime achievement award at The International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin. Schrager’s initial ventures were in nightclubs: he created the hip New York nightclubs, Studio 54 and Palladium, before turning his unique vision to hotels. He opened Morgans Hotel in 1984, before creating the Ian Schrager

Plans are in progress to transform the historic Melville building in Plymouth’s Royal William Yard into a destination boutique hotel, aimed at both leisure and business travellers. This will be the second site for hoteliers, the Ashworth family, who own the Watergate Bay Hotel in north Cornwall, which aims to offer a ski resort by the sea feel, with its own beach, ‘active relaxation’ spa and varied food offering, including

Ritz-Carlton has opened it first hotel in Bangalore, India complete with a fitness club and an ESPA spa. The property, located on Residency Road in the heart of Bangalore, has 277-bedrooms and combines intricate Jaali design native to the land with natural foliage, fresh water and the elemental characteristics of fire and stone to evoke India’s vibrant landscape. 26 global design firms worked on the property, with the principal architects

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has launched a new luxury hotel and spa in Holborn, London – marking the groups’ entry into Europe. Following an extensive renovation to transform the 1914 Edwardian Belle Epoque building, the original architectural features have been restored including the Grade II-listed street frontage and dome, and the grand Pavonazzo marble staircase. Rosewood London features 262 guestrooms and 44 suites, public areas are filled with artwork and

Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva in Switzerland has launched the inaugural Spa Mont Blanc, which opened today (15 Oct) following a three-year renovation. The 1,200sq m (12,916sq ft) spa, designed by Turkey-based architectural firm Metex Design Group, features seven treatment rooms, including a double suite with private hammam. Also included is a fitness centre, rooftop terrace, Japanese-fusion restaurant, infinity pool, male and female-only hammams, a hairdresser, silent vitality pool

Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva in Switzerland has launched the inaugural Spa Mont Blanc, which opened today (15 Oct) following a three-year renovation. The 1,200sq m (12,916sq ft) spa, designed by Turkey-based architectural firm Metex Design Group, features seven treatment rooms, including a double suite with private hammam. Also included is a fitness centre, rooftop terrace, Japanese-fusion restaurant, infinity pool, male and female-only hammams, a hairdresser, silent vitality pool

Mirbeau will be adding its second location with the opening of its new Inn & Spa at Pinehills, New England, US in 2014. The Mirbeau Inn & Spa will feature a distinctive design and décor, recreating the look of a French country estate. The 50-bedroom destination retreat has been designed by Boston-based firm Arrowstreet, with interior designs by Mirbeau Companies co-owner Linda Dower and Desson Design’s Westley Spruill. The hotel’s

Interior designers, design worldwide partnership (dwp) has had its skills endorsed for designing hotel restaurants by scooping two awards at the 2013 Design & Architecture Awards in London. Both awards were for Restaurants with a Hotel. The Horizon Restaurant & Skybar at the Hilton Pattaya, Thailand designed by the Thailand office, won the International Hotel & Property Award. The Belon Oyster Bar & Grill at the Banyan Tree, Macau, designed

Two new luxury hotels by Four Seasons are set to open next year in Dubai and Bahrain. The Bahrain hotel will be Four Seasons' first venture in the kingdom and will be part of the $2.5bn (£1.56bn, €1.87bn) Bahrain Bay waterfront community - a rapidly developing area on the north coast of Manama. Included will be 263 bedrooms, a spa, conference centre and ballroom, business centre and restaurants. The spa

The Shangdong area of Qingdao will soon be home to its first Westin Hotel, when it opens at the end of 2013. The Westin Qingdao will be one of the tallest buildings in the central business district of the city, overlooking the Olympic Sailing Centre. The new hotel will feature 321 bedrooms, a Heavenly Spa by Westin and a WestinWORKOUT fitness centre, in addition to 2,000sq m (21,500 sq ft)

The lavish JW Marriott Resort & Spa on the island of Sacca Sessola in Italy, which is set to open end of 2014, has announced details of its wellness offerings. The resort is situated 15 minutes by speedboat from Piazza San Marco in Venice. The Sacca Sessola is a 40-acre man-made island, is one of 118 islands in the Venetian lagoon. Spa consultant and management company GOCO, is developing a

