InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to expand its luxury estate in the UK after securing a deal to rebrand and operate 13 upscale hotels. IHG will operate the properties on behalf of French real estate group Foncière des Régions (FdR), which acquired the hotels from an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group for a reported US$1.1bn (£830m) earlier this month. The deal will see IHG introducing its boutique brand, Kimpton Hotels

The James Beard Foundation (JBF) has held its 2018 Restaurant Design Awards, presenting a hat-trick of prizes to the new eateries it judges to be the best-designed in North America. New York-based concept, design and branding studio The MP Shift have been recognised for their work designing De Maria in the city, which was named the best new restaurant with a capacity of 75 seats and under. The New York

Self-proclaimed “designer of whimsy” Henry Chebaane has completed the guest rooms and public areas of the new Hyatt Centric Gran Via hotel in Madrid, taking inspiration from Spanish surrealism and the history of radio. Tasked with converting the partially-listed spaces behind the historic facade of a 1920s-era building on the upscale Gran Via shopping street, Chebaane and his studio – Blue Sky Hospitality – looked to the cultural life of

International design and engineering practice John Portman & Associates have triumphed in the international design competition for a hospitality and leisure complex for a major port in Shenzhen, China. Situated next to the waterfront’s cruise ship terminal, the Prince Bay development will feature a 5-star hotel tower with 350 guestrooms, encompassing a total area of 40,000sq m (430,560sq ft), and a retail and leisure podium with a landscaped roof overlooking

Ground has broken on the US market’s latest Four Seasons hotel – a ‘civilised jungle’ in Fort Lauderdale with a third of the property dedicated to green space. The 22-storey Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Fort Lauderdale has been planned by Miami architect Kobi Karp, with 90 private residences, 130 guest rooms and “unmatched access to a lifestyle of leading amenities, services and design.” The interior architecture and design

Architects MnM Studio, Maria Brightei and Marcello D'Orsi were named as joint winners of the Celia Thomas Prize at this year's Bespoke Access Awards. Now in its second year, the Bespoke Access Awards is an international design competition run in association with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The Celia Thomas Prize, named for Baroness Celia Thomas, is designed to champion accessible hospitality design to make the hotel experience

Philippine property firm Revolution Precrafted, which specialises in producing modular pavilions and homes, has struck a deal to build at least 85 design-driven prefabricated holiday villas on the island Miyako in Okinawa, Japan. The company’s range of boutique luxury properties – ranging in size from 23-60sq m (247.5-645.8sq ft) – are designed by some of the world’s best-known architects and designers, including Daniel Libeskind, Christian Portzamparc, Marcel Wanders, Jean Nouvel

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island hotel has announced the submersion of what it claims is the world's first undersea residence, which will be completed in Q4 2018. Crown Company, which owns the hotel, has invested US$15m in The Miraka (meaning ‘coral’ in Dhivehi, the local language of the Maldives). The company’s director, Ahmed Saleem, is the named architect, and the project is being constructed by New Zealand aquarium technology firm

The Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) has opened its doors to the public following a transformation of the historic cruise liner into a tourist destination and hotel by the government of Dubai. The world-famous vessel, which was decommissioned in 2008, is now docked permanently at Mina Rashid in Dubai. Reimagined as a floating 13-deck attraction, it is welcoming visitors on board for the soft opening of some of its dining, accommodation

Boutique hotelier Ian Schrager is bringing his Edition brand to Tampa, with a 173-room property set to open in then Florida city in 2021. Real estate firm Strategic Property Partners (SPP) has struck a deal with Schrager and Marriott International, which owns the brand, to launch the Tampa Edition within a 26-story tower in the heart of the Water Street Tampa neighbourhood. Designed by Morris Adjmi Architects and Nichols Brosch

Six Senses’ newest resort in Fiji has opened with a Six Senses Spa designed as a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Fijian village. Designed by New Zealand-based architect Richard Priest, Six Senses Fiji includes 24 pool villas and 60 residential villas located along a private sandy beach. The 60 residences and all facilities are 100 per cent solar powered by the largest microgrid in Fiji to use Tesla batteries. Surrounded

Kerzner International Holdings, the owner of One&Only Resorts, has plans to introduce a new line of One&Only Urban Resorts, the first of which will debut in Dubai in 2020. The One&Only Za’abeel will be set in the new One Za’abeel, which is being developed by Ithra Dubai, a subsidiary of Investment Corporation of Dubai. The two-tower, high-rise, mixed-use development of One Za’abeel – designed by architects Nikken Sekkei – will

Norwegian architect Reiulf Ramstad has revealed the design his firm have created for a hotel that will be blended into the landscape of the Alsace hills in France. Construction on the Breitenbach Landscape Hotel will begin in the next few months. Conceived to “gather the best of architecture, design, spa facilities and food culture in the region”, several distinctive architectural forms will be spread across the valley to create “a

