German aviation company Lufthansa-Technik has designed a new VIP aircraft interior concept with a wellness and relaxation theme and on-board spa. The Airbus A350 VVIP interior concept, called Welcome Home, is a cabin that places “the human being in the centre of the story” and “emphasises a comprehensive approach towards health and wellbeing on-board,” the company said. The concept was designed for people with busy, travel-heavy lifestyles. In the back

Nekupe Sporting Resort and Retreat, a luxury countryside resort, has opened on a 1300 acre (526 hectare) nature reserve in southwest Nicaragua. Boasting an intimate eight-room property, a luxury spa facility and a number of outdoor pursuits, the resort, located around 30 minutes north of the historic colonial town of Granada, aims to “foster a spirit of exploration, adventure and wellbeing.” Nekupe was envisioned as a private family retreat by

A new global awards ceremony has been launched by design publication Sleeper to celebrate the best hotel and spa designs from around the world. The Awards for Hospitality Experience and Design (AHEAD) replaces the European Hotel Design Awards and the Asia Hotel Design Awards, which are being consolidated into one competition with a more global outlook. The new platform will also be expanded to cover hotel designs in the Americas

Thermal wellness resort operator Vamed Vitality World has added a €14m (US$15m, £12m) stand-alone silent spa to its Therme Laa location in the Weinviertel region of northern Austria. The 3,600sq m (38,750sq ft) spa – which has a 160-guest capacity – will be completely silent, and was inspired by the two things people are asking for in an increasingly hectic world: space and time for contemplation. “Our body is perfectly

Hilton and Paraguayan conglomerate Grupo Cartes have signed a management agreement for a new-build Hilton hotel in Asuncion, Paraguay, marking Hilton’s first foray into the country. Hilton Ascunsion, scheduled for 2021, will occupy part of a 600,000sq ft mixed-use complex in the city and will house a 4,400sq ft (409sq m) spa featuring five treatment rooms, four manicure and pedicure rooms, a relaxation space and a sauna. It will also

On the heels of its announcement of a new Luxury Brands Group, hotel giant Marriott International has outlined some of the nearly 30 new luxury hotels set to debut in 2017 under the St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, Edition and JW Marriott brands. Tina Edmundson, global brand officer for Marriott, said that luxury travel has been up nearly 50 per

London’s The Lanesborough hotel, part of the luxury Oetker Collection, is set to open its new 18,000sq ft (1,672sq m) exclusive spa and wellness centre – billed as ‘a lifestyle club for the modern Londoner’ – on 13 March, and has partnered with experts across the fitness, beauty, spa and wellness communities to offer a holistic approach to wellbeing. Spa consultant Neil Howard has overseen the project, working with interior

Architecture competition organiser Bee Breeders has launched a US$20,000 (€18,500; £15,500) spa design competition in Latvia. The Blue Clay Country Spa competition is inviting architects of all experience to present ideas for a rural spa and guest house in Kurzeme, Western Latvia. Kurzeme is rich in blue clay, which the spa’s treatments will use, and is noted as one of Latvia’s many ecotourism hubs. Invitees are asked to create designs

Designer Philippe Starck, music icon Lenny Kravitz and architecture studio Gensler have come together to design a stylish new hotel in Las Vegas. The W Las Vegas is the first W Hotels Worldwide property in the city. The company, a subsidiary of Marriott International, has taken over the 289 guest rooms of the SLS Las Vegas tower, bringing in a star team of designers to refresh the interiors in a

The world’s first permanent ice hotel has opened to guests 200km (124m) north of the Arctic Circle. Icehotel 365, located in the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi, is a year-round extension to the world-famous 26-year old temporary structure, which is sculpted every winter using ice from the Torne River before melting in spring. To ensure the new structure stands firm all year round – despite its walls, floors and ceiling being

A new resort with a nature-inspired spa has opened adjacent to an environmentally protected 208-acre state park along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Located in Destin, Florida, The Henderson features 170 bedrooms and architecture “reminiscent of a grand seaside manor of yesteryear.” Atlanta-based architect Cooper Carry used traditional coastal architecture, including steep gabled rooflines, shingles and a design that references Florida’s nautical history. The Salamander Spa has 11 treatment rooms as well

Iconic Malaysian luxury resort The Datai Langkawi will embark on an extensive renovation from 4 September 2017, its most substantial enhancement since it opened 23 years ago. To ensure it retains its ‘Datai-DNA,’ the management has appointed interior designer Didier Lefort of DL2A. Australian architect Kerry Hill was responsible for the original designs in 1993, and had a vision to create a luxurious hideaway set amidst a 10-million-year-old rainforest backed

Architecture studio HKS have unveiled their concept designs for Fairmont Taghazout Bay – a 615 hectare seaside resort on the coast of Morocco, which has been conceived to challenge traditional assumptions about holidaying in the country. Slated to open in the first quarter of 2019, the resort, 18 km north of Agadir, will feature 155 guestrooms and suites in addition to 52 Fairmont-branded luxury waterfront villas. Development company Sud Partners

The JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Venice, designed by Matteo Thun & Partners, has won the European Hotel Design of the Year prize. The announcement was made at the European Hotel Design Awards, which took place in a star-packed ceremony last night at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel in London. Matteo Thun and his team created a contemporary resort on the man-made Isola delle Rose island – located

Boutique hotel operator Kimpton has opened the doors to its first Caribbean property, Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, located along the famed Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. This marks the hotel company’s first foray into the international luxury resort market, as well as Grand Cayman’s first new hotel in more than a decade. Kimpton Hotels was acquired by InterContinental in 2014. Seafire includes an 8,500sq ft (794sq m) spa

Marriott International will open a W Hotel on Portugal’s Algarve coast in 2018. Developed in partnership with Nozul Algarve, the 134-bedroom hotel will overlook the coastline and will feature a 10,000sq ft (929sq m) spa. “This beachfront paradise is the perfect backdrop for the W brand’s tone-setting design, signature cocktail culture and dynamic spirit,” said Anthony Ingham, global brand leader for W Hotels Worldwide. “Located on one of the most

Inge Moore has called on hospitality designers to incorporate fun, interactivity and individuality into spa and gym design. The acclaimed interior designer – who is in the process of launching bespoke hospitality design studio MUSE after leaving Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) – told CLAD that spa and fitness spaces have been “totally neglected” in the past, but are now coming to be seen as essential parts of the hotel experience.

Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Hollywood legend Robert De Niro and interior designer David Rockwell were on hand at a cocktail event in New York last night (7 November) to celebrate the soft opening of their latest Nobu hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Rockwell has overseen a multi-million dollar renovation and restoration of the 1950’s Eden Roc Miami Beach hotel building; a national landmark designed by architect Morris Lapidus. The Nobu Miami

Hotel operators have not developed a sophisticated understand of wellness and must do more to integrate it into their developments if they wish to succeed, according to Omer Isvan, president of international investment consultancy Servotel. Isvan, who was speaking at a session at the Global Wellness Summit in Tyrol, Austria last week, argued that investors are placing more importance on hotels and resorts that offer truly transformational experiences that boost

Designer Philippe Starck, architects Arquitectonica, hospitality group sbe and developer Related Group have joined forces to launch a “poetic” new hotel in Miami’s burgeoning Brickell neighbourhood. Arquitectonica have designed the building for the SLS Brickell – a 55-storey tower with a faceted bas relief pattern – on the bustling South Miami Avenue. Starck has designed its 124 hotel rooms and suites and 450 condo residences. “The materials used in the

Wellness in architecture was a key topic at the Global Wellness Summit in Austria last month, as a panel featuring two health and wellbeing specialists from global architecture and engineering firm Arup took the stage to discuss the ways in which building design affects everything from health to mood – and how quickly the space is changing. CLAD editor Liz Terry moderated the panel, which featured Ann Marie Aguilar, who

Amy McDonald, owner and CEO of Under a Tree, Health and Wellness Consulting, has created a destination spa built on Mayan tradition for the upcoming Chablé Resort in Mexico. Operated by Hamak Hotels, The Chablé Resort is set to open next month in Chochola, Yucatan, and will feature 38 glass-fronted casitas and two villas designed by Jorge Borja of Grupo BV. “Although it is really high-end luxury it is thoughtfully

Six Senses is opening a spa in the ski-resort destination of Courchevel, France this December, catering to local residents, chalet owners, holidaymakers and other skiing enthusiasts. Located in the heart of Courchevel 1850, the spa is a part of Six Senses Residences Courchevel which houses 53 penthouses and apartments. Designed by Longo Palmarini Architecture & Partners, the spa will feature a bathing circuit designed with the skier’s needs in mind.

International hospitality interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) have announced a major expansion into Western Europe with the opening of one new office in London and investment in another, which will focus on bespoke, high-concept boutique projects. In addition to opening the new division, the firm have also appointed a new principal to its main London office. Matt White, who has 25 years of luxury hospitality design experience, including

Shreyas Yoga Retreat in India has opened a new 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) partially submerged spa, designed by Akshay and Aditi Heranjal from Purple Ink Studio. Anaha, the Spa at Shreyas includes a main building that descend below the earth, with the light and air movement planned from a series of sunken courts. Facilities include four dedicated ayurveda therapy rooms, two rooms for mud therapy, and a separate naturotherapy section.

Italian architecture practice Studio Fuksas have completed the largest new building in Rome in over 50 years: a convention hall and hotel nicknamed The Cloud. Opening this month after nearly two decades in development, the New Rome/EUR Convention Hall will host exhibitions and conferences expected to bring in as much as €400m (US$437m, £358m) annually to the city of Rome. Located south of the city’s core, the complex is open

One of Singapore's few remaining 19th century luxury hotels, Raffles, will undergo a “careful and sensitive” restoration programme next year. The hotel’s owner, Katara Hospitality, has announced that the Singapore office of architecture firm AEDAS will lead the project alongside interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud. The renovation will take place over three phases beginning in January 2017. The first will see the Raffles Hotel Arcade undergo restoration works while other areas