A new luxury hotel - The Richmond - is set to open in Liverpool in March, combining serviced apartments and hotel services. Located at Liverpool Convention Bureau, the new property features 51 apartments, suites, executive and classic rooms. Set within a Grade II-listed building, guests will have free access to the recently opened Olympus Leisure Spa, which houses saunas, steamrooms, sunken baths, bucket showers and a relaxation zone. The spa

Work is now well underway on a luxury spa at Salcombe Harbour Hotel in Devon, set to open in summer this year, which will include a two-level spa excavated into the cliff. The multi-million pound refurbishment of the 50-bedroom property is being undertaken by Bristol-based construction group Galliford Try with interiors by DO Design. The first spa level will include the reception, five treatment rooms and a fitness suite, and

Vienna International is set to unveil a luxury hotel and wellness area in Shchyolkovo near Moscow, Russia at the end of 2013. Astrum Hotel Shelkovo is owned by Shelkowskij Holding and will be under the management of Vienna International Hotel Management (VIHM). Spanning 27-floors, a main feature of the hotel is the 3,6597sq ft (3,400sq m) Wellness and Medical Spa, which will be run as a conference and relaxation area.

Planning permission has been granted for Lightwater Valley to build 106 holiday units at its theme park in Ripon, North Yorkshire, UK. The £5m resort development will be set on Lightwater Valley's existing grounds, which cover 175 acres and feature Europe's longest rollercoaster, The Ultimate, among its 33 rides. The park was denied planning permission for 204 caravans and 136 lodges in 2007 as it was deemed the development would

An £20m eco-friendly hotel has opened at the University of Nottingham, adjacent to the campus’s conference centre and landscaped gardens. The Orchard, funded entirely by the university, includes 220 bedrooms, meeting rooms, bar and gym, with eco-friendly features including a green roof, photovoltaic panels, ground source heat pumps and energy efficient lighting, heating and ventilation systems. Nottingham’s pro-vice chancellor for environment and infrastructure Professor Karen Cox said the hotel is

A new luxury hotel – The Thief – has opened on Oslo’s famous ‘Thief Island’ (Tjuvholmen) where 18th century criminals were once brought to face justice. Leaving the past behind Tjuvholmen island today is home to a thriving urban centre for business, art and nightlife, which the hotel aims to capture. Designed by Norway-based Mellbye Architects,"The Thief" features 119 guestrooms and suites all with French balconies. Art is central to

Queensland's largest tourist development - an AUS$1.4bn (US$1.47bn, 1.1bn euro, £903m) integrated tourism and residential community at Ella Bay - has been given the green light after seven years. Federal Minister for Environment Tony Burke approved the proposal, which received State Government approval last month. Ella Bay Developments and Satori Resorts are behind the 161-acre Ella Bay resort which will be built in phases over a 15-year period. Located near

US-based Hyatt Hotels is set to launch an Andaz-branded hotel in Tokyo, Japan in 2014. Andaz Tokyo is a joint partnership between Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Japanese property management firm Mori Building Company. Located in Toranomon, the hotel will occupy eight floors of a 52-story tower in a multi-use complex and feature 164 guestrooms including 64 suites Andaz Tokyo will also house a spa with a 65 sq ft indoor

Plans have been revealed for a AUS$592m (US$623.6m, £385m, 474m euro) eco tourism resort on Great Keppel Island, Queensland, Australia. Australian-based Tower Holdings is behind the resort that would comprise a 250-room hotel, 750 eco-tourism villas and 300 eco-tourism apartments as well as a day spa. Designed by London-based architects WATG, the project is divided into four sections; Fisherman's Beach Resort, Clam Bay Resort, marine services and environmental protection. Fisherman's

Castle Hotel & Spa is set to open a US$9m (7m euro, £5.6m) Thann Sanctuary Spa in Westchester County, New York, US in May 2013. The 100-year-old resort, overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, is owned and managed by Sankara Hospitality Group. Spanning 7,800sq ft (725sq m), the spa will be the first Thann Sanctuary-branded site to launch in the US. It will feature seven treatment rooms, hot pools, men

A new spa retreat, based in Texas and constructed using environmentally-friendly techniques and materials, will open its doors on Saturday (8 December). Deer Lake Lodge & Spa, nestled on 50-acres 40 minutes from Houston, will hold tours of the lodge, mini treatment demonstrations and a ribbon cutting ceremony as part of its grand opening. Co-founders Tracy Boulware and her sister Dr. T.C. Hughes have dedicated themselves to providing an all-natural

Germany based 25hours Lifestyle Hotel Group has opened a new design-led hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. 25hours Hotel Zurich West was developed by Zurich interior designer Alfredo Haberli and features 126 guestrooms. Located in the Hard Turm Park, the guestrooms are divided into categories that refer to Zurich's identity as a bank city. The rooms are named and designed to reflect precious metals: silver, gold and platinum. The hotel houses a

After opening an office in Shanghai, China, Blink Design Group has won three key design projects in the cities of Beijing, Benxi and Hefei. In less than a month, the design group was appointed to carry out the interior design of the new Sheraton Resort Beijing, work on the design of two new resorts at Benxi's hot springs in Liaoning Province and began designing a new spa-lifestyle clubhouse in Hefei.

The Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland is set to launch the UK's first Guerlain Spa on 1 January, following a £24m (US$38m, 30m euro) redevelopment of the property. Managed by Hilton Worldwide, the hotel's spa will be operated as a beauty spa and be open to both hotel guests and non-guests. Facilities at the spa include three large treatment rooms, a swimming pool, steamroom, sauna, spa pool

The Belfry Hotel and Golf Resort in Warwickshire is set to undergo a £30m refurbishment. The Belfry was bought in August by American investment firm KSL Capital Partners, which appointed The De Vere Group to manage the property. It is expected that work will begin on the resort early next year. The renovations will include updating the guestrooms and function suites as well as a revamp of the restaurants and

A former BBC broadcasting centre is to open as a luxury hotel following a £4m redevelopment. Located near Evesham and Stratford-upon-Avon in Worcestershire, the Grade II listed Wood Norton property will re-open as a boutique hotel at the end of the month. The hotel will feature 50 guestrooms including five suites. It will also house a restaurant, bar and al fresco dining terrace. Other facilities include boardroom and meeting facilities,

Starwood Hotels and Resorts is set to launch W Bangkok hotel in December - its second W property in Thailand. Located on the North Sathorn Road, the hotel will feature 407 guestrooms including 32 suites. The hotel will also house an Away Spa and a Sweat Fitness Centre as well as a wet outdoor heated pool. W Bangkok will form part of the Golden Land's Sathorn Square, a mixed-use project

A new city is to be built in Dubai which will feature the world's largest mall, a theme park complex and 100 hotels. Plans for the new Mohammed bin Rashid city were revealed by prime minister and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. As well as the gigantic Mall of the World, the city will also house 100 hotels, a 455-acre park and an international family attraction in

The Alpina Gstaad hotel and spa is set to launch in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland next month. Located on a 20,000sq m (215,278sq ft) hill top area in Oberbort, the resort will feature 56 guestrooms and suites and 11 private apartments within the hotel. It will also house three private apartments within a chalet, and two private chalets. Designed by Swiss architectual firm Jaggi & Partner AG, the hotel features

Grand Hyatt hotel and Hyatt branded residences are set to open in Manila, Philippines in 2015. The new property is a joint venture between a Hyatt affiliate, property developer Federal Land Inc. and Japanese financial services group ORIX Corporation. Grand Hyatt Manila will be located on the top 14 floors of a 66-story office and hotel tower and will feature 438 guestrooms. Designed by China-based architects Wong + Ouyang, the

Anantara has launched Anantara Sanya Resort & Spa - the group's second resort in China. Located on Hainan Island, the resort features 122 rooms including suites and private pool villas. A signature of the resort are the Spa Pool Villas facing the ocean. The villas feature 500sq m (5,382sq ft) of living space including a pool oasis with private trails to the shoreline. Guests will also have use of a

Rezidor Hotel Group has opened Radisson Blu Hotel in Nantes, France. Housed in the former Court of Justice that was constructed in 1851, the hotel features 142 rooms with 20 suites. Facilities include a 2,153sq ft (200sq m) day spa, featuring a sauna, hammam and health club. Located in the city centre, the hotel was designed by architect Jacques Cholet and interior designer Jean-Philippe Nuel. The aim was to maintain

The US$300m (£185m, 215m euro) Kittitian Hill Resort in St Kitts expects to open its first phase in December. Situated in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean Sea, the first phase will include 90 one-bedroom cottages, 24 villas and a golf course. The par-72 golf course has been designed by European Golf Design (EGD) in association with US Masters winner and 2006 Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam. The phase will

A luxury integrated resort - Desaru Coast - is set to open on the eastern coast of Jahor, Malaysia in 2015. Destination Resorts and Hotels (DRH) - established by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, an investment-holding arm of the government of Malaysia - is developing the 3,900-acre resort. Desaru Coast will launch in phases and will feature an array of luxury hotels and golf residences as well as theme and water parks,

Just over £3m (3.7m euro, US$4.8m) has been invested in a new 11,000sq ft (1,022sq m) full-service spa at Wyboston Lakes, an independently-owned leisure and conference destination in Bedfordshire, UK. Located within an onsite hotel, Y Spa is one of the most significant UK spa openings in 2012 and has been put together by some of the country's top talents. Ray Payne, previously a long-standing general manager at the famous

Hotel operators Fairmont and Raffles are set to open two new properties at a mixed-use tower at Makati in Metro Manila in December. The complex will feature a 30-floor tower housing the Raffles Makati with 32 suites; Raffles Residences with 237 residences for private ownership; and Fairmount Makati, a hotel with 280 deluxe rooms. The developers of the complex are KHOALI Manila, a joint venture between Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI)

W Hotels has launched W Singapore - Sentosa Cove, its first Hotel in Singapore. Located on Sentosa Island near downtown Singapore, the hotel features 240 guest rooms and suites. The property is owned and developed by an affiliate of City Developments Limited and it was designed by London-based architects WATG and designer Rockwell Group. W Singapore's Away Spa, the W brand's signature spa concept, features a 112sq m (1,205sq ft)