Rainbow Leisure Centre in Epsom, Surrey, has officially reopened following the completion of an extensive £1m refurbishment funded by operator Greenwich Leisure (GLL). The social enterprise has undertaken the work on behalf of Epsom and Ewell Council over a nine-month period, with improvements including a new-look fitness suite. More than 140 pieces of Technogym equipmen...
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has appointed Habia to deliver key training and business development services to the UK's hair and beauty sector. UKCES named the group as preferred provider of "universal services", including National Occupational Standards; apprenticeship frameworks; and qualification-related activities. Habia secured the UKCES d...
Hotel spas experienced further declines in revenue during 2010, with mid-market and medium sized spas suffering particularly from the squeeze on disposable income. According to the Trends in the Hotel Spa Industry 2011 report by PKF Hospitality Research hotel spas on average suffered a 10.5 per cent decline in departmental revenue in 2010. Urban hotel spas experienced l...
Angsana Hotels & Resorts has opened its 11th spa resort, the Angsana Balaclava at Turtle Bay in Mauritius. The 51-suite luxury retreat houses an Angsana Spa with nine treatment rooms, hammam, a yoga pavilion, hydrotherapy pool and a number of water treatment stations. There are six single treatment rooms and three double rooms. Other facilities include three overlapping...
Further engaging with existing customers and gathering information using social media are among the top customer loyalty trends for leisure companies and service providers during 2012 - according to US-based marketing think tank Loyalty 360. In its annual trends report, the group predicts that customer loyalty, versus acquisition, is critical for driving sustainable grow...
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has begun construction work on its luxury resort at Walt Disney World Resort. The property is a joint venture partner between the hotel group, Silverstein Properties and Dune Real Estate Partners. The 444-room resort, being built in the enclave of Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort, is scheduled to open in 2014. Four Seasons Resort Orl...
Hospitals in the US are increasingly integrating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services with the conventional services they normally provide, according to a new study. A joint survey by Health Forum, a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Samueli Institute, shows that that more than 42 percent of responding hospitals indicated they ...
A new luxury spa has opened at the Jacques Garcia-designed Grand Hotel de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, France. The 1,000sq m spa, called Les Bains de Léa, is located on the hotel's sixth floor and is operated by French organic beauty brand Nuxe. Facilities include 10 treatment rooms, including two doubles; an indoor counter-current swimming pool; sauna and Turkish bath. ...
Talon International Development will open a new luxury spa at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto on 31 January. The 15,000sq ft Quartz Crystal Spa will be located on the 31st floor of the hotel and will feature 10 treatment rooms. Facilities include two couples suites, infrared saunas; an indoor heated, salt-water infinity pool and a movement studio; as well ...
Luxury consumers are embracing new technologies, such as iPads and other tablets, in ways that are transforming "the face of travel", according to Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. The operator of 86 properties across 35 countries has unveiled its first-ever Four Seasons Luxury Trend Report, which aims to help the group better understand customer needs. A third of wealthy...
A new Quan-branded spa has opened at the JW Marriott Chandigarh in Punjab, northern India. The spa has six treatment rooms, therapy pools, plunge pools, separate men's and women's relaxation areas, rooftop swimming pool and a health and fitness club. Offering a range of hydrotherapy, ayurvedic treatments and body scrubs, the spa's signature item is the Me...
A ?12.4m (US$15.7, £10.2m) resort boasting both a spa and indoor water park has opened in Peurunka, central Finland. Kylpylähotelli ja Kuntoutus Peurunka houses a Nautilus-branded spa with 13 treatment rooms, spa pools, a large sauna area and relaxation area. The treatment menu includes hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, a range massages including hot stone and Indian head ma...
A 750sq m (8,000sq ft) luxury day spa has opened at the Archerfield Links championship golf course near Edinburgh, Scotland Facilities at the spa, which were designed and supplied by Nola 7, include a marine salt steam room, aroma sauna, a rasul mud cure room, an ice fountain, hammam tables and an outdoor marine salt vitality pool. Consultant Sian Parry Jones from In+Add...
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (HHC) has unveiled China's first Park Hyatt-branded property in the eastern coastal city of Ningbo - the 236-bedroom Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa. The resort is located next to Dong Qian Lake and is surrounded by tea plantations, Buddhist temples and working fishing villages, offering services for both leisure and business guests. A fitn...
Minor Hotel Group (MHG) has announced the opening of its first Avani-branded property with the 75-bedroom Avani Bentota Resort and Spa on the south coast of Sri Lanka. Formerly known as Hotel Serendib Bentota, the resort has received an extensive LKR650m (US$5.7m, EUR4.4m, £3.6m) refurbishment as part of the rebranding process. Although the property has now adopted a mor...
The Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) has announced plans to launch a therapist training academy, for employees in its signature Chuan Spas (see Spa Business 06/1 p42), during the third quarter of 2012. LHG will partner with an undisclosed international training organisation to offer accredited qualifications. Speaking to Spa Business, LHG director of spa operations Barry ...
Hilton Worldwide has confirmed the signing of the 210-bedroom Hilton Riyadh King Fahd Road - the fourth Hilton Hotels and Resorts hotel due to open in the Saudi Arabian capital. A management agreement with Obeikan Real Estate Development Company will see the new property open in 2014, with the brand's first three hotels to launch in the city by 2013. Facilities at t...
Rezidor Hotel Group and Carlson have combined to launch the new Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group (CRHG), which has a portfolio of more than 1,300 properties across 80 countries. The legal status and the ownership structure of both companies will remain the same, but the new group will pursue the global alignment and management of its brands. Commercial activities will be unde...
UK operator David Lloyd Leisure's (DLL) has announced the opening of the group's largest Amida Spa at its new £15m (EUR17.6m, US$23.6m) sports, health and fitness development in Farnham, Surrey. Spanning more than 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft), the spa area features six treatment rooms; four relaxation rooms; a nail studio; a spa plunge pool; and a spray tanning salon...
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has agreed a management deal for a 380-bedroom spa hotel in Chengdu, Sichuan, China - the group's fifth property in the country. Opening at the end of 2014, facilities at the hotel will be a Pürovel Spa & Sport - the hotel group's recently launched full-service wellness offer. Exact details for the 1,000sq m (10,300sq ft) spa are yet ...
Alila Villas Soori, a luxury resort situated on Bali's southwestern coast, has announced the launch of a new standalone hair spa offering a complete menu of hair and scalp treatments. Part of the existing Spa Alila, the space is "heavily influenced" by Indonesian recipes and treatments have "interchangeable elements" to suit individual hair type and needs. The hair ...
Hotel and resort operator Four Seasons has opened its newest property in Baltimore, US. The 256-bedroom Four Seasons Baltimore boasts a 10,00sq ft (950sq m) spa with eleven treatment rooms including several suites with private soaking tubs - and separate men's and women's relaxation areas, sauna and steamrooms. Featuring products and treatments by ESPA, the sp...
