The new 1,608-bedroom JW Marriott Marquis Dubai will become one of the world's tallest hotels at a height of 355m (1,164ft) when it opens this year in the United Arab Emirates. Due to launch during the fourth quarter, the new property is just 26m (85ft) shorter when compared with the Empire State Building in New York, US, and will open in two phases. Facilities will include the 1,500sq m (16,146sq

Talon International Development has opened the Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto in Canada today (31 January). Facilities at the hotel include the 15,000sq ft Quartz Crystal Spa which will be located on the 31st floor of the hotel, featuring 10 treatment rooms. The spa has two couples suites, infrared saunas; an indoor heated, salt-water infinity pool and a movement studio; as well as a health club and group exercise

Sweden-based spa consulting firm Raison d'Etre has launch its new LivNordic spa brand, which has been developed by the company to "embrace all aspects of Nordic wellness". The concept has been unveiled at the flagship Grand Hôtel Nordic Spa and Fitness venue in Stockholm and comprises Scandinavian-inspired design, health and Nordic fitness. Nutrition, beauty, products and bathing form part of the LivNordic experience, which is now to be marketed by

Dubai-based Al Habtoor Group has revealed plans to create one of the Middle East's most luxurious hotels & entertainment developments. To be located on the Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, the new 1 million sq ft (92,000sq m) complex will be built opposite Al Safa Park. Plans include the building of three luxury hotels with a combined of capacity of more than 1,600 bedrooms. The cost of the complex is

A 750sq m (8,000sq ft) luxury day spa is to open next month at the Archerfield Links championship golf course near Edinburgh, UK. Facilities at the spa, which were designed and supplied by Nola 7, include a marine salt steam room, herbal aroma sauna, a mud cure room, an ice fountain, and contrast adventure showers. The spa also boasts a total of seven treatment rooms – including a double treatment

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened a 297-bedroom hotel under its St. Regis brand in Shenzhen, China - the fourth St. Regis to open in Asia in the past six months. Designed by architect Sir Terry Farrell, The St. Regis Shenzhen occupies the top 28 floors of the 100-story Kingkey 100 landmark building. The hotel features a sprawling Iridium Spa, a collection of restaurants and lounges and will offer

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (HHC) and Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) have announced the opening of Hyatt Capital Gate Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The new 189-bedroom property has been developed on floors 18 to 33 of the iconic Capital Gate building, which features an 18-degree tilt and is located close to the Embassy District. Facilities comprise the 1,169sq m (12,583sq ft) Rayana Spa and fitness centre located

Rezidor Hotel Group (RHG) has announced that its luxury lifestyle brand, Hotel Missioni, is to open a new 80-suite property overlooking the Indian Ocean in Mauritius in 2014. The hotel will be owned by Bouigue Développement and will include the brand's signature dining concept, Cucina; a Choco Café; a fitness area; and a 900sq m (9,688sq ft) spa. Hotel Missoni Mauritius, which will join the brand's existing properties in Edinburgh,

Old Edwards Inn and Spa, a mountain resort located in North Carolina, US, has commenced work on an expansion scheme that will add an outdoor heated mineral pool to its facilities. Due for completion in the first quarter of 2013, the mineral pool will be the third to be added to the resort. A further 22 guestrooms are also planned, taking the total number to 90. The extra guestrooms will

Hotel and Spa do Vinho in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is set to become the latest property to join Marriott International's Autograph Collection early next year. The 128-bedroom property will join the collection under a franchise agreement with Harvest Administração d Bens Ltda and is located in the Bento Conçalves wine-making region. Facilities include the Spa do Vinho Caudalie, which offers wine- and vine- inspired therapies

Plans for a major £20m (EUR23.8m, US$31m) mixed-use development on Saudi Arabia's east coast have been unveiled by the UK-based multi-disciplinary firm, Capita Symonds. The firm designed the 50,000sq ft (4,645sq m) project on behalf of a private client, which is poised to include a new gymnasium and a spa facility within a six-storey building. It is expected that work will start in early 2012, with the design of the

Ukrainian vice prime minister and minister of infrastructure Borys Kolesnikov has unveiled plans to develop a new "tourist city" near Yevpatoria over the next three-and-a-half years. Addressing delegates at the recent Inside Ukraine conference, Kolesnikov said the project is part of a national programme to transform the Crimean peninsula into a visitor destination. It is expected the development will be built from scratch and will offer hotel accommodation and opportunities

Boringdon Hall Hotel director James Nettleton has announced plans for a new multi-million pound development to include a spa and a 60-bedroom expansion of the Devon property. Further details of the project are expected to be announced in the New Year, with Plymouth-based ADG chosen as architects and Ward Williams Associates named as project manager. The planned scheme follows the announcement earlier this year that the Nettleton Group had taken

The Residence Mauritius has announced the unveiling of its new-look Sanctuary Spa, which has undergone an extensive EUR700,000 (£597,000, US$939,000) refurbishment. Facilities at the 600sq m (6,458sq ft) spa include 11 treatment rooms, including two couples' rooms, which feature an Asian-influenced design with pebbled floors and lattice furniture. Beauty and haircare treatments have been designed by France-based brand Carita, which has developed the Haute Beauté concept in reference to the

