Developer Nakheel and Thai hotel group Centara Hotels and Resorts have unveiled plans to open a hotel, beach resort and waterpark on Dubai’s Deira Islands. The two companies have formed a joint venture agreement for the “family-centric lifestyle destination,” which will be part of the newly-formed Deira Islands – a 15sq km (5.8sq mi) group of four reclaimed artificial islands currently under development. Set to open in 2020, the 600-bedroom

The Lux* Resort Grand Gaube in Mauritius has undergone a US$32m (€27m, £23.8m) renovation and is set to reopen in December with a “wellness centre like no other,” according to the company. The new Lux* Me spa has been developed with an aim to connect guests to nature, and ncludes a hydrotherapy pool, aromatic steam room and sauna. Located on the African island’s north coast, the Lux* Grand Gaube has

LivNordic’s Katara Beach Club in Doha, Qatar, is set to open at the beginning of October. Located at the Torch Hotel, the two-storey, 4,600sq m (49,514sq ft) club is described as “a unique fusion between Middle Eastern hospitality, Nordic design and treatment heritage, and innovative fitness facilities.” It will include separate male and female floors with gender-separated entrances, an Aurora Borealis light fixture in the relaxation lounges, Nordic bathing rituals,

One of Europe’s most iconic resorts has had a soft re-opening after nine years of construction, with its Qatari owners claiming to have overseen “the project of the century.” Sophia Loren lived there, Audrey Hepburn was married in the local chapel, Charlie Chaplin was a regular visitor and Sean Connery’s James Bond dropped by in Goldfinger. Now the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne has been transformed to appeal to a new

Hospitality designer Bill Bensley has teamed up with Cambodian luxury boutique hotel group Shinta Mani to launch his own brand of hotels in the country, with two projects already in the pipeline. ‘The Bensley Collection’ is billed as a portfolio of “super luxe hotels and resorts showcasing visionary concepts, extraordinary design and bespoke service”, with Bensley granted “complete freedom to let his famed creative spirit run free.” The debut property,

Ritz Carlton has opened its second property in Langkawi, Malaysia, with the launch of an oceanfront resort designed by Philippe Villeroux of Kuala Lumpur-based Tropical Area Architects. Ritz Carlton Langkawi has been created to “immerse travellers in the island's natural ecosystem and local culture”. Reflecting the architecture of the nearby traditional villages – which are known as Kampongs – the resort is set in a tranquil private bay and surrounded

One of China’s largest real estate developers has joined forces with hospitality company Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to open a luxury property in the northeastern city of Dalian. Luneng Group has appointed architects NBBJ Shanghai and designers Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) to create the Four Seasons Hotel Dalian on a site within the Donggang East Harbour. The hotel will be housed in a new mixed-use tower overlooking Dalian’s historic

Spa consultant Diana Mestre of Mestre & Mestre Spa and Wellness Consulting is creating a 12,000sq ft (1,115sq m) sunken spa for the upcoming 1 Hotel Los Cabos in Mexico, which is set to open in 2019. Designed with the purpose of revitalising the senses, the Seed Spa will use recycled and organic materials along with water, music, aromas, light and living plants with an aim to create an environment

Adria Lake of wellness and spa design company A.W. Lake Design has created a new Balinese spa for the Radisson Blu Uluwatu – the first Radisson Blu in Bali, which is set to open in December. The 633sq m (6,814sq ft) SpaEsc will include seven treatment rooms, including two doubles with private steam showers and two express massage rooms. A beauty area, “floating” courtyard relaxation room, fully equipped gym, yoga

Property developer Qatari Diar has announced the appointment of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts as the operator for a new hotel opening within London’s former US Embassy building in Grosvenor Square. The selection follows a lengthy process in which a series of international hotel companies submitted proposals for how they would run an “ambitious world-class hotel, retail and event space” with 137 bedrooms, five restaurants, six flagship retail units, a spa

A new luxury spa has opened at the Portopiccolo Resort in Sistiana, Northern Italy, designed by Italian architect Alberto Apostoli. The facility is spread across three floors and covers a total floor area of 3,600sq ft (38,800sq ft). The ground floor houses the reception, hairstyling studio, a training pool and changing rooms, while on the first floor there is a relaxation area dominated by an indoor-outdoor pool, offering views of

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, together with Astir Palace Vouliagmeni SA, will spend €100m ($US119m, £88m) to transform the iconic Astir Palace into the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens. Due to open in early 2018, the resort will be the first Four Seasons in Greece. The 1960s hotel is undergoing extensive upgrades, with interiors by designer Meyer Davis, and, when complete, it will include 300 bedrooms and a wellness

A new NZ$30m (US$22m, €18m, £16.5m) luxury spa and wellness centre in Rotorua, New Zealand, will incorporate Maori culture in its design. Due to open in late 2019, the Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa will be set on Rotorua’s lakefront and is being developed by Pukeroa Oruawhata Group. The facility will form just one element of the wider health and wellness vision for the group’s 11-hectare site, and will