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced plans to open W Jakarta in 2015, its second hotel in Indonesia. Starwood has signed a management deal for the 300-bedroom hotel with PT Ciputra Property, which owns the property through its subsidiary PT Sarananeka Indahpancar. Facilities at the hotel will include a luxury spa and a range of restaurants. The hotel will be...
Marriott Vacations Worldwide (MVW) has confirmed it has commenced trading as a public "pure-play" timeshare ownership company after being spun off by Marriott International. A one-for-10 distribution of MVW shares to existing Marriott International shareholders on 21 November marked the start of regular way trading for the newly-independent business. The company will hav...
Marriott Hotels and Resorts (MHR) has unveiled its iconic Frenchman's Reef and Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort in the US Virgin Islands, following a US$48m (£31m, EUR36m) revamp. Among the new amenities added to the property is the 4,000sq ft (372sq m) Lazule Sea Spa, which features seven treatment rooms; a couples' room; three poolside treatment cabanas; and...
The Residence Mauritius has announced the unveiling of its new-look Sanctuary Spa, which has undergone an extensive EUR700,000 (£597,000, US$939,000) refurbishment. Facilities at the 600sq m (6,458sq ft) spa include 11 treatment rooms, including two couples' rooms, which feature an Asian-influenced design with pebbled floors and lattice furniture. Beauty and hairca...
The privately-owned Armathwaite Hall Country House Hotel and Spa in Cumbria, UK, has announced the appointment of Colin Farndon as its new spa director. Farndon joins Armathwaite Hall with more than 20 years of experience in the industry both in the UK and abroad, and takes over responsibility for the spa from Jenni Paling. Designed by Douglas Wallace Designers with cons...
Sundãri, the spa concept established by supermodel Christy Turlington, has announced the launch of its first Irish flagship facility at the Killarney Plaza Hotel in County Kerry. The 3,000sq ft (278.7sq m) spa now provides a wide number of treatments from Indonesia, Thailand and India, in addition to tailor-made healing therapies for the mind and body. Signature treatme...
The Spa Association of India (SAI) has teamed up with certification company to establish a voluntary code of standards for the country's spa and wellness industry. According to a spokesperson, the standards will be introduced to "ensure provision of an international service offering in keeping with client expectations". The code is based on five key elements ident...
Christie + Co has confirmed that London's Hotel Verta, which was formerly part of the von Essen portfolio, has been acquired by a private buyer in a deal worth "around £20m". The 70-bedroom property, which is located between Battersea and Wandsworth bridges, has been sold on behalf of joint administrators Maurice Moses of Ernst and Young. Hotel Verta and Verta Prope...
Health and wellness software provider Mindbody has launched a new daily deals product for its 15,000 subscribers. Called Mindbody Deals, the new service will integrate a social coupon redemption process into the point of sale system as part of efforts to make it easier for front desk staff to handle daily deals. Mindbody will tailor its deals into each business's c...
Boringdon Hall Hotel director James Nettleton has announced plans for a new multi-million pound development to include a spa and a 60-bedroom expansion of the Devon property. Further details of the project are expected to be announced in the New Year, with Plymouth-based ADG chosen as architects and Ward Williams Associates named as project manager. The planned scheme fo...
US-based hospitality company Morgans Hotel Group (MHG) has revealed plans to launch Europe's first Mondrian-branded property at the iconic Sea Containers House in London. The 652,000sq ft (60,573sq m) office building, which is located on the South Bank, is set to accommodate a 360-bedroom hotel and is expected to become the brand's sixth property. Due to open i...
Review Hotels has announced that it has been given the green light to build a spa adjacent to its Bedford Lodge Hotel in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire. Neighbouring Rockfield House, which was purchased by Review last year, has been granted change of use planning permission to become The Spa at Bedford Lodge Hotel. Exact details for the spa are yet to be confirmed, but it i...
Japanese skincare giant Pola Orbis has completed its acquisition of Australian rival Jurlique in a deal worth AU$300m (US$302m, ?230m, £194m). The acquisition is seen as a way for Pola Orbis to get a foothold in the Australian and New Zealand markets, where Jurlique's organic products have a strong presence. In a statement, a spokesperson for Pola said: "This deal ...
Marriott International president and chief operating officer Arne Sorenson has been named as the hotel group's new chief executive officer, with effect from 31 March 2012. Sorenson becomes the third chief executive officer in the group's history and succeeds Bill Marriott, who has been elected executive chair and chair of the board from the same date. The new l...
Plans for a major £20m (EUR23.8m, US$31m) mixed-use development on Saudi Arabia's east coast have been unveiled by the UK-based multi-disciplinary firm, Capita Symonds. The firm designed the 50,000sq ft (4,645sq m) project on behalf of a private client, which is poised to include a new gymnasium and a spa facility within a six-storey building. It is expected that wo...
Hotel and Spa do Vinho in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is set to become the latest property to join Marriott International's Autograph Collection early next year. The 128-bedroom property will join the collection under a franchise agreement with Harvest Administração d Bens Ltda and is located in the Bento Conçalves wine-making region. Facilities include ...
BolognaFiere, the organiser and owner of the Cosmoprof beauty trade fair, has teamed up with Turkish expo company Interteks to launch Cosmoprof Middle East. The first Cosmoprof dedicated to the region will be held in Istanbul, Turkey from 22 to 25 March 2012 at the Lüfti Kirdar ? Rumeli Exhibition Center and the adjacent Istanbul Congress Center. The show will occupy ar...
Club Med, the international all-inclusive destination brand, has announced that it has signed an agreement to open its second Chinese property in Guilin, Guanxi Province, in mid-2012. An existing Relais and Châteaux resort will be transformed into the new Club Med-branded as part of the deal, which has been signed with owner ChinaPaoShan. Due to open in pre-launch mode f...
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has revealed its Westin brand is to open three new hotels in China over the next six months as part of plans for further growth in the country. The cities of Ningbo, Xian and Xiamen are to feature new Westin hotels, with the business to boast 16 Chinese properties by April 2012 and looking to double its footprint by 2014. Westin Ning...
Old Edwards Inn and Spa, a mountain resort located in North Carolina, US, has commenced work on an expansion scheme that will add an outdoor heated mineral pool to its facilities. Due for completion in the first quarter of 2013, the mineral pool will be the third to be added to the resort. A further 22 guestrooms are also planned, taking the total number to 90. The extra...
Starwood Hotels and Resorts has announced the launch of its seventh Le Méridien-branded resort in Thailand with a new property on a stretch of Lamai Beach in Koh Samui. Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort and Spa offers 77 suites and villas, which have been built in the footprint of a traditional Asian seaside village overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. Facilities include Le Spa,...
