Hyatt has opened Miraval Austin in Texas, US, the brand’s second wellness resort to open outside of its flagship property in Tucson, Arizona, US. Set on 220 acres in Texas Hill Country overlooking Lake Travis, Miraval Austin was previously the Travaasa Austin Resort, which was acquired by Miraval in December 2016, just before Hyatt acquired Miraval in January 2017. Offering 117 guestrooms and suites, a Life in Balance Spa, a

Chinese interior designers MQ Studio Shanghai have created the PuXuan Spa and Hotel – the latest venture from the Urban Resorts Concepts (URC) brand – in China's famous Forbidden City. Housed in the Ole Scheeren-designed Guardian Arts Centre in the Wangfujing district, PuXuan is situated opposite the National Art Museum and features 116 rooms and suites, two restaurants specialising in French and Cantonese cuisine, a tea room, and an UR

Global real estate investment company Kennedy Wilson (NYSE: KW) has appointed ultra-luxury hotel group Rosewood Hotels & Resorts to manage Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort, which is set to open in 2022 after a complete renovation of the property. Located on the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i, the iconic Hawaiian retreat has laid dormant since 2011. Conceptualised and developed by explorer Johnno Jackson in the early 1960s,

The long-abandoned cathedral-like Metropolitan Building – a relict from the Jazz Age – has been converted into the Element Detroit, a 110-room extended stay hotel. Refurbished by Quinn Evans Architects in collaboration with real estate developers The Roxbury Group and the Means Group, the refreshed property, which has been vacant since the 1970s, features a rooftop bar with an outdoor terrace, a fitness centre, and 7,000 sq ft (650 sq

UK architecture practices Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC have been granted permission to move forward with their plans to transform the Olympia London exhibition centre into a multifunctional cultural hub. According to YOO Capital – one of the developers spearheading the project – the £1bn (US$1.3bn, €1.1bn) expansion, recently approved by Hammersmith and Fulham Council, will see 2.5 acres of public realm created, turning the Victorian-era landmark into a "global force

Architecture firm Arquitectonica and interior designer Martin Brudnizki have designed the Mr. C Coconut Grove lifestyle hotel in South Florida. The 100-room retreat, which overlooks Biscayne Bay, rises six storeys and will feature several leisure facilities and terraces, including a fitness centre, garden, swimming pool, and spa with a private sauna, treatment room, and outdoor relaxation lounge. The nautical look of the resort – as shown by its azure and

British real estate company SUSD has announced that it has gained planning consent to develop the Grotto Estate – a 3.5-hectare country retreat on the banks of the Thames river in Lower Basildon, UK. Designed by Paul Forster, the future property, which will expand on a Georgian-era mansion said to have been designed by the renowned landscape architect Capability Brown, will feature 53 rooms and six two-bedroom detached lodges, two

The Radisson Collection Hotel, Tsinandali Estate has opened its doors in Kakheti, Georgia – a region that pioneered the cultivation of wine-producing grapes over 8000 years ago. Set on an 18-hectare, hilly expanse near the Palace Museum of Prince Alexander Chavchavadze – the aristocratic father of the Georgian Romanticism literary moment – the 141-room resort comprises a number of cavernous and brightly painted spaces reminiscent of Romanesque interiors, as well

A unique hotel that once functioned as the main congregating place for various high society Hungarian Freemasons during the 19th century is set to open in February. Located in Budapest’s Terézváros district – a Broadway-like area renowned for its opera house and state theatre – the Mystery Hotel will feature 82 rooms, a rooftop bar, and a fitness room, as well as a courtyard spa outfitted with a sauna, Jacuzzi,

Kempinski Hotels is opening its second Indonesian resort, The Apurva Kempinski Bali, in the upmarket Nusa Dua area on 1 February. The 475-bedroom beachfront resort, whose name comes from a word meaning ‘unique and magnificent’ in Sanskrit, will include an immersive ocean-facing spa and fitness centre offering treatments inspired by traditional Balinese healing practices, designed to promote balance and wellbeing. At the front of the resort, overlooking the ocean, The

US-based design studio SALT + BONES have completed a wellness renovation of The Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa in Sausalito, California. The overhaul, which – the architects said – was inspired both by the sea and by "the materials of luxury yachts" – saw the creation of a lobby, courtyard, and nine wellness guest rooms, as well as a three-treatment-room spa. A fitness suite will also be added to the

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG) have won a competition to create a new "sculptural icon" in Shenzhen, Hong Kong. Described by the architects as an "anthropomorphic" structure, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Centre (SHKIC) is designed to symbolise the agon or competitive struggle endured by high-performance athletes. Rising 700 metres high, the skyscraper will feature several leisure and hospitality facilities, including an observation deck, restaurant, nightclub, spa, swimming pool,

American architecture studio DKLEVY have announced plans to design Ancient Lore Village at Boyd's Hollow – a 40-acre resort inspired by the high fantasy fiction of businessman Tom Boyd. The attraction, which will open in South Knoxville in the foothills of Tennessee's Smoky Mountains, will feature 150 dwellings and treehouses; a 1000-person-capacity amphitheatre; a 150-seat restaurant; and several miles of walking trails. According to Boyd – who is developing the

The Biltmore – formerly the Millennium Hotel London Mayfair – is gearing up to open this spring. Renovated by luxury interior design studio Goddard Littlefair, the hotel – which overlooks the picturesque Grosvenor Square – features 257 guest rooms and 51 suites, plus an alfresco terrace, restaurant, cocktail bar, and fitness centre. Construction on the upscale establishment, which was originally designed in the 1960s by Swiss-British architect Richard Seifert, began

The Celino Hotel – once an oceanfront playground for mid-century Hollywood starlets and supremos – is on track to open to the public this spring in Miami's Ocean Drive neighbourhood. Co-designed by Space4Architecture (S4A) and Navigate Group, the recently renovated resort – erstwhile the Park Central Hotel – will feature 132 rooms, a rooftop pool, fitness centre, indoor and outdoor bars, in-room spas services, and two restaurants. The building, the

The latest venue from the Buddha-Bar 'eatertainment' brand has launched at Sugar Beach resort in Mauritius. The new bohemian-inspired bar and restaurant, which was designed by Dubai-based architecture studio Bishop Design, features two dining areas, as well as an outdoor terrace and lounge. Adjoining the 258-room Sugar Beach hotel on the shore of Flic-en-Flac bay, the Buddha-Bar also draws visual inspiration from 1980s seaside hangouts in Ibiza and Goa. The

Luxury group Italian Hospitality Collection (IHC) has opened Le Massif, its first resort in the Aosta Valley. Designed by Italian architects Fabrizio Gandolfo and Inart Studio, the alpine property, which comprises a hotel and off-site chalet in Courmayeur, is located in the shadow of Mont Blanc and features 80 rooms and suites, a fitness centre, two gourmet restaurants – Cervo Rosso Steakhouse and Chetif – and two bars. According to

Following a 12-month renovation, Malaysia's iconic Datai Langkawi resort has unveiled images of its refurbished interiors and exteriors. Designed by Didier Lefort Architectes Associés (DL2A), the newly finished, 46-acre getaway is situated in an equatorial forest alongside Langkawi Beach, a natural attraction which has been described by National Geographic as one of the top ten beaches in the world. Datai Langkawi's US$60m (€52m, £47m) renovations include guestrooms, suites, and villas;

Morphosis Architects have been selected to design a surrealistic complex on the site of the infamous Viper Room, a club formerly co-owned by Johnny Depp and patronised by numerous Hollywood celebrities. Recently released renderings for the project show a tapered, C-shaped building and a tower covered in greenery. The two structures – set to occupy a tract of land on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles – are connected by a

Shinta Mani Wild (SMW), a glamping resort created to evoke the atmosphere of Jacqueline Kennedy's first diplomatic expedition to Angkor Wat, has opened in Cambodia's South Cardamom National Park. The brainchild of designer and entrepreneur Bill Bensley, SMW comprises 14 luxury tents and – like a true jungle escape – is perched 1.5km above a waterfall in what Bensley has called a "utopia of sustainability". To reach the hideaway, guests

A new 27-acre sustainable hotel in Antioquia, Colombia, is set to open in April 2019 in a protected forest about 90 minutes from the city of Medellin. Owned by Caimo Collections SAS, Cannúa is an 18-bedroom boutique hotel created with permaculture design principles and a holistic approach to sustainability. The property aims to “forge a new era of experiential travel within the region,” with guests exploring the biologically diverse environment

As a new year approaches, CLAD brings you our list of some of the most anticipated leisure buildings expected in 2019, from museums and restaurants to spas, theatres, and resorts. Arctic Bath Designed by Scandinavian architects Bertil Harström and Johan Kauppi – Arctic Bath is set to open in the High North town of Harads, Sweden, 50km south of the Arctic Circle. The free-floating retreat, which will be situated on

Curio Collection by Hilton has launched its newest venue, Lincoln Plaza London, in the city's Canary Wharf district. Featuring interiors created by architecture practices RPW Design and Design LSM, the 129-guestroom hotel is situated in the Isle of Dogs docklands and comprises a fitness centre, as well as two bars and restaurants. A sauna, steam room, and 12-metre pool, will be added to the property's offerings in April 2019. The

Luxury fitness and lifestyle operator Equinox has opened "E Madison Avenue" – a private fitness club designed by Studio Munge. Located in Manhattan's Upper East Side, the member's only space, which was crafted to evoke what Studio Munge have called the "distinction" of the area’s townhouses and museums, features a Pilates studio, spa, kitchen, and lounge. In a statement, the design firm said that the facility's "interiors embody a residential

Global hotel management company Montage International has unveiled renderings of a luxury alpine retreat slated to rise in Park City, Utah – one of the world’s most popular ski-towns. Designed by global practice SB Architects, Pendry Residences, Park City will comprise three buildings and offer 150 ski-in, ski-out guestrooms, suites, and residential units. The future property, which will be operated by Pendry Hotels – one of Montage’s hospitality brands –

Municipal officials have greenlit plans to build Tyram Lakes – an eco-friendly wellness resort in South Yorkshire, UK. Designed by British firm Baca Architects, the estimated £20m (US$25.4m, €22.3m) retreat, which will be situated on 65 acres of lakes in the Humberside Peatlands, will comprise 325 floating lodges and 104 guestrooms. Each lodge will have a rooftop garden fitted with solar panels as well as built-in filtration systems that will

John Cora – a former senior executive of The Walt Disney Company – has announced plans to create "Elysium City", a sustainable development and entertainment district in western Spain. Set to rise in rural Castilblanco, Extremadura – in the heart what has been described as a "Spanish Siberia" – the new property will reportedly comprise a 40,000-capacity sports arena, a mega-casino, a theme park, and a marina, as well as