Following its announcement earlier this year that it will create 50 Hollywood-themed hotels over the next few years, Paramount Hotels has teamed up with consultancy GOCO to create a new wellness brand to be featured at each property. Paramount Hotels & Resorts CEO Thomas van Vliet said: "We'll have our own wellness and fitness concepts and our own food and beverage concepts, which will be a mix between our Paramount-themed

Engineering and design company Atkins has drawn up plans for a new mixed-use resort project in Vietnam, which will include both residential and hotel properties. Situated in the east of of the country, in Vung Ro, the plans for development include a marina, hotel resort and luxury villas. Three areas have been identified for construction: The Marina for direct ocean views, the Village occupying the valley plain and the Bai

Construction work has begun on the Witham Leisure Centre in Essex. The £9.5m project is headed by Barr Construction and the facility - designed by Scott Brownrigg Architects - is due for completion in summer 2014. Once opened, the centre will be managed by Fusion Lifestyle. Facilities will include a six lane, 25m pool, leaner pool with moveable floor, a health and fitness suite, two dance studios, sauna and steamroom

A new £5m (US$7.55m, €5.83m) watersport development has been launched on the Colwyn Bay waterfront in north Wales. The development features the new Porth Eirias building, which has been constructed on a one hectare (107,639sq ft, 10,000 sq m) platform on top of a groyne. Built by local company Wynne Construction, it will provide a hub for watersport activities in Colwyn Bay and will include a bistro, café, changing areas

Planning permission has been given for a new country park and housing development in Ashford, Kent. The Conningbrook Lakes project will see the new site, formerly a quarry for sand and gravel, transformed into a country park with water-based activities, foot and cycle paths, nature trails, a water-front restaurant and a lakeside village of 300 homes. The site will be planned and designed by BDB Design Ltd, based in Canterbury

Plans are in the works to bring a Guggenheim museum to Wales as early as 2019 in a bid to replicate the success that came from opening one in Bilbao, Spain. In 2012 the Guggenheim in Bilbao helped generate €294.6m (£252.2m, US$380.2m) in GDP for the country. The predicted opening date of 2019 or 2020 would coincide with the current timetable for the electrification of the south Wales rail line.

The architectural and structural design firms and individuals who helped to shape the 2012 Games legacy have been celebrated in the short film Designing for Champions. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and New London Architecture (NLA) initiated the DROPTHEBAN campaign and commissioned the ‘Designing for Champions’ film to advocate many of the Games’ unsung heroes. The DROPTHEBAN campaign which launched in July 2012

A £100m (US$151.3m, €117.7m) development in Yorkshire is set to be built on the existing Flaxby Park Golf Course and will feature a 27-hole course and a 303 room hotel. York-based property firm, Skelwith Leisure, will begin work on the new site at the end of May, which will also feature a floodlit driving range, conference centre, four helipads, three restaurants, and an 18,000sq ft (1,672sq m) spa, gym and

York City Football Club and York City Knights Rugby League Club are set to share a new stadium following construction of a £90m (US$137.1m, €106m) development, which will include a brand new 6,000-seat facility. Planning permission was sought by Oakgate PLC in respect of a new retail development being built close to the site. The stadium design permits expansion to 12,000-seats should the need arise, following York’s recent promotion to

London's cultural landmark the British Museum has broken ground on its new multi-million pound capital project, the World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre (WCEC). Designed by Rogers, Stirk, Harbour + Partners (RSHP) and constructed by Mace, the new WCEC is one of the largest redevelopment projects in the museum's 260 year history. The aim of the project is to safeguard and enhance collections, while enabling the museum to store, conserve, study

Attractions operator Ripley Entertainment is set to open a CA$130m (£83.7m, US$126.8m, 98.5m euro) aquarium in Toronto, Canada this summer. When completed, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada will home 15,000 inhabitants in its 12,500sq m (135,000sq ft) facility and is expected to have a projected annual economic impact of more than CA$35m (£22.5m) for the Toronto area. The traditional layout walk through aquarium will include a 96-metre long (315ft) walkway in

Plans for a new £10.1m leisure centre in Kidderminster have moved forward after Wyre Forest District Council's (WFDC) planning committee green lighted the project. The proposal for the former Victoria Sports Ground include a 25-metre six-lane pool, a learner pool, fitness suite, six-court sports hall and outdoor football pitches. Other facilities will include fitness and dance studios and a cafe. "This project is about providing first class leisure and sports

An £8m cinema and leisure complex being constructed in St Neots will be pulled down because it is less than one metre out of place. The new Cineworld will be torn down and rebuilt after a design error left the complex too close to existing houses. "We have taken the unprecedented step of halting the existing work and have parts to rebuilt to assuage any concerns that adjoining landowners may