The 382-bedroom Jumeirah at Etihad Towers has opened in the Ras Al Akhdar area of Abu Dhabi, which is the first Jumeirah-branded property to launch in the United Arab Emirates. Facilities include the 1,465sq m (15,769sq ft) Talise Spa, of which 115sq m (1,238sq ft) is a relaxation area. Products are supplied by Thermae, Sodashi and Charme D'Orient. The spa aims to o...
Hilton Hotels and Resorts (HHR) has announced the opening of Hilton Worldwide's first full-service hotel in Bogota, Colombia, as part of wider Latin America expansion plans. The 245-bedroom Hilton Bogota includes a glass-enclosed poolside fitness centre with two treatment rooms run by Wellness Spa, along with 10,000sq ft (929sq m) of meeting space. A signature resta...
Spain-based hospitality operator Meliá Hotels International (MHI) has announced plans for the opening of new properties in China and Vietnam as part of its growth strategy in Asia. The 150-bedroom Meliá Danang Hotel will be the first of the two new properties to open in December 2012 in the city of Da Nang, which is located in southern Vietnam. Meanwhile, the 419-bedroom...
Luxury resort operator Mövenpick has launched the Beach Resort Al Khobar in eastern Saudi Arabia. The resort is the ninth hotel to be opened by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in Saudi Arabia and offers 36 three-bedroom duplex villas - including two Royal Villas each with a spacious majlis - a spa and fitness centre, two restaurants, a free-form swimming pool and private beach...
Park Hyatt Sydney, the 155-bedroom hotel overlooking the Australian city's iconic harbour, is to reopen in December following the completion of an extensive transformation project. The refurbishment has included a complete redesign of the hotel's facilities, such as the spa, restaurants and bars. Three rooftop suites have also been created on a new fourth level....
The 274-bedroom JW Marriott Manama, Bahrain is set to open in 2016 and will form part of a large US$2.5bn redevelopment project planned for Bahrain Bay - master planned by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The hotel will be designed by architects Yousif Daoud Al Sayegh and Associates who designed the Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay, Oman Exact details of facilities will be rel...
Kerzner International Holdings has revealed that it has transferred ownership of its flagship Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas to Brookfield Asset Management. Brookfield will also acquire the One&Only Ocean Club and One&Only Palmilla resorts as Kerzner "shifts" its strategy from being an owner/operator to a management company. Kerzner said the move will all...
A redeveloped spa has reopened at the Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort close to the town of Palmilla in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The size of the Desert Oasis has been doubled from four to eight indoor-outdoor treatment villas (cabanas) - two of which are couples' villas. Treatments at the spa are based on a Four Elements-branded menu (earth, water, fir...
Work on the new £24m Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre in St Albans, Hertfordshire, has reached a milestone after the large wooden beams that will support the roof were installed. Glulam beams have been shipped over from Denmark following an eight-week design and a 14-week manufacturing process. Each of the five beams are more than 35m long. It will take contractor Willmo...
Glasgow, UK-based swimming pool and spa provider Barr + Wray has announced that it has successfully secured two contracts in the Far East worth £2m (US$3.1m, EUR2.3m). The group has been appointed to carry out the installation of spa facilities at Resort World and the W Hotel in Sentosa, Singapore, with the latter due for completion in April 2012. Located on the southern...
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with PT Tiara Raya Bali International to develop a new 123-suite Le Méridien-branded resort in Bali, Indonesia. Located on Bali's western coast, the yet-to-open Ristia Resort is to be renamed Le Méridien Bali - Jimbaran under the terms of the deal and is scheduled to open in mid-2012. Facilities will incl...
Crow Wood Leisure (CWL) has submitted plans for a new spa and wellness centre at its Burnley sports and leisure complex, which is expected to cost around £2m to build. The new 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) spa facility at Crow Wood will spread over two floors and will comprise a dedicated lounge and bar and a number of relaxation areas when complete. An outdoor terrace with be...
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has announced its Le Méridien brand has grown its international portfolio to 100 properties with a new hotel in Coimbatore, India. Owned by Appu Hotels, the 254-bedroom Le Méridien Coimbatore offers a number of bar and restaurant options including the signature Latest Recipe all-day dining concept. Nearly 3,500sq m (37,674sq ft) of m...
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Resort operator Club Med has teamed up with spa supplier L'Occitane to launch the first L'Occitane-branded spa at Club Med Sandpiper Bay, Florida, US in December 2011. The opening of the spa will form part of a major US$28m renovation project for the resort. The 5,000sq ft (465sq m) spa will feature seven indoor treatment rooms including one designed for coupl...
Hotel management firm Coral Hospitality Partners is working with The Lojeta Group to create a 350-bedroom luxury resort in Hollywood Beach, Florida, US. Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort will be marketed as a year-round destination and will target both families and couples. Facilities at the resort will include a "tropical spa" with a number of treatment rooms, wet ...
Investor Alan Kanders and his brother Warren Kanders have taken over the ownership of the luxury Mayflower Inn & Spa in Litchfield Hills, Connecticut, US. Famous for its destination spa and gourmet restaurant, the boutique hotel offers accommodation in 30 design-led bedrooms and is a member of the prestigious Relais & Ch...
The Romanian government is backing a scheme which aims to promote the country as a spa destination to inbound visitors. As part of the campaign. twenty resorts will be graded as historic spa resorts by the Department of Regional Development and Tourism (DRDT). The first ten resorts - which include Olanesti, Ocna Sibiului, Govora and Herculane - have been already granted...
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Hilton Hotels and Resorts (HHR) has announced that its hiltontohome.com retail website is to offer skincare and beauty products from its global spa concept, eforea: spa at Hilton. Peter Thomas Roth; Kerstin Florian; LI'TYA; and VitaMan products, which are used across Hilton's eforea estate, will be on sale to consumers through the website from 25 November. The ...
GramercyOne, the company behind SpaBooker, has launched a new Facebook app which will enable businesses to sell gift certificates directly from their Facebook pages. The app allows the creation of instant gift certificates which consumers can print, email and send viral across the world's largest social media network. The new app will run off GramercyOne's Book...
The Bannatyne Group has announced the launch of its latest UK spa at the Fairfield health club near Stotfold, Bedfordshire, which is open to both members and non-members. Facilities at the new ...
Australia's Ayers Rock Resort has entered into a partnership with hotel operator Accor in a bid to drive forward a "new vision" for the iconic property and tourist attraction. The agreement will see Accor provide a full range of services to complement the day-to-day operation of the resort, which is run by Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia (VITA). It is hoped Acc...
Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa, the award-winning boutique rainforest retreat in Queensland, Australia, has been put up for sale by the family that founded it around 15 years ago. Potential buyers for the business and freehold to the resort are now being invited to submit Expressions of Interest to Colliers International Cairns by 15 December. The resort is sited amid 30 acr...
Hard Rock International (HRI) has confirmed plans to open three new all-inclusive branded hotels in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya, Mexico, over the course of 2012. It follows the signing of a new agreement with Palace Resorts LLC for the conversion of the properties into Hard Rock Hotels, commencing with Hard Rock Cancun early next year. The 601-bedroom Hard R...