YTL Hotels, part of Malaysian conglomerate YTL Corporation Berhad, has announced a new hotel and spa project in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath, UK. The Gainsborough Bath Spa, the company's first Classic Hotel in the UK, will open early in 2014. The hotel will have direct access to Bath's natural thermal waters. The 99-room property is located on Beau Street and made up of three historical buildings, each

Velaa Private Island, a new luxury resort in the Maldives, will open in Q4 of 2013, with a Spa My Blend by Clarins. Privately owned and managed by Czech entrepreneurs Radka and Jiri Smejc, the Petr Kolar-designed resort is made up of 43 private villas and five four-bedroom residences, which focus on local materials and contemporary flourishes. Each private retreat offers a generous outdoor space and private pool. The spa

Amanresorts is to open a beachside resort and Aman Spa on the shores of Vietnam’s East Sea next month. Amano’i will be situated on a white-sand beach overlooking Vinh Hy Bay on the coast of Nui Chua National Park. The resort includes 31 pavilions and five Aman Villas, which fuse contemporary elegance with traditional Vietnamese architectural styles. Accompanying the resort is a full-service Aman Spa, as well as an elaborate

A new Fairmont Hotel has been opened inside Azerbaijan's tallest building complex. Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers, is also the luxury brand's first development in the emerging destination of Azerbaijan. The incredible building, designed by HOK, cost $350m (£226.1m, €263.2m) and is completely covered with LED screens that display the movement of a fire visible from the farthest points of Baku. The hotel, located in one of the building's three towers,

Chinese billionaire Tony Fung’s A$4.2bn (US$3.75bn, £2.4bn) mega leisure development in Cairns, Australia has moved to the next stage, having been declared a ‘co-ordinated project’ – the first step in the Australian government’s planning approval process. The Aquis Resort at the Great Barrier Reef project would include nine luxury hotels, a 25,000-seater sports stadium, a casino and high-end retail space. The resort would offer 3,750 hotel rooms, 1,180 apartments and

Parts of the New York City skyline will be transformed over the next 30 years by the Hudson Yards development, a 26-acre, US$32.9bn (£21.5bn, €24.8bn) scheme, which has been in the planning stages since 2001. The overall development is being driven by the Hudson Yards Development Corporation, with New York City-based property firm Related Companies selected to work on the redevelopment. The centrepiece for the project is a mixed-use real

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is accelerating its presence in Africa with the signing of a new management agreement for a luxury retreat in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company signed the long-term agreement with the owners of what was previously The Westcliff hotel in Johannesburg. The retreat, set on a cliffside garden estate in the northern suburbs, was closed on 30 June this year to undergo renovations and new construction.

English lifestyle brand, Laura Ashley, has opened the doors to its first luxury boutique hotel. The new venture comes as the company celebrates its 60th anniversary. Located in the Hertfordshire countryside, Laura Ashley The Manor, Elstree is set in a Tudor revival property, surrounded by 10-acres of woodland. The hotel features 49 guestrooms and suites, each individually designed using the current Laura Ashley Home collections. The Cavendish Restaurant & Terrace

The island of St Helena is undergoing a historical change as it attempts to kick-start its tourism industry following the recent announcement that the island's first airport will be operational by 2016. The 47sq m (121sq km) island has seen major reforms to its immigration, investment, land development and tax regulations in an attempt to attract foreign investors to the island. Plans have already been announced for a £70m hotel,

The QE2 is set to leave Dubai and travel to Asia to begin its transformation into a 400-room floating hotel on 18 October. Launched more than 40 years ago by Britain's Queen Elizabeth, the QE2 was sold to the UAE real estate developer Nakheel and left Southampton for the last time on 11 November, 2008. The ship’s ownership is now being transferred to a consortium of investors under a Dubai-based

A new luxury spa, influenced by its historic country house surroundings, is to open its doors in Newmarket, UK next month. Situated adjacent to the Bedford Lodge Hotel, The Spa at Bedford Lodge is housed in a Victorian-era property which once formed part of the estate of the sixth Duke of Bedford. Designed by Trevillion Interiors, the spa is themed around the fragrance of traditional English lavender and every aspect