Ian Mulcahey, global director of cities at Gensler, says its masterplan for a former military camp near Baghdad could act as a model for the repair of cities globally. As part of the rehabilitation of the Iraqi capital, the heavily polluted site will be transformed into an ecological and urban district. Called Baghdad Sustainable Forests, it will feature an expansive network of forests, parks and green corridors. Early proposals outline

Work has started on the £68.7 million refurbishment of the historic Kings Hall Leisure Centre in Hackney, with a planned reopening in early 2029. FaulknerBrowns Architects have drawn up the designs, which will preserve the features of the Grade II listed building, retaining important parts of the building’s heritage. New structures will be matched with the existing brickwork.   The swimming pool will be refurbished and a new large pool and

Cox Architecture and Hassell have been appointed by the government of Queensland, Australia, to lead the design of the new Brisbane Stadium.   The venue will host the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympic games, as well as the athletics events.  Located within Victoria Park, the stadium will also be the home of Aussie rules football (AFL) and cricket, while also being designed to host entertainment events. 

Aman’s nine-deck superyacht, Amangati, is taking bookings for its debut season of Mediterranean voyages in Q2 2027. The 180-metre yacht has been designed by Sinot Yacht Architecture and Design and is currently under construction.  When it sets sail, it will accommodate 94 guests across its 47 suites. Each suite will have a footprint of 68sq m to 354sq m and its own terrace. Aman Spa The design for the Amangati’

Terme Preistoriche Resort and Spa in Motegrotto Terme, Italy, has opened a thermal treatment centre designed by Studio Apostoli. The new facility marks the most recent collaboration between Studio Apostoli and the resort.  The architecture and design firm designed the property’s existing 1,200sq m spa called Neró Spa, which opened in 2019. It also created a collection of zero-emission suites in 2023 and is redesigning the 47 guestrooms. The new

Hilton’s first luxury resort in Greece, Conrad Corfu, will open in the serene beachtown of Molos on the Greek island of Corfu in Q2 this year, with a design that celebrates the waterfront location with a series of lagoons and pools. The 136-key hotel, which will have its own 200m of beachfront, will be operated as part of a franchise agreement between the Greek hotel-owning Troulis family and Hilton’s Conrad

Saudi Arabian developer Midad Real Estate has signed an agreement with the state-owned developer Diriyah Company to invest SAR 3.1 billion (US$827 million, €760 million, £652 million) in the creation of Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Diriyah. The property's footprint will measure 235,938sq m in the historic town of Diriyah on the northwestern outskirts of the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.  Diriyah is becoming a heritage and tourism destination because

Family-owned Alpine resort Hotel Lürzerhof in Austria’s SalzburgerLand has revealed plans for a €10 million (US$10.9 million, £8.5 million) expansion. The resort will be closed for four months from April before reopening in July 2026 with two new floors and a redesigned spa. The new floors will rise from the existing main building, with design by architects Köck and Bachler.  Harald Habersatter, owner, Hotel Lürzerhof, told Spa Business exclusively: “This

A social third space called Lore Bathing Club has opened in New York City’s NoHo neighbourhood, offering a contrast bathing membership model. The business has been set up by two co-founders: entrepreneur James O’Reilly, who is a co-founder of the co-working membership club NeueHouse, a company that has now been bought by Convene Hospitality Group after filing for bankruptcy late last year.  Lore’s second co-founder is hospitality concept creator and

Japanese hotel owner and operator Hoshino Resorts Inc’s CEO, Yoshiharu Hoshino, has shared his ambition to develop onsen ryokan globally in an exclusive interview with Spa Business. Read the full profile of Hoshino in the latest edition of the magazine here.   Hoshino Resorts now operates 70 properties across Japan, Bali, Taiwan, Guam and soon the US.  The company boasts ¥250,915 million (US$1.6 billion, €1.4 billion, £1.2 billion) in total

Marriott International will debut The Luxury Collection Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic in Q4 2026 with a tropical destination spa called Playa Serena Spa. The property is owned by Grupo Puntacana and the 1,200sq m spa has been designed by Ana Ramirez of Kala Design Group. Other collaborators on the project include Lynn Curry of Curry Spa Consulting; interior design by Susurrus and landscape architecture by Maat Handasa.

Upscale independent hotel, Arabella Hotel Sedona, in Arizona, US, will build an extensive hydrotherapy spa using a US$25 million (€23.0 million, £19.5 million) construction loan. The loan was arranged by real estate investment banking firm Arriba Capital, which specialises in hotel debt and structured finance. The new hydrothermal spa The hydrotherapy spa has been designed by architects Erwin Architecture and Development and LemayMichaud. Tim Valaski, Vice President at Arriba Capital,

Viceroy is developing a resort with a rainforest spa on the Bocas del Toro peninsula in Panama. The Viceroy resort and branded residences will form part of a 165-hectare development called CasiCielo, which translates from Spanish to “Almost Heaven”. Design collaborators include Zurcher Arquitectos and Wimberly Interiors. The whole site will have 700 guestrooms and 700 residential units when it is complete. The destination is a partnership between VHG, West