Hilton Worldwide has confirmed that it will open its first Waldorf Astoria-branded property in The Netherlands, after securing a new agreement with Dijkhuis Vastgoed Management. Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam will launch in 2013 and will see six historic buildings alongside the Herengracht canal combined in order to house the 94-bedroom hotel. Facilities will include a 500sq ...
Anantara has launched its 10th property in Thailand with the opening of Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa. The rebranded Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa has 407 guest rooms - including 97 suites - and a Mandara spa with nine treatment rooms and suites, a tropical swimming pool and spa pool. The nine treatment rooms are divided into two suite treatment rooms, six delux...
The Walt Disney Company has confirmed that its fourth Disney-branded cruise liner, Disney Fantasy, will make its maiden voyage in March 2012. Currently being built at the Meyer shipyard in Germany, the 1,115ft (340m) long ship will have 14 decks and will be able to carry 4,000 passengers. The ship joins Disney Magic, Disney Wonder and Disney Dream in the company's ...
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (HHC) has revealed that its Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands are to enter the Asian market with the opening of three properties in Shanghai, China. The international hospitality operator said its affiliates had secured management agreements for two Hyatt Place and one Hyatt House hotels, which will represent a total of 437 rooms. Hyatt House Sh...
The 50-villa Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa resort in the Gaafu Alifu Atoll, which was taken over by the Hyatt Group earlier this year, has announced the launch of its new Vidhun Spa. Guests at the spa will be able to benefit from the traditional Maldivian medicinal practice of Dhivehibey, which has roots in Ayurvedic, Chinese and Tibetan medicine. The Vidhun Spa, which mea...
St Regis Hotels and Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, is to open a new Yabu Pushelberg-designed property in Bal Harbour, Florida, US, on 19 January 2012. Housed in three 27-storey all-glass towers, the new St Regis Bal Harbour Resort will boast 214 bedrooms and suites and 307 residences overlooking an expansive section of beach. Yabu Pushelberg was ...
A new 1,100sq m (11,840sq ft) spa overlooking the Gulf of Thailand has officially launched at the Conrad Koh Samui Resort and Spa development on Thailand's Aow Thai Beach. The spa offers treatments influenced by traditional Thai healing practices and was developed in collaboration with Dr Buathon Thienarrom, a leading authority on holistic therapies. Facilities at T...
Israel-based companies Fattal Hotel Management and Izaki Group Investments have begun construction of the Herod's Hotel at the Herzliya Marina near Tel Aviv. The NIS300m (US$82m, 60m euro, ...
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (HHC) has announced the launch of the Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa, which is located on Vietnam's central coastline. The resort, which is situated between the Hoi An world heritage site and the city of Danang, offers views of both the South China Sea and the Marble Mountains. Facilities include the VIE Spa, which includes eight single...
A new 360-bedroom hotel has become Hyatt Hotels Corporation's first branded property in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in partnership with Abu Dhabi National Hotels. Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas is located on Saadiyat Island and boasts the Atarmia Spa, which comprises nine treatment rooms, outdoor private terraces and an ice fountain. A whirlpool; a sauna...
Ayada Maldives, a new island-based resort covering 150,000sq m (1.6 million sq ft) of land in the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll to the south of the country, has opened its doors to guests. Facilities at the 112-villa resort include tha 3,500sq m (37,674sq ft) AySpa and Health Club, which is managed by ESPA; a dive and watersports centre; and seven restaurants. The AySpa and Health ...
Massage Envy Franchising is to enter Alaska with the opening of four new Envy Spa clinics after signing a multi-unit regional developer agreement with Gregg and Debbie Olsen. The first of the new clinics will open in Anchorage during the first half of 2012, with a move into Alaska forming part of the group's "steady and strategic" growth plan. This year has seen Mas...
The annual ISPA Conference and Expo will open to delegates and exhibitors today at the Mandala Bay resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. The largest ISPA-organised event of the year, the four-day conference is designed to provide spa owners, directors, managers and suppliers with the latest tips and insight on where the industry is headed and how to ensure that business is sus...
Longleat Enterprises has completed the acquisition of Homewood Park Hotel and Spa near Bath, the second property it has bought out of the administration of the von Essen group. It follows Longleat's purchase of the 32-bedroom Bishopstrow House hotel in Warminster, with both sales being overseen by Christie + Co on behalf of von Essen's administrators. Homewood ...
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, one of the largest privately owned hotel brands in the UK, has announced plans to focus on the growth of its spa hotels with the introduction of the Spa Collection. The first capital expenditure under the new strategy will see the group invest ...
The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa Valley, California, US, is to expand its capacity by 165 bedrooms in early 2012. The resort, which boasts an 9,000sq ft (836sq m) underground spa, has also joined Associated Luxury Hotels International as part of its expansion strategy. Situated beneath the grape-crusher statue at the Meritage, the resort's Spa Terra features 10 ...
Organic spa brand Pinks Boutique has confirmed that it has secured a partnership to supply Radisson Edwardian, one of the largest privately-owned hotel groups in the UK. The Spa at Radisson Edwardian's newly-launched hotel in Guildford, Surrey, will be among the locations to offer Pinks products and treatments as a result of the agreement. Lara Lympaney, group spa m...
La Costa Resort and Spa in California, US, has been relaunched by KSL Resorts, following the completion of an extensive US$50m (EUR37.1m, ...
David Lloyd Leisure's (DLL) new ...
The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has confirmed the appointment of Tracy Bannister as its new group spa manager, who will oversee spa operations at the group's eight properties. Bannister joins the Mumbai, India-based hospitality operator from Agua Spa at The Delano in Miami Beach, US, and has more than 20 years of experience of spa operations in the US. Madhu N...
Hotel ICON in Houston, Texas, US, has become the latest property to be added to Marriott International's "unique" portfolio of independent hotels, the Autograph Collection. The 12-storey property was first launched in 2004, following the completion of a US$35m (EUR25m, ...
Nira Hotels and Resorts is to launch a new 70-bedroom glass-and-timber-built "mountain sanctuary' in the hamlet of Surlej, near Silvaplana, Switzerland, on 30 November. Located 5km (3.1 miles) from the wintersports resort of St Moritz, Nira Alpina will provide guests with views overlooking Lake Silvaplana and offers a "ski in, ski out" experience. Facilities will in...
The 32-bedroom Bishopstrow House hotel in Warminster, Wiltshire, which was formerly a part of the von Essen Hotels estate, has been bought out of administration by Longleat Enterprises. The Grade II-listed property is located close to the Longleat estate, which is home to the 7th Marquess of Bath and includes Longleat Safari Park and Longleat Adventure Park. Christie + C...
Sofitel Luxury Hotels, part of the France-based Accor Group, has announced the launch of the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan in Egypt, following a three-year renovation. The property, which is located on the banks of the Nile River, is housed in a building dating back to 1899 and has hosted guests such as Sir Winston Churchill since it initially opened. Sofitel Legend ...