The newly opened PARKROYAL on Pickering, Singapore's development that's based on a 'hotel-in-a-garden concept', has unveiled its spa and wellness facilities. The eco-inspired, 16-storey hotel, which will be operated by Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG), has an entire 44,000 sq ft (4,085sq m) floor dedicated to wellness. A large proportion of the floor has been set aside for green outdoor space and features a two-storey descent waterfall, a 300m garden

Swindon could become home to the longest ski slope in the UK as part of the revised plans for the multi million pound revamp of the Oasis Leisure centre. In the new plans, the slope would exceed the current longest UK slope at Xscape Braehead in Scotland, which holds the record at 200 metres in length. "This development will make Swindon the best indoor skiing venue in the country," said

Real estate company Silverstein Properties has secured financing to construct an 82-storey tower in Manhattan, New York, US that will include a Four Seasons hotel and private residences. At 926ft (282m) the property will be one of the tallest residential towers in Downtown Manhattan offering visitors panoramic views of the Midtown skyline and New York Harbor. Located at Park Place and Church Street in Tribeca, Four Seasons Hotel and Private

The new Romford Leisure Development in Essex, which includes an ice rink has been given the green light by Havering’s Regulatory Services Committee. The new project will be located on a compact urban site in Romford centre includes a competition pool and ice rink under one roof, something the town has never seen before. A new eight-lane 25m pool and kiddie’s learner pool will occupy the ground floor together with

The new £17.9m Splashpoint leisure complex has opened to the public in Worthing, West Sussex. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, the centre has replaced the former Aquarena venue on the site. The scheme was project managed by Deloitte Real Estate on behalf of Worthing Borough Council following a RIBA design competition in 2009. Facilities include a six lane, 25m competition pool and a learner/diving pool, an indoor leisure pool with

Istanbul has welcomed the opening of the new Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul featuring Europe's first CHI, The Spa. Inspired by traditional Asian healing philosophies, all treatments are based upon the principles of restoring balance and harmony to mind and body. The spa contains eight large private spa suites offering Asian and Turkish treatments, customized massages and organic products. The extensive hammam facilities cater to both private groups and individuals. Both the

Construction work has started on a 400m (1,312ft) BMX track in Burgess Park, Southwark, South London. Ground Control Ltd has been appointed as the contractor for the new £800,000 track which will open in summer 2013. The track will be free to use and has been designed to cater for both novices and competition-standard riders. It will feature a starting hill, a variety of jumps and floodlighting. The venue will

Broken Sound Club, a luxury Platinum Club in Boca Raton, Florida, US has unveiled a US$7m (5.4m euro,£4.5m)free-standing spa and fitness centre. The 13,100sq ft (1,217sq m) Moonstone, The Spa at Broken Sound will be managed by American Leisure who are also responsible for the treatment concepts and protocols, product selection, and overseeing operations. The spa, designed in warm natural tones, features six treatment rooms, plus a "Moonstone Suite" couples

Centara Hotels & Resorts has announced it will open its five-star Grand-branded hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, in August, with a spa to open at the property in December. Centara Grand Phraramnak Resort Pattaya will be the third Centara Grand in upmarket Pattaya and will include 165 rooms and suites over eight storeys. Designed by Model 1to1 and Gooodlux Design Consultants, the hotel features marble and granite public areas and Fendi

Beijing-based MAD Architects have unveiled the completed China Wood Sculpture Museum located in Harbin, China. The 200m (656ft) long building is sheathed in metal and surrounded by a densely populated Chinese-style neighbourhood and residential complexes. It was constructed with the aim of adding cultural and surreal essence to the surrounding urban context. The museum takes the form of a twisted strip of steel, punctuated with curved windows. MAD describes the

The opening of the Shangri-La, The Shard in London has been delayed with the hotel now set to open in September rather than summer. The five-star 202-room property will be London's first elevated luxury hotel, occupying levels 34 to 52 of the landmark skyscraper. Room features will include custom-made beds, iPod docking stations, complimentary high-speed internet access, coffee machines, heated floors, washlet toilets, and a butler service in all suites.

Linwood's sport and community centre ON-X has officially opened following a £24m investment by Renfrewshire Council. Designed by Cr8 Architecture and built by BAM Construction, the facility includes an eight court sports hall, two squash courts, 600sq m gym, four fitness studios, and athletics track. The new centre is part of the council's £40m investment in local leisure facilities. It also features three swimming pools including a six-lane 25m competition

London's Hackney Council has rejected a planning application for an £18.9m redevelopment project at the Geffrye Museum. The museum, which examines the changing face of middle class homes in England over the past 400 years, appointed David Chipperfield Architects to increase its capacity, which it says is stretched to the limit. The plans included a two-storey extension, new gallery, library, collections and archive stores, conference suite, restaurant, and a new

Plans for a £10m heritage theme park attraction in Margate, Kent are back on track, following a High Court ruling against a legal challenge that would have prevented the development. Judge Sycamore dismissed a legal challenge by current owners, Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, over the decision to grant the council ownership of the site. The secretary of state for communities and local government gave the council approval for compulsory