Steigenberger Icon Europäischer Hof Baden-Baden in Baden-Baden, Germany, opened earlier this year following extensive renovations and now its reimagined Vault Spa and Suites have launched too. The heritage of the city centre property was preserved by architects DK Studio and the interiors were adapted by Bachhuber Contract. The project required ambitious construction solutions, including building directly in the waters of the river Oos. The 126-key hotel’s updated spa now measures

Gaia Retreat’s owners have submitted a planning application to the local government authority in Byron, Australia, for an AU$37 million (US$24.2 million, €21.0 million, £10.3 million) expansion of the facility that was originally co-founded by Olivia Newton-John in 2005. The wellness facility in Brooklet was purchased in 2021 by Fiveight, the property development arm of an investment company called Tattarang, owned by Andrew and Nicola Forrest. They bought it for

A major new cultural facility has opened in Taichung, Taiwan, bringing together a metropolitan art museum and library in a bid to “bring together art, knowledge and nature.” Known as the Taichung Green Museumbrary, the facility has been designed by the Pritzker prize-winning Japanese architecture practice SANAA. The building – which is SANAA’s largest project to date – is home to the new Taichung Art Museum and the Taichung Public

Tributes to Frank Gehry from across the design world and beyond have flooded in following his death on 5 December. Gehry died aged 96 at his home in Los Angeles following a brief respiratory illness, according to his chief of staff Meaghan Lloyd. One of the world’s most well-known architects, Gehry redefined architecture during his almost eight-decades-long career, challenging convention with his unrestrained creativity, resulting in truly original buildings including

Equinox Hotels, which has a focus on fitness, health and wellness, has announced it will operate a marina lifestyle destination called Equinox Resort Anguilla Port Nimara, the first Caribbean site for the brand. Located at the south west end of the island in a privately-owned location, the Port Nimara Resort has beachfront views and a 118-berth marina for vessels measuring up tp 240 feet. The marina has a functioning customs

BodyHoliday has confirmed it is expanding the brand and developing its first European property in Portugal’s Eastern Algarve, which is set to open in 2029. BodyHoliday Algarve will be a sister destination to the operator’s flagship 155-key resort in St Lucia. This property marks the first step in a programme to create a collection of BodyHoliday resorts. A new executive team has been chosen to lead the brand’s expansion. Since

A €285 million (US$316 million, £242 million) next-generation luxury yachting destination, Marina Resort Cavtat, is being developed on the Dubrovnik Riviera with wellness and regenerative programming by Under a Tree Consulting. The property, which is scheduled to open in 2029, will have a 151-berth marina, two five-star hotels, luxury villas, branded apartments, a wellness retreat, a performance hub, yacht club and a retail/dining village called Lungomare. The location was chosen

Go Fit has been brought on board by Club Atlético de Madrid for the €800 million Sport City project which is being designed by architects Cruz y Ortiz. This ambitious project is a partnership between the football club and Madrid City Council to turn the north-eastern area of Madrid into an international benchmark for live entertainment. The extensive leisure and sports complex will be sited on a 115-hectare municipal plot

International wellness brand The Well and Miami-based real estate developer Terra have secured a US$238 million (€218.4 million, £183.5 million) refinancing loan to complete the new mixed-use luxury wellness development The Well Bay Harbor Islands in Miami, US. The loan provides the project with a long-term financing solution. The funds come from Eldridge Real Estate Credit, the real estate investing strategy division of Eldridge Capital Management, and global investment management

Lifestyle operator Ennismore has announced two new Delano-branded hotel deals following the company’s partnership with capital investment company Cain International. Cain acquired a minority stake in Delano in 2024, enabling strategic growth for the brand. The two new properties are Delano SoHo New York, US, and Delano London, UK. The New York property and the renovation of the Delano Miami Beach hotel in the US are both in partnership with

The much delayed, billion dollar Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, celebrates its full public opening today (4 November), following a lavish opening gala on 1 November. Designed by Heneghan Peng Architects, the museum is set across a 500,000sq m site, and houses more than 100,000 pharaonic antiquities – many of which have never been displayed in public before. It covers 5,000 years of Egyptian history, from pre-dynastic times to

Iberian health and wellness operator, Go Fit, has made its debut in Italy – at Turin’s former flower market, Mercato dei Fiori – and is now exploring further opportunities in Milan and Bologna. The 14,000sq m site, which was previously derelict has been completely regenerated, including extensive asbestos removal. Local architect Benedetto Camerana, worked on the scheme, along with engineering and project management specialists. The new club offers more than

Therme Group has is expanding into Asia in collaboration with the South Korean Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Authority to develop Therme Korea-Incheon – a wellbeing resort in the city of Incheon. The landmark destination will be developed in the Songdo Golden Harbour: a commercial district in Songdo International Business District. The development of the site follows the signing of an initial Memorandum of Understanding in 2022 by Therme Group,

Six Senses London, the first Six Senses in the UK, will open in Q2 of 2026 with the brand’s first private club called Six Senses Place and what is said to be the city’s first magnesium hotel pool. Anna Bjurstam, strategic advisor for Six Senses confirmed to Spa Business on 7th November 2025 that the property will start to take bookings from early April. The property will be housed within