Ark Age Aware Skincare has opened a new training academy at its headquarters in Putney, UK. The ARK Academy aims to offer newly qualified spa therapists a 'finishing school', equippping them to be commercially and professionally ready for the working environment. Academy Director Sara Wilce said: "I've spent the last 12 years of my career trying to recruit...
The Shiseido day spa in Beirut, Lebanon has undergone a 160,000 euro (US$221,000, ...
A five-year renovation programme costing US$35m (EUR25.1m, ...
Representatives from The Walt Disney Company and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts have joined officials in Hawaii, US, for the opening of Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa. Among the facilities at the new resort is the 18,000sq ft (1,672sq m) Laniwai, a Disney Spa, which includes 15 treatment rooms and offers therapies drawing on Hawaiian influences. The resort's spa is ...
US-based hospitality operator Viceroy Hotel Group (VHG) has revealed that Abu Dhabi's iconic Yas Hotel will now be known as Yas Viceroy following the property's rebranding. It follows the announcement earlier this year that VHG had been chosen to operate the 499-bedroom property, which is owned by by Aldar Properties and is located at the heart of the Yas Marina...
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to reposition its Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts as a portfolio of 'upper-upscale' properties. Announcing its three-phased strategy at its annual conference in Las Vegas, US, IHG said it expects all 400 Crowne Plaza hotels in 52 countries to be repositioned by 2015. The three phases of the repositioning are defined as "Fres...
A cutting-edge medical complex is to be built at The Greenbrier ? a luxury health-focused resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, US. It is proposed that the Greenbrier Medical Institute will be developed in phases in the 6,750-acre (2,732-hectare) grounds. The initial stage, expected to cost US$250m (EUR187m, ...
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (HHC) has launched its new Andaz Shanghai property in China, which is located in the Xintiandi entertainment area of downtown Shanghai. The 307-bedroom hotel occupies a 28-storey building and includes the Andaz Lounge, Hai Pai and ...
Hotel Le Bristol in Paris, France, has celebrated the completion of a EUR100m (US$139m, ...
Great Hotels of the World has announced the opening of the US$1.8m (EUR1.3m, ...
Hyatt Hotels Corporation plans to open more than 40 new hotel spas over the next five years. Informing to Spas India, Hyatt's vice president of international spa operations Niamh O'Connell said the majority of new sites would be in Asia - with India and China particularly identified as growth markets. As part of Hyatt's strategy of not having an inhouse s...
The 129-bedroom Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea and Spa has been relaunched in north-west France, following a major revamp led by Paris-based hospitality architects Studio MHNA. The complex specialises in slimming breaks focused on healthy eating and the thalassotherapy institute ? a flagship 5,000sq m (53,280sq ft) facility that has been completely redesigned. A stand-out...
Ingo Schweder, the former chief executive officer of spa management group Spatality, has launched a new international consulting firm called GOCO Hospitality. GOCO has been created to offer a full range of consulting and management services to the international spa and hotel industry under the baller 'wellness meets wanderlust". The company is already working on a c...
The opening of the new EUR35.5m (...
New York-based skincare and haircare company Kiehl's has revealed its first-ever spa facility on the US city's Upper East Side. Sited on the second floor of a new 'Kiehl's Since 1851' retail store, Spa 1851 is to offer skin, body and hair treatments for both men and women. The new spa has a separate entrance to the retail store and features a wai...
Mindy Terry, president and founder of consulting firm Creative Spa Concepts (CSC) has been appointed managing director of development at Thailand-based Andurance Hospitality. In her new role, Terry will oversee the development of a Thai scheme that will include five villas, a spa, a bar, restaurants and swimming pools. The Andurance project will see Terry based in Surat T...
Kempinski is to manage its first property in Azerbaijan - the 280-bedroom Kempinski Hotel Badamdar, in the capital of Baku. Facilities include a 3,500sq m (37,674sq ft) spa and wellness centre with 20 treatment rooms - six of which are doubles - and a beauty centre. The product house used at the spa is Elemental Herbology, while a pool, relaxation area, sauna, hammam an...
Steiner Leisure has secured an agreement to acquire all issued and outstanding capital stock of Ideal Image Development, the US-based provider of laser hair removal treatments. Ideal Image currently has 68 facilities in more than 20 states across the country, 17 of which are operated by franchisees. It is a company "exclusively" focused on laser hair removal. The deal pr...
The new Mantra Samui Resort and Spa, which has taken three-and-a-half-years to develop, has opened its doors to guests for the first time in Koh Samui, Thailand. A member of the Great Hotels of the World Luxury Collection, the privately-owned resort was unveiled on 10 October and includes the 150sq m (1,615sq ft) Splendid Spa. The spa area is due for completion later this...
GramercyOne, the company behind spa industry software SpaBooker, announced today that it has secured US$14.5m (10.5m euro, ...
Pristine Bay Resort on the island of Roat...
Entrepreneur Donald Trump is vying to take over the troubled Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Florida, US, after bidding US$170m (123m euro, ...
Customers that undergo spa treatments using toothless Garra Rufa fish are at a 'very low' risk of catching an infection, according to new guidance on fish spas published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). In a statement, the HPA outlined that in a fish spa setting there is the potential for transmission of a range of infections, either from fish to person (d...
.jpg?width=114&height=125&cropratio=1:1&image=/dailyimg/546_N_spa_features_masthead (1).jpg "Bay Point resort in Florida launched by Wyndham")
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has launched its fourth new property in Florida within the last 12 months with the opening of the 319-bedroom Wyndham Bay Point Resort in Panama City Beach. Accommodation at the hotel include 60 one- and two-bedroom golf villas that offer separate living rooms and bedrooms. Facilities include the 12,000sq ft (1,100sq m), Serenity Spa offering a...
Venture capitalist company Fidelity Growth Partners (FGP) has invested ...
David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) has secured a deal with Aromatherapy Associates; Rodial; and Alpha-H to provide products for new treatments and therapies across its Amida Spa estate. The products will be offered from October/November at all Amida Spa facilities, which are located at selected DLL racquet and fitness clubs and the operator's Harbour clubs. DLL business deve...
A new boutique facility called Akatsuki has opened on a secluded beach on the island of Koh Samui Designed by Tokyo-based architect Riccardo Tossani, the private luxury resort is built entirely from recycled wood and uses natural ventilation and shade for guest comfort. Catering for small groups or business events, the resort has a dining pavilion with large beach-side d...
Steiner Leisure Limited has acquired Cortiva Group, which operates seven massage therapy schools with a total of 12 campuses in the US, in a deal worth US$30m (?22m, ...
