Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has unveiled plans for a new development that includes a luxury hotel, spa and branded residences in Istanbul, Turkey that will open in 2016. The 210-room hotel will be joined by branded residences and is part of the Quasar Istanbul complex, a new mixed-use development in the Sisli district. The Quasar Istanbul complex will comprise of two 41-storey towers that will sit above a four-storey office

Details of the UK's first Shangri-La - to occupy levels 34 to 52 of The Shard - have been revealed ahead of its opening this summer. The five-star 202-room property will be London's first elevated luxury hotel and promises panoramic views, including nearby attractions such as the Tate Modern, the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral and Shakespeare's Globe. Room features will include custom-made beds, iPod docking stations, complimentary high-speed

London's first railway hotel - Great Northern Hotel - will re-open in April for the first time in almost 12 years following multi-million-pound renovations. Situated between King's Cross Station and St Pancras International, the privately owned Grade II-listed building has been restored by owner-operator Jeremy Robson of Ram. Originally designed by architect Lewis Cubitt, the Great Northern Hotel opened in 1854 as the first of the new generation of Victorian

The first phase of The New York Palace’s major revamp will see the hotel’s towers get a US$25m (€ 19m, £17m) upgrade and makeover. Two design firms have been selected, San Francisco-based BAMO ; who will redesign The Towers’ 176 guest rooms and suites as well as the new private reception experience; and New York-based design firm BBG-BBGM, who is renovating two of the hotel’s triplex suites and the new

The Ritz-Carlton has officially opened a new luxury Middle East resort and spa - The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal - opposite the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Spanning 230,670 sq m (57 acres), the resort consists of ten buildings arranged in a crescent formation, that feature 447 guestrooms and suites, in addition to 85 private one and two-bedroom villas. The 2,000 sq m (21,500 sq ft) Abu Dhabi ESPA spa

Hyatt is to make its debut in the Mediterranean Island Mallorca off the east coast of Spain with its first Hyatt-branded hotel opening in 2015. The hotel will be located at the centre of a 61-acre master development, which is owned and being developed by Spanish developers Grupo Cap Vermell. Overlooking the Canyamel valley with views of the sea and the ancient town of Artá, the resort will feature 142

Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed plans to transform a former textile factory in Belgrade, Serbia into a 94,000sq m (1m sq ft) mixed use leisure development. Greek company Lamda Development, which bought the Beko factory in 2007, appointed EPR Architects as hotel consultants. Located near Kalemegdan Castle, overlooking the junction of Sava and Danube Rivers, the Beko site will house a luxury boutique hotel, a congress centre along with residential,

Australia’s Queensland state government has approved an AU$600m (US$617m, 472m euro, £408m) resort for Great Keppel Island, which will be one of the biggest tourism developments in the country – pending approval from the federal government. The proposed first stage of development would include: a 250-room hotel at Fisherman’s Beach with restaurant and conference facilities; a 250-berth marina and yacht club at Putney Beach; 150 precinct apartments and staff accommodation;

The world's tallest hotel, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai in the UAE, has been officially opened to guests. Soaring at 335m (1,099ft), the hotel is spread across two towers, which feature 1,608 guestrooms. The 72-story property houses a 4,000sq m (43,056sq ft) Saray Spa and Health Club featuring 16 treatment rooms. The spa draws inspiration from the caravanserai silk route across Arabia focussing on places of rest and recovery along

Nikki Beach has chosen Bodrum as the location of its first Turkish resort and spa – set to open in 2014 – due to the region’s popularity with Turkish holidaymakers and international jetsetters. The Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Bodrum will feature 57 suites and villas across 40,000sq m (430,556sq ft) of peninsula overlooking Torga Bay, the Mediterranean and nearby islands. The Nikki Spa – a feature of all the

London's BBC Television Centre in White City is to be redeveleoped into a cultural quarter that will include a hotel, entertainment and leisure facilities and public open space. For the first time, the television centre will be opened up to the public with the famous forecourt remodelled into new retail, leisure and entertainment areas. Property developer Stanhope is responsible for the project, which will see the main circular building, known

A luxury wellness spa inspired by Spanish themes has launched at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey in Los Angeles. Located on the waterfront, Spa Nautica features seven treatment rooms including separate rooms for couple's treatments and wet treatments, as well as a full service nail salon. In the warmer months the Southern California spa will offer treatments outside on the hotel's pool deck. Spa facilities include eucalyptus steamrooms, a heated

Melia Hotels International has launched a new luxury hotel - ME London - in Marconi House, the original London home of BBC radio. Located on the Strand on the southern tip of Covent Garden, the property offers a collection of 157 guestrooms including 16 suites and a two-floor penthouse. The hotel is designed by Foster + Partners' architects and is the group’s first UK hotel project. The interiors focus on

Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts is to launch a new hotel that will feature a Swahili-themed aqua park and spa in Egypt. Located at the southern end of Hurghada, Steigenberger Aqua Magic will house 688 guest rooms including family rooms, deluxe rooms and suites. The resort, which will open end of 2013 or early 2014, will feature a Splash-certified Aqua Park with a range of slides and attractions including a separate

Travelodge will invest £223m in its brand this year, including 14 new hotels at an investment of £141.5m, and the rollout of a new room designed partly by the hotel group’s customers. Twelve new hotels will open in the UK this year and two will open in Spain, in Barcelona and Madrid. All new hotels will incorporate a new room design, overseen by in-house designer Frances Whitley and based on

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