Hotel and resort operator Four Seasons has opened its newest property in Baltimore, US. The 256-bedroom Four Seasons Baltimore boasts a 10,00sq ft (950sq m) spa with eleven treatment rooms including several suites with private soaking tubs - and separate men's and women's relaxation areas, sauna and steamrooms. Featuring products and treatments by ESPA, the spa also has a large relaxation zone with two pools - including a year-round heated

Two properties in the Playa del Carmen enclave on Mexico's eastern Caribbean coast have become the latest additions to Mélia Hotels International's (MHI) Paradisus resort brand. Paradisus La Perla, the brand's first adults-only resort, and Paradisus La Esmeralda share a common area called El Zocalo, which contains the Palapa activities centre and a theatre. A 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) YHI Spa and Health Club also features as part of El

Glasgow, UK-based swimming pool and spa provider Barr + Wray has announced that it has successfully secured two contracts in the Far East worth £2m (US$3.1m, EUR2.3m). The group has been appointed to carry out the installation of spa facilities at Resort World and the W Hotel in Sentosa, Singapore, with the latter due for completion in April 2012. Located on the southern tip of Singapore, the 240-bedroom W Hotel

Work on the new £24m Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre in St Albans, Hertfordshire, has reached a milestone after the large wooden beams that will support the roof were installed. Glulam beams have been shipped over from Denmark following an eight-week design and a 14-week manufacturing process. Each of the five beams are more than 35m long. It will take contractor Willmott Dixon three weeks to complete the installation of all

Park Hyatt Sydney, the 155-bedroom hotel overlooking the Australian city's iconic harbour, is to reopen in December following the completion of an extensive transformation project. The refurbishment has included a complete redesign of the hotel's facilities, such as the spa, restaurants and bars. Three rooftop suites have also been created on a new fourth level. Following its relaunch, Park Hyatt Sydney will provide a new-look spa designed to deliver a

A new spa comprising seven secluded over-water bungalows, which is due to open early next year, is to form part of the Viceroy Hotel Group's newest resort in the Maldives. Viceroy Maldives overlooks the Indian Ocean and offers 61 villas around a lagoon, with The Spa at Viceroy Maldives to help reduce stress and renew the body, mind and soul. The seven bungalows are to feature five multi-purpose spaces, such

St Regis Hotels and Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, is to open a new Yabu Pushelberg-designed property in Bal Harbour, Florida, US, on 19 January 2012. Housed in three 27-storey all-glass towers, the new St Regis Bal Harbour Resort will boast 214 bedrooms and suites and 307 residences overlooking an expansive section of beach. Yabu Pushelberg was responsible for the interior design of the guestrooms, with South

Nira Hotels and Resorts is to launch a new 70-bedroom glass-and-timber-built "mountain sanctuary' in the hamlet of Surlej, near Silvaplana, Switzerland, on 30 November. Located 5km (3.1 miles) from the wintersports resort of St Moritz, Nira Alpina will provide guests with views overlooking Lake Silvaplana and offers a "ski in, ski out" experience. Facilities will include the Nira Spa, which comprises five treatment rooms; an Aroma cabin; a steamroom and

Sofitel Luxury Hotels, part of the France-based Accor Group, has announced the launch of the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan in Egypt, following a three-year renovation. The property, which is located on the banks of the Nile River, is housed in a building dating back to 1899 and has hosted guests such as Sir Winston Churchill since it initially opened. Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan is divided into two sections:

A cutting-edge medical complex is to be built at The Greenbrier – a luxury health-focused resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, US. It is proposed that the Greenbrier Medical Institute will be developed in phases in the 6,750-acre (2,732-hectare) grounds. The initial stage, expected to cost US$250m (EUR187m, £161m), will include a sports medicine centre; a cosmetic surgery and lifestyle enhancement academy; a sports performance and training facility; and

US-based hospitality operator Viceroy Hotel Group (VHG) has revealed that Abu Dhabi's iconic Yas Hotel will now be known as Yas Viceroy following the property's rebranding. It follows the announcement earlier this year that VHG had been chosen to operate the 499-bedroom property, which is owned by by Aldar Properties and is located at the heart of the Yas Marina Circuit. Facilities include the ESPA at Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi

Hotel Le Bristol in Paris, France, has celebrated the completion of a EUR100m (US$139m, £87m) renovation programme with the opening of a new spa in conjunction with La Prairie. Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie, along with two new signature suites and a new-look three-star Michelin restaurant Epicure, formerly Gastronomique, marked the final phase of the project. The spa boasts eight beauty treatment cabins; a Russian Wet Room with one

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (HHC) has launched its new Andaz Shanghai property in China, which is located in the Xintiandi entertainment area of downtown Shanghai. The 307-bedroom hotel occupies a 28-storey building and includes the Andaz Lounge, Hai Pai and Éclair dining experiences; a translucent indoor pool; and a 24-hour fitness suite. Meanwhile, the new 2,200sq m (23,681sq ft) Optime Spa is to open during Q1 2012 and is to comprise