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has opened a Hyatt Regency-branded hotel in Jinan, the capital city of Shandong province in China. The 343-room Hyatt Regency Jinan occupies a landmark 28-story tower adjacent to the Wanda Plaza retail hub, Wanda Office Tower and Luxury Residences in the centre of the city. Facilities include a luxury Fang Quan-branded spa, a heated 32-metre ind...
Work has been completed on four luxury spa suites at the Centre Parcs Elveden Forest holiday village in Suffolk, UK. The ...
Bovey Castle, Devon, has been unveiled as the home of a new UK flagship spa for Sund...
Aromatherapy Associates has been appointed to operate the spa at Raithwaite Hall Country Retreat near Whitby, North Yorkshire, which is scheduled to open in October. The international health and beauty group has been chosen as the property's spa partner in advance of its grand opening, with day spa and overnight spa break services to be offered. Facilities at the Ra...
Champneys Health Resorts Group has announced that US-born Alex De Carvalho has been appointed as the UK-based spa operator's new managing director. De Carvalho has joined the company with around 20 years of international hospitality sector experience, which has included senior roles at Hilton and InterContinental Hotels Group. "In a hectic world, Champneys has a cha...
A 35,000sq ft (3,252sq m) Shamana Spa is to open later this year at the Hyatt Hotels Corporation's (HHC) new Grand Hyatt Goa hotel, which has been unveiled in India. Located overlooking Bambolim Bay, the new hotel's spa will feature 19 treatment suites when open - including 11 single, six double and two royal suites, offering indigenous therapies based on South ...
Las Vegas, US-based Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CEC) has confirmed it is to make its first move into the Asia Pacific region with a new resort in Hainan, China. The Caesars Palace Longmu Bay development is the "first major venture"of Caesars Global Life, which is a new non-gaming division created to build and manage branded properties. CEC is aiming to build 25 ho...
Crieff Hydro resort in Perthshire has tabled plans for a ...
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has opened the doors to its Hotel Palomar San Diego in California, US. The 183-bedroom hotel, formerly called the S...
Virginia, US-based Salamander Hotels and Resorts (SHR) has been selected to operate the 176-suite Sanctuary Cap Cana resort in the Dominican Republic with immediate effect. The property, owned by Corporacion Hotelera Internacional (CHI), will join the operator's Grand Resorts of Cap Cana collection alongside Fishing Lodge and Ocean Club. Facilities at Sanctuary Cap ...
L'Auberge de Sedona, the luxury inn, spa and restaurant located in Oak Creek, Arizona, US, has announced the completion of an extensive US$25m (...
Singapore-based hospitality operator Como Hotels and Resorts has announced that the Shambhala Urban Escape is to open at its Metropolitan London property on 16 October. The group said its facility, which will provide an "intimate, results-driven spa", aims to demonstrate its holistic approach and offer treatments developed at resort spas across the world. Linzi Coppick o...
Bovey Castle, Devon, has been unveiled as the home of a new UK flagship spa for Sund...
Work has been completed on four luxury spa suites at the Centre Parcs Elveden Forest holiday village in Suffolk, UK. The ...
A new women-only spa will open in the Al-Saad area in Doha, Qatar. The Venus Salon & Spa Beauty has been designed by Hamilton International with Sweden-based Raison d'Etre providing consultancy services on the project. The spa will have three single treatment rooms, hammam, Thai massage pavilion and a private spa tent with hydrotherapy bath. There will also be thr...
Steiner Leisure has revealed that it has signed new agreements with both Cunard and P&O Cruises, which will see the group operate onboard spa, salon and fitness facilities. The new deal with Cunard will see Steiner serve the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria until November 2013 and the deal with P&O's fleet will run until April 2014. It is also anticipated that bot...
Marriott International has announced that three of its brands have opened in Qatar as part of the Doha City Center complex, which comprises two 48-storey properties in West Bay. Located near the city's financial district, the complex includes the 257-bedroom Renaissance Doha City Center Hotel and the 204-room Courtyard by Marriott Doha City Center. The 123-unit Marr...
Hilton Hotels and Resorts (HHR) has announced that its spa concept, eforea: spa at Hilton, is to make its European debut this month (October) at its Hilton Baku property in Azerbaijan. Located on the 23rd floor of the Baku hotel, the new 1,500sq m (16,146sq ft) spa is to offer views overlooking the Caspian Sea and the Baku cityscape. Facilities will include eight "oversi...
Lough Erne Resort near Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, UK, has announced the introduction of Ytsara's products and experiences to its Thai Spa facility. Facilities at the resort's Thai-inspired spa include a dual treatment room for couples, friends or family, along with the Traditional Thai Massage Room and Royal Thai Ritual Room. The launch of Ytsara at Lough E...
Rosewood Hotels and Resorts (RHR) has announced the launch of its eight Sense-branded spa at the newly-unveiled Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver, Canada. Located on the fourth floor of the 155-room hotel, the spa boasts separate facilities for both men and women with sauna and steamrooms and offers a full range of treatments. Five treatment rooms; a manicure/pedicure ...
Rancho Bernardo Inn Golf Resort in San Diego, US, has teamed up with Kimberly Parry Organics (KPO) to create new signature treatments as part of a newly-launched spa menu. Custom oils, scrubs and wraps will be made available at the California resort as part of the partnership, with indigenous formulations such as Jojba and St Johnswort to be used. Michelle Schlekewey, sp...
ITC Mughal in Agra, India, has announced the launch of its first in-suite spa rooms as part of the property's newly-opened 42-room Khwab Mahal - the Palace of Dreams wing. Five new Presidential Suites have been created in the new wing, which comprise two Royal Spa Presidential Suites named after Mughal Queens NurJehan and Mumtaz Mahal. The Royal Spa Presidential Sui...
.jpg?width=114&height=125&cropratio=1:1&image=/dailyimg/519_N_spa_features_masthead (1).jpg "London home for Aromatherapy Associates")
Aromatherapy Associates has revealed that it is to open a new boutique and treatment rooms in Knightsbridge, London, on 11 October to provide the company with its "own platform". Martin Hulbert is behind the design of the company's new location in the capital, which will offer a bespoke blending service from co-founder Geraldine Howard. Complimentary consultations a...
New research by the Global Spa Summit (GSS) has found that conceptual issues and weak promotional models are "really holding back the growth" of wellness and medical tourism. Wellness Tourism and Medical Tourism: Where Do Spas Fit? includes a survey of more than 200 stakeholders; case studies; industry data; and an overview of definitions. The report found that the welln...
Knowsley Council has opened its new £16.1m, Broadway Malyan-designed leisure, spa and cultural complex on the former site of the St Thomas Becket School in Huyton, Merseyside. Among the facilities at 6,600sq m (71,042sq ft) Knowsley Leisure and Cultural Park is a wet spa area with a steamroom, sauna and whirlpool, as well as treatment rooms. The complex also includes two...
Intelligenz Solutions, the Australia-based provider of integrated software for the fitness, spa, wellness and hospitality sector, has revealed plans to enter the UK market for the first time. In addition to its existing sales and support offices in Australia, New Zealand and the US, a base is to open in Northampton, UK, to serve the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. ...
Go Iman has launched its new rating certification for hotels, which provides an opportunity for the global hospitality sector to offer Shariah friendly or compliant facilities to Muslims. According to Go Iman, the unveiling of the new system will allow operators to capitalise on the 1.6 billion Muslim people across the world looking for services to suit Halal lifestyles. ...
Online beauty and wellbeing specialist Wahanda has announced the launch of a week-long event due to take place next month, which aims to help Brits to look and feel their best. "Feel Gorgeous Week" is scheduled for 10-16 October and is set to get underway with a range of offers on products and services already available through Wahanda. Community events are also due to t...
Ayana Resort and Spa, which is located on the Indonesian island of Bali, has announced the launch of new offers for users of the social networking websites, Facebook and Twitter. The Like-To-Tweet promotion is valid until 30 June 2012 and features special rates, as well as bonus resort credits varying depending on the length of the stay. Facilities at the property includ...
Sir Richard Branson and actor Edward Norton have been revealed as speakers at the annual Six Senses Symposium, which is due to take place at Soneva Fushi, Maldives, next month. The four-day environmental conference will take place on 6-9 October and aims to bring the world's leading figures in business and sustainability together with political representatives. Pres...
Northern Ireland-based development group McAleer and Rushe has revealed that it has sold the 192-bedroom W London-Leicester Square hotel in a deal worth £200m. The flagship property, which is operated by Starwood and located on the corner of Leicester Square and Wardour Street, now under the ownership of a Qatari-based investor. Designed by Jestico + Whiles, the hotel op...
Germany-based skincare company Babor has announced the opening of its new 140sq m (1,507sq ft) beauty spa on Seilerstätte in the centre of Vienna's Innere Stadt, Austria. Headed by Vera Pöllabauer, the new wellness facility incorporates four treatment rooms, a pedicure room and a manicure room. Each treatment room have been decorated in gold or silver, with the sil...
A new spa facility offering three treatment rooms has been unveiled at the BLVD Hotel and Spa boutique property in Studio City, which is located near Hollywood, California, US. The new BLVD Spa is designed to offer visitor and guests an extensive range of treatments to refresh and replenish and has been designed to provide "a tranquil oasis". Products and treatments at t...
A new spa is to be opened at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa resort on 1 November under the management the Hyatt Group, which took control of the property earlier this year. Details of the new facility are yet to be confirmed, although it is anticipated that the spa will draw on traditional Maldivian healing, cleansing and purifying techniques. The new spa at Park Hyat...
Team GB Olympic rower Alex Partridge has helped officially unveil Nuffield Health's new-look health and wellbeing centre in Covent Garden, London, following a £2.5m overhaul. Covent Garden Fitness and Wellbeing Centre has undergone a two-phase refurbishment, the second of which comprised a £500,000 transformation of the venue's wet facilities. The centre now o...
The new 194-bedroom Crowne Plaza Resort Colchester - Five Lakes, which is the first UK resort to open under the Crowne Plaza brand, has opened to guests for the first time. Owned by AB Hotels and managed by BDL Management as part of Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), the new property boasts a swimming pool; a gym; and an on-site spa. ESPA, Clarins and Jessica Nails sup...
Privately-owned investment firm Topland Group has confirmed that it has acquired the 319-bedroom Hilton Glasgow property on William Street in a deal worth £35.7m. Royal Bank of Scotland selected Topland as its preferred buyer for the hotel, which features the Ocean Room Spa; a fitness centre; a sauna and whirlpool; and a 15m swimming pool. Hilton currently runs the Glasg...
Spanish hotel operator Meliá has opened its newest Italian property in the city of Genova - its third hotel in the country. The opening of the luxury property forms part of the company's expansion strategy, which has seen it sign management deals for a total of 11 hotels so far this year. The 99-bedroom Meliá Génova is located in the heart of the city, within the ...
Hilton Hotels and Resorts (HHR) has announced that it is to open its flagship eforea: spa at Hilton concept at the Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa in Arizona, US, this autumn. The project will be the first conversion for the international concept in western US and is to feature 25,000sq ft (2,323sq m) of indoor and outdoor facilities, such as a 25m pool. Treatment rooms; ...
Switzerland-based hospitality group Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts has made its first move into India with the launch of a new 182-room property in the heart of Bangalore. Facilities at the Mövenpick Hotel and Spa Bangalore includes the Sohum Spa, which boasts eight treatment rooms offering a range of Ayurveda-inspired therapies. Oriental and European healing techniques ...
St Raphael Resort in Limassol, Cyprus, has opened the doors to its new Serenity-branded spa. The spa replaces the hotel's former health and beauty centre and features treatment rooms, an indoor swimming pool, water-jet massage bed, rasul, a solarium, a beautician's suite, dedicated manicure/pedicure room, a relaxation area as well as a private sauna and steamro...
Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) has signed a management agreement with Xuzhou Bodun Real Property Company for the 340-room Eaton Luxe, Xuzhou in Jiangsu Province, China. The property, which is scheduled to open in 2012, is Langham's 30th hotel in the country. Facilities will include a Chuan-branded luxury spa, swimming pool, health club and a wide range of restaur...
.jpg?width=114&height=125&cropratio=1:1&image=/dailyimg/499_N_spa_features_masthead (1).jpg "Magdalena Spa Resort in Tobago to open in November")
A new luxury spa resort is set top open its doors on the Caribbean island of Tobago in November. The 200-key Magdalena Grand Beach Resort will boast a large spa, multiple swimming pools, five restaurants and a PGA-designed championship golf course. A spokesperson said the details of the spa facilities will be revealed at a later date. The November opening will be the...
Jiva Spa has launched its latest spa at the newly opened Vivanta by Taj hotel in Yeshwantpur, Bangalore, India. Designed as a site for traditional Indian wellness heritage, Jiva Spa at Vivanta Yeshwantpur features 10 treatment rooms, a beauty salon, wet areas comprising of hammam and sauna for ladies and gentlemen, experiential showers and separate There is also a larg...
.jpg?width=114&height=125&cropratio=1:1&image=/dailyimg/497_N_spa_signature (1).jpg "Design spa hotel opens in Croatia")
Croatian hotel group Maistra has opened its latest property - the 248-bedroom Lone Hotel in the city of Rovinj. Designed by architects 3LHD and Silvijo Novak, the HRK335m (US$61m, 44m euro, £39m) hotel's facilities include a 1,700sq m spa and wellness centre, restaurants and conferencing space. It is the first Croatian hotel to join the Design Hotels scheme - a memb...
Mint Hotel Tower of London, UK has launched its in-room spa services in conjunction with mobile spa specialist London Serenity. In addition to the service being available to residents, companies holding meetings and conferences at Mint Hotel Tower of London can also organise treatments for delegates during breakout sessions. Treatments are available at a supplement to ex...
A spokesperson has confirmed that the Moroccan-themed luxury spa at Dolphin House in London, UK will launch on 10 October. Inspired by the ancient cleansing and purifying ritual of a Moroccan hammam, The Spa in Dolphin House boasts to be London's first spa to offer guests both an authentic Moroccan hammam and rasul as well as a traditional salt infused steamroom. ...
South African spa brand Africology has teamed up with London's Bloww salon to launch its treatment menu in the UK. From the end of September, all treatments at Bloww will use Africology products while the products will also go on sale at the Bloww retail zone. Africology owner and CEO Renchia Droganis has partnered with Rachelle Moulai on the project, with Moulai ...
Wynn Macau has signed a land concession contract from the government of Macau for the development of a new casino resort in the Chinese Special Administrative Region. Under the terms of the new deal, Wynn Macau has secured around 51 acres (20.6 hectares) of land in the Cotai area and will develop the site alongside Palo Real Estate Company. Facilities at the new Wynn M...
A new Pool & Spa trade association looking to develop and maintain standards in the Indian spa industry will be launched later this year as www.poolspaassociationofindia.com. As part of its growth and demand, Spa Association of India (SAI) will look to work alongside national and regional tourism boards as well as Manufacturers/Distributors & operators to set quality stand...
The Green Spa Network (GSN) has announced the speaker lineup for its fourth annual congress on sustainability being held between 9 and 12 October at Robert Redford's The Sundance Resort near Park City, Utah. Speakers at this year's event include Robert Zimmer, developer of Sundance and former CEO of Rosewood Hotels; David Oakey, sustainability expert from Inter...
International hotel and resort architects ReardonSmith have joined forces with South Africa-based design firm Savile Row to work on a major new resort planned for Mozambique. A standalone spa is set to form part of the 800-hectare (1,977-acre) development, which is to be located on a peninsula overlooking the Indian Ocean and borders an elephant reserve. Further detail...
Indian medical spa operator Leonia is preparing to launch the first of three new LeoJuventa-branded spas in November 2011. The £2m (2.26m euro, US$3.1m) standalone spa in Jaipur will cover up to 10,000sq ft (929sq m) with eight therapy rooms. The next to open will be a similarly-sized spa in Visakhapatnam (December 2012), and a 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) spa with 15 thera...
.JPG?width=114&height=125&cropratio=1:1&image=/dailyimg/488_N_Relaxation area (Horizontal).JPG "London's W Hotel acquired by Qatari investor")
An unnamed Qatari private investor is reported to be in discussions over the acquisition of the W London - Leicester Square hotel from a Northern Ireland-based developer. According to the BBC, current owner McAleer and Rushe is close to securing a deal worth £196m for the sale of the hotel - part of its wider Swiss Centre scheme in central London. W London - Leicester ...
Hilton Hotels and Resorts (HHR) has announced the official opening of its new AU$700m (£459m, EUR525m, US$725m) Surfers Paradise complex on Australia's Gold Coast. The operator said that the new complex is its first in Australia to offer both guest rooms and holiday residences, with facilities also including a purpose-built eforea: spa at Hilton. Each of the spa&#...
DoubleTree by Hilton has expanded its UK portfolio with the launch of a new 95-bedroom property in Sheffield, South Yorkshire - the DoubleTree by Hilton Sheffield Park. Formerly called Sheffield Park Hotel, the property has been completely revamped and includes a privately-run beauty spa owned by Emma Stalker. The spa, which is called Above and Beyond, comprises a rece...
Spa and wellness giant Steiner Leisure will operate two new spas under its Chavana brand at the Adaaran Select Meedhupparu resort and Adaaran Club Rannalhi resort in The Maldives. Both hotels are operated by Aitken Spence Hotels and the spas are scheduled to open in November 2011. The term of each of the agreements is seven years and as part of the deal, Steiner will i...
Excellent established BUSINESS ONLY fully equipped Hair Salon and Spa ownership opportunity in Cedar Key, Florida - (an hour west of Gainesville on the Gulf of Mexico). Just in time for the tourist season when everyone (and their dogs) come to sunny Florida. Season is usually from October thru April although the summers are almost as busy. Sale includes business name, all ...
Konsumgüter Team Beautyworld Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1 60327 Frankfurt Germany http://beautyworld.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en/home.html Telephone: +49 69 75 75-61 47 Fax: +49 69 75 75-67 03 ...
Dubai-based international hotel group Jumeirah is to operate a new resort and spa development in Mallorca’s Port Soller area. The Jumeirah Port Soller property is the group’s first European resort and spa development and will open in early 2010. ...
A 2.7m euro (£1.8m, US$3.8m) spa has opened in the Porto Palacio Congress Hotel in Porto City in northern Portugal. The 16,145sq ft (1,500sq m) Porto Palacio Spa by L'Occitane covers three floors and has strong Mediterranean and Provencal influences. ...
Resort and spa operator Banyan Tree has signed a management contract for its first Banyan Tree-branded city club property in Seoul, South Korea. Situated in Namsan, in the heart of the city, the Banyan Tree Club and Spa will be operated on a membership basis. ...
SpasWorldwide.com has launched an advanced Career Search area for it's members and Affiliates The new "Jobs" section of SpasWorldwide.com offers job postings to member affiliates. The new SpasWorldwide.com jobs area offers an efficient service allowing spa employers and employees to find each other. Employers may post positions in the information and graphically rich ...
A lease has been agreed for a spa resort in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The municipality of Adelboden, where the spa development will be situated, has voted in favour of granting planning permission for the area and signed a lease agreement. Scheduled to open in early 2011, the Adelboden Alpine Bath project will be financed by property group Pearl of Switze...
A luxury spa is to be added to the Murano Oriental Resort in la Palmeraie, Marrakech, Morocco, north Africa. Opening in mid-2008, the spa will be situated on the ground floor of the fifth riad, or house, on the property, and be called Donizetti. It will include a mosaic-lined indoor swimming pool, a black marble hammam, a fitness centre and a number of treatment rooms. The...
The Giorgio Armani group has opened the first Armani-branded spa in Tokyo, Japan. The Armani Spa is situated in the 12-storey Ginza Towers, within the city’s Ginza district. It is the fourth megastore for the designer, following stores in Italy, Hong Kong and Germany. It has been reported that Armani is also planning a 47,000sq ft (4,366sq m) US-based property on New York’...
The International Spa Association (ISPA) issued a recall of its 2007 Global Consumer Studies on 5 November, citing a number of statistical and analytical errors associated with the research. The recall includes all information contained in the ISPA 2007 Global Consumer Report; the ISPA 2007 Asia-Pacific Consumer Report and the Spa & Institut Beyond Beauty Paris 2007 Europe...
Luxury spa to launch at Norton House A new day spa is to open in December as part of a £13.5m (19.8m euro, US$27m) redevelopment of Scotland’s