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

Great Hotels of the World has announced the opening of the US$1.8m (EUR1.3m, £1.1m) Syna Tiger Resort in Bandhavgarh, India, after four years in development. The resort covers 437sq km (169sq miles) of land on the edge of the Bandhavgarh National Park and includes the Wildwood Spa, which comprises two elements. A 400sq ft (37.2sq m) structure with two treatment rooms forms the first element of the new spa, while

The 129-bedroom Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea and Spa has been relaunched in north-west France, following a major revamp led by Paris-based hospitality architects Studio MHNA. The complex specialises in slimming breaks focused on healthy eating and the thalassotherapy institute – a flagship 5,000sq m (53,280sq ft) facility that has been completely redesigned. A stand-out feature is a 25m heated (29˚c) seawater pool that is encased in glass and has ocean

The opening of the new EUR35.5m (£31m, US$49m) Rácz Hotel and Thermal Spa in Budapest, Hungary, has been pushed back "towards the beginning of 2012". Initially due to open during the third quarter of 2010, the 67-bedroom hotel is to feature an 8,000sq m (86,111sq ft) Thermal Spa. The spa will include refurbished parts of the historic Rácz Thermal Bath – a UNESCO World Heritage site – that was once

A new boutique facility called Akatsuki has opened on a secluded beach on the island of Koh Samui Designed by Tokyo-based architect Riccardo Tossani, the private luxury resort is built entirely from recycled wood and uses natural ventilation and shade for guest comfort. Catering for small groups or business events, the resort has a dining pavilion with large beach-side deck, a more relaxed living pavilion and a pavilion with conference

Thailand-based hotel and resort operator Onyx Hospitality Group will launch two new spa brands early next year to support its four existing hotel brands. Breeze will be a four-star spa offering that will, according to Onyx's corporate director of spa Kirsty MacCormick, be marketed as a "fun" brand which will aim to make the spa journey more approachable - especially to those who have never been to a spa. The

Las Vegas, US-based Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CEC) has confirmed it is to make its first move into the Asia Pacific region with a new resort in Hainan, China. The Caesars Palace Longmu Bay development is the "first major venture"of Caesars Global Life, which is a new non-gaming division created to build and manage branded properties. CEC is aiming to build 25 hotels and resorts in China over the next five

A 35,000sq ft (3,252sq m) Shamana Spa is to open later this year at the Hyatt Hotels Corporation's (HHC) new Grand Hyatt Goa hotel, which has been unveiled in India. Located overlooking Bambolim Bay, the new hotel's spa will feature 19 treatment suites when open - including 11 single, six double and two royal suites, offering indigenous therapies based on South East Asian philosophies. The Shamana Spa takes its name

The Mélusine Spa at La Roche Posay, Poitou-Charentes, France, is to be reopened in spring 2012 as the Grand Thermal Spa, following a EUR3.65m (£3.17m, US$4.93m) overhaul. Under the plans for the transformation, the medi-spa facility will be expanded from 800sq m (8,611sq ft) to more than 2,000sq m (21,528sq ft) and refurbished with new equipment. Facilities at the new Grand Thermal Spa, La Roche Posay will include a 140sq