Salone del Mobile, one of the world’s leading international design and furnishing events, has kicked off in Milan, with more than 300,000 visitors from over 165 countries expected to visit before the show closes on 22 April. More than 2,000 exhibitors from the worlds of furniture, lighting technology and bathroom and kitchen design are presenting their products and innovations to potential buyers across more than 200,000sq m. Several brands are also celebrating their new collections

The Ace Hotel Group has announced it will open its first property in Japan, with architect Kengo Kuma commissioned to design a “monument to the beauty and unique legacy of Kyoto”, transforming the city’s 92-year-old former Central Telephone Office. The company has partnered with the Japanese NTT Urban Development Corporation to open the Ace Hotel Kyoto in winter 2019. Located on the former grounds of the imperial palace, the project

Bjarke Ingels Group are designing a hotel next to their forthcoming Audemars Piguet watchmaking museum in the village of Le Brassus, Switzerland. As with that subtly spiralling attraction – which is due to open in 2019 – the new project, Hotel des Horlogers, will be integrated into the topography of the landscape. Five zigzagging room slabs will expand into a gently sloping exterior path, leading directly to the museum and

W Hotels Worldwide, owned by hospitality giant Marriott International, has opened a boutique property in Panama – the first W in Central America. The W Panama is situated in the newly-opened, 50-storey Evolution Tower located near Uruguay Street in the Panama City’s business district. The hotel’s design – created by Studio Gaia and the internal design team of W Hotels – was conceived to “blend centuries of history and culture

Those with deep pockets and a passion for the world of aviation have been presented a rare opportunity to own a piece of flight history, with the entire contents of Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 1 about to go under the hammer in London. Lots up for grabs include airport furniture, working baggage carousels, check-in desks, the terminal’s signage and clocks, and a series of large murals created in the 1950s by

The hospitality arm of luxury goods giant Bvlgari has announced plans to open a hotel in Paris in 2020, bringing its international collection to eight properties. Italian design firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Parisian architects Valode & Pistre are converting a historic building on Avenue George V – adjacent to the Champs Elysees in the famous and fashionable Triangle d’Or area of the French capital – into the 66-room

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland, one of the 25 Wonders of the World, has undergone a significant expansion with the opening of its first luxury opening, the Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland. A four-year endeavour, the Retreat is the result of a partnership between Blue Lagoon; Basalt Architects, the firm that designed the complex and made significant contributions to its interior design; and Design Group Italia, the agency that conceived

Avani Hotels & Resorts is continuing its expansion in Australia with the development of Avani Central Melbourne Residences, its second property in Australia. Due to open this year, the 456-bedroom, 55-storey hotel will draw inspiration from the brands contemporary design and will include an indoor swimming pool with floor-to-ceiling windows as well as two outdoor spas. The hotel also will include a sauna, steamroom and a dedicated yoga room. The

Avani Hotels & Resorts will open a property in Dubai in 2020, to include both hotel suites and branded residences, as well as an AvaniSpa. Developed by real estate firm Alfahim, the 48-storey new-build property will be the third Avani in Dubai and will represent the launch of Avani residences in the region. Avani Hotel Suites & Branded Residences will be located directly overlooking the famous Palm Jumeirah, adjacent to

New York-based hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany has revealed details of the newly-renovated spa at The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental is due to open in May this year and was overseen by Tihany and his design studio. The new spa is designed to create a luxurious and peaceful atmosphere to aid relaxation, and provide guests with ‘a haven of tranquility’. It unites traditional Chinese elements

Design firm HBA London has completed the interiors of The Orient Jerusalem by Isrotel Exclusive Collection – a hotel that doubles as “a timeless love song to the city.” Situated at the entrance to Jerusalem’s historically rich German Colony district, The Orient is formed of two 19th Century Templar houses, which have been restored and reinvented as a collection of 39 luxury guestrooms. These are joined by a new, modern

Remote holiday specialists Off the Map Travel have created another of their mobile semi-transparent glamping cabins, designed to be towed into the remote wilderness of the Arctic Circle so that guests can experience the Northern Lights from the comfort of their beds. Three rooms, each set on skis, have been made available for booking until mid-April 2018. They are situated in the Aurora Wilderness Camp, six kilometres east of Kilpisjärvi,

After the debut of Chablé Resort & Spa Yucatan in 2016, Hamak Hotels has announced it will operate a second Chablé Resort on Maroma Beach, Mexico. Scheduled to open in Q3 2018, Chablé Maroma will include an expansive 17,000sq ft (1,579sq m) spa created by Bonnie Baker, co-founder of Satteva Spa & Wellness Concepts. Baker also worked on the Chablé Yucatan’s spa, alongside Amy McDonald of Under a Tree Spa

Surrealist hospitality designer Henry Chebaane has completed his latest project: a hotel room concept that puts his expectedly unexpected twist on British popular culture. The project, called Hip Pop Britannia, has been launched this week in three “rockstar rooms” at The Megaro, a colourful boutique hotel next to London’s King’s Cross station that is best-known for featuring the city’s largest graffiti mural over its 19th-century facade. Chebaane’s rooms feature recurring