The International Well Building Institute (IWBI) has officially launched the WELL Community Standard – designed to help set up a new global benchmark for healthy communities. A rating system centered on human health and wellness, the new standard takes into consideration evidence-based research and has been developed through consultation with physicians, scientists and public health professionals, as well as architects, city planners and engineers. The programme builds on the principles

A group spa industry veterans have come together to create a new hospitality and real estate company, Civana, based around sustainable wellness through an affordable travel and lifestyle platform. Led by Kevin Kelly – who was former Canyon Ranch president and chief branding officer, and most recently was CEO and co-owner of California’s Two Bunch Palms – Civana will bring together wellness programming, sustainable design and hotel asset and property

Singapore-based wellness design firm A.W. Lake has acquired a 16-hectare (40-acre) property in Colorado, which will be the site of its new headquarters in the US. Located 20 miles outside of Fort Collins, the mountaintop property borders more than 325,000 hectares (800,000 acres) of national forest land. “After spending almost two decades in Asia, I’m thrilled to be back in the US and to expand our business here,” said company

Hospitality giant Four Seasons has opened a new hotel in Kuwait City, created by architects Gensler and designers Yabu Pushelberg. The 284-room Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya is located in one of two soaring glass towers in Kuwait City. The second tower, set to open in 2018, will provide high-tech corporate headquarters for employees of hospitality company Alshaya’s retail franchise business. The hotel’s design concept has been crafted around a

US-based private property investor Trinity Investments has partnered with Oaktree Capital – a global asset management firm – to acquire a high-value portfolio of luxury hotel and resort assets. The joint venture will invest up to US$3bn (£2.3bn, €2.5bn) in high-end hotel and spa resort properties in Trinity’s core markets in Hawaii, California, Mexico and Japan. The partnership has already acquired its first property – a long-term leasehold interest in

Global luxury hotel operator Aman has added a new two-storey, 767sq m (8,256sq ft) spa at Aman Le Mélézin in Courchevel, France, which is due to open in December for the Alpine skiing season. The hotel is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and has undergone two years’ of redevelopment, a process which began in 2016 with the refurbishment of all the rooms and suites. Construction work involved the entire building being

A Japanese-inspired hotel spa in Germany, billed as the country’s first, has opened among Bavaria’s Alpine peaks. Located in the town of Rottach-Egern, which sits alongside Lake Tegernsee, the Mizu Onsen Spa is inspired by Japanese minimalism – with clean lines, a neutral colour palette and subtle lighting – allowing guests to fully connect with their senses. German practice rgp architekten and New York studio Design MW have used locally-sourced

Six Senses will open a hot springs resort in the Zhiben area of Taiwan, an area known for its natural hot springs, medicinal plants and herbs. Located in Taitung in southeastern Taiwan, Six Senses Zhiben Hot Springs will be situated at the base of Medicine Mountain, with views of the surrounding valley and mountains, and is set to open in 2020. Both the resort and spa are designed by Japanese

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ first resort in China has officially opened on Hainan Bay, set within 40 acres of landscaped gardens overlooking the South China Sea. Rosewood Sanya, which welcomed its first guests yesterday (21 August), features 246 guestrooms, 25 of which have balcony plunge pools; a Rosewood Sense spa; a health club; an indoor yoga studio and an outdoor yoga pavilion; five restaurants and lounges; and a 110m long

The Arctic Bath, a unique luxury hotel and spa floating on the Lule river in Swedish Lapland is scheduled to open in 2018. Reminiscent of a bird’s nest or natural dam, the exteriors of the circular spa buildings will be covered with piled logs, providing added insulation to guests during the winter months. The spa buildings, with saunas, treatment and relaxation rooms, a restaurant and lounge bar, will encircle an

The independently-owned Le Grand Bellevue luxury hotel in Gstaad, Switzerland, has reopened its spa following a comprehensive redevelopment. Described as a “labyrinth of wellness”, the upgraded Le Grand Spa now houses a total of 17 different wellness and spa experience zones. Facilities include 11 treatment rooms, a Himalayan salt grotto, herbal sauna, laconium, hay sauna, an ice fountain, infrared sauna, and a Finnish sauna. There is also a speciali Alpine

Ultra luxury hotel operator Bulgari Hotels and Resorts will open its fourth property in Beijing next month, which will house a large spa. The 119-bedroom Bulgari Hotel Beijing – due to open on 27 September – will be located within the mixed-use Genesis complex in the heart of Beijing’s Embassy District. Designed by the architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners, Bulgari Hotel Beijing is being marketed as an “urban

Japan-based Okura Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to open its third spa hotel on the island of Taiwan. The company has signed a deal to operate the Okura Prestige Taichung, set to open in 2021, through its subsidiary Okura Nikko Hotel Management. Situated in the heart of Taichung, the 250-bedroom hotel will include a luxury spa, indoor swimming pool and health club – as well as a range of

Singapore-based Alila Hotels & Resorts will open its first North American resort property in California’s fabled Big Sur region in autumn 2017. Transformed from the Ventana Inn into 'Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort', the multi-million-dollar revitalisation is being led by San Francisco-based interiors firm BraytonHughes Design Studios and architecture firm Parks & Associates of Carmel, California. Included in the development will be 59 revamped guest rooms, suites and villas;