The iconic Hotel Okura Tokyo, which was demolished in 2015, is set to be rebuilt and will reopen in September 2019 as the Okura Tokyo. The hotel, which featured in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novel and subsequent movie – starring Sean Connery – You Only Live Twice, has been redesigned by Yoshio Taniguchi – the son of the original Okura architect of the same name – to be more earthquake-proof.

Global luxury travel brand Belmond has chosen two young designers to bring on board for its Belmond Hotel Cadogan in Chelsea, to supply design products for the London hotel’s scheduled reopening later this year. Product and furniture designer Mac Collins and sustainable design advocate Antonia (Toni) Packham were named by Belmond as their choices from a pool of 3,000 young hopeful designers who displayed their work at the New Designers

Muza Lab has finished its ground floor public rooms refurbishment at Cape Town’s iconic Belmond Mount Nelson, with a focus on keeping traditional elements, while embellishing them with natural greens and subtle upgrades. The new design has aimed to embrace “Belmond values” with a layout that is “connected to the heritage and location of the hotel” with an update that allows those who enter the lobby to have a framed

The Biltmore Hotel, located at Coral Gables, near Miami, has announced that it has commissioned two architects to redesign all of its accommodations and corridors, as well as one more architect to oversee the restoration of its 18-hole golf course. D’Shakil Designs and Studio 5 Design + Architecture will undertake the work to redesign the hotel, with a brief to create a “fresh take on the hotel’s history of old-world

A new hotel designed by Margot Krasojevic will look to improve both China’s and the hotel industry’s outlooks on energy usage by harnessing tidal energy and reimagining what a hotel’s ethos on power is for both user and operator. “I have designed an alternative sustainable holiday experience. Studies have been published showing people are willing to forego excessive energy consumption experiences in order to support sustainable leisure breaks,” Krasojevic told

W Hotels Worldwide has announced the 2020 opening of W Nashville in Tennessee, US, which will incorporate the city’s rich musical heritage into its design and ethos. Architecture and design firm Rockwell Group has been commissioned to carry out the project, with a brief to incorporate the “rich culture and musical legacy of Nashville into every aspect of the property.” As well as a live venue, the hotel lobby will

The iconic Sunset Tower hotel – considered the one of the best examples of Art Deco design in Los Angeles – will emerge from a multi-million-dollar renovation this August that will include a new 7,000sq ft fitness centre and spa. Led by owner Jeff Klein, who has owned the property since 2004, the hotel is located on Sunset Boulevard and first opened its doors in 1931. Designed in 1929 by

Domes Miramare – a resort in Corfu originally built for the Onassis family in the late 1960s – has emerged from a renovation, and will operate under Marriott’s Luxury Collection brand from 1 August. The beachfront retreat is one of a trio of Domes Resorts in Greece, and currently features a boutique spa, with plans for a larger one in the future. The current spa includes three treatment rooms –

A 65-storey Four Seasons hotel has opened in Kuala Lumpur, with a spa inspired by Malaysian healing traditions included. Designed by Wilson Associates, the spa features eight treatment rooms, including two couples suites. Signature treatments include the Four Seasons Rotan Manau Aroma Massage and the Urutan Malaysian Massage. A 145sq m (1,561sq ft) fitness centre overlooking Kuala Lumpur’s skyline complements the spa, along with a 200sq m (2,153sq ft) infinity

The first three lodges in the Six Senses Bhutan collection will open in November, with the remaining two set to debut in early 2019. Set in the western and central valleys of Bhutan, each lodge has its own character, environment and experiences. Each lodge will feature a one-bedroom suite as the lead in room type, as well as villas ranging from one to three bedrooms. Architecturally, Six Senses is blending

The storied history of Champagne – one of the world’s great wine regions – will take on another dimension this summer with the launch of the Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in the French countryside. The hotel will make its debut as the destination’s first contemporary luxury hotel, which embraces the lush bounty of the wineries and the surrounding Unesco World Heritage Site. Guests will have exclusive access to private

Architecture studio Conran and Partners have designed an immersive Anatolian restaurant in London’s Mayfair. Rüya, which has opened this month, is described as “the first of its kind in Europe”. Run by restaurateur Umut Özkanca and the Dogus Restaurant Entertainment and Management Group, it is a showcase for the cuisine of Anatolia – the region in Turkey that forms the westernmost protrusion of Asia. Housed in The Grosvenor House Hotel,

Italian chef Carlo Cracco has unveiled his newest culinary enterprise in Milan – the restoration of Italian architect Giuseppe Mengoni’s 19th century Galleria. The landmark building, previously known as ‘Milan’s Parlour’, is one of Europe's oldest active shopping malls, and its distinctive for its large glass dome. Now called "Cracco in Galleria", the chef has brought one of his branded restaurants to the site, and has also introduced a café, patisserie,

According to media reports in Israel, the country’s government is planning to expand and upgrade the neglected Dead Sea resort area into “one of the world’s top tourism destinations.” National newspaper Haaretz reports that the District Planning Committee for the south has agreed to invest 1bn shekels (US$276m, €236m, £208m) in the scheme, which will upgrade the main hotel zones of Ein Bokek and Hamei Zohar, and link them as

David Chipperfield Architects and Stephen Williams Associates have transformed Hamburg’s former Ministry for Urban Development building into a culinary and cultural hub and hotel, called Tortue, for the emerging Stadthöfe Quarter. The studios have converted the six-storey landmarked building – which dates from 1888 – while retaining its imposing redbrick façade. Inside, restored columns, soaring ceilings and wrought-iron marquees feature alongside mosaic tiled flooring, tall arched windows and original frescos

The newest Bulgari Hotel has opened in Shanghai, featuring a 2,000sq m (21,500sq ft) spa created with the guidance of spa and wellness consultants GOCO Hospitality. Designed by Italian firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, the sixth Bulgari hotel includes a 48-storey tower that adjoins the restored Chamber of Commerce Shanghai building, which was originally completed in 1916. “Shanghai is one of the most vivacious cities in the world and we

The star attraction at Disney and Center Parcs’ new Villages Nature development outside Paris has been completed. The practice of French architect Jacques Ferrier have completed the 9,000sqm (96,875sq ft) AquaLagoon, which houses one of the largest indoor waterparks in Europe. The tiered pyramid structure contains wave pools, water slides and an active river alongside an open-air geothermal lagoon. Other attractions include an interactive farm, hanging gardens and adventure play

Interior design studio 21 Spaces have completed an extensive refurbishment of one of Dublin’s most established hotels, The Alex. The 105-room hotel dates from 1990 and played an important role in the growth of the city. It is situated in Merrion Square, adjacent to the former industrial area. These historical references have been evoked in the new renovation, which has “playful and informal” bespoke design and detailing throughout. Floor tiles

Zaha Hadid Architects’ (ZHA) hotly-anticipated flagship hotel for the City of Dreams resort in Macau will open tomorrow (15 June). Conceived as an “urban window connecting the hotel’s interior communal spaces with the city”, Morpheus is notable for the series of sculptural voids carved through its centre – inspired by the fluid forms within China’s rich traditions of jade carving. Linked at ground level with the surrounding three-storey podium of

Zaha Hadid Architects’ (ZHA) hotly-anticipated flagship hotel for the City of Dreams resort in Macau will open tomorrow (15 June). Conceived as an “urban window connecting the hotel’s interior communal spaces with the city”, Morpheus is notable for the series of sculptural voids carved through its centre – inspired by the fluid forms within China’s rich traditions of jade carving. Linked at ground level with the surrounding three-storey podium of

He's created everything from hotel and restaurant interiors to Olympic torches and outdoor gym equipment. Now, multitasking French designer Philippe Starck has his most otherworldly commission yet: the interior of a luxurious space station for tourists. Space exploration company Axiom Space has announced it is launching its first space tourism programme in 2020, which will take its high-paying guests on expeditions to the International Space Station (ISS). Starck was asked

MKV Design, the principal designer in the reinvention of Switzerland’s Bürgenstock Resort, has been recognised by Hospitality Design as winner in the wellness category for its design of Bürgenstock’s Alpine Spa. Perched on the mountainside 450 metres above Lake Lucerne, the 10,000sq m, three-level spa was a key element in the recreation of Bürgenstock Resort. The main challenge for the designers was how to make such a large spa feel

A former tuberculosis sanatorium designed by the iconic Finnish architect Alvar Aalto has gone up for sale. The clean-lined Paimio Sanatorium, completed in 1933 in a large woodland site 30 km (18 miles) east of Turku, Finland, brought Aalto international recognition and put Finland on the international map of modern architecture. The Functionalist building has been nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts thousands of Aalto enthusiasts

Hospitality architects working in ecologically sensitive parts of the world have a responsibility to ensure their projects are sustainable, even after building work has completed, Wong Chiu Man has told CLADglobal. “Guests increasingly seek out the special and the meaningful, and they are drawn to remote places with the potential to host unique leisure spaces,” said the WOW Architects founder. “The question and responsibility facing hoteliers and designers is how

Marriott International’s W Hotels brand has re-entered the Australian market with the opening of the W Brisbane, a new hotel that features fast-paced urban style and modern design with a “decidedly cheeky Aussie point of view”. Owned by Shayher Group, the 312-bedroom W Brisbane is located riverside in the city’s central business district. With interiors from Nic Graham & Associates, the hotel embraces Brisbane’s connection to Australian identity and uses

Architects Woods Bagot are transforming an abandoned sugar factory in Zhuhai, China, into a cultural, tourism and leisure park that celebrates the city’s industrial heritage and welcomes visitors with a sweet tooth. The Hongqi Zhen Sugar Factory was opened in the 1960s and became a key pillar of Southern China’s sugar plantation and processing industry. However, the industry eventually fell into a decline and the complex closed its doors in

Marriott International has announced plans to debut its Westin brand in the UK, with Westin London City scheduled to open in 2020. Owned by 4C Hotel Group and managed by RBH, The Westin London City will boast a prime riverfront location in the heart of the City of London. The company said the hotel signing illustrates that the demand for wellbeing continues to propel Westin’s growth. Westin also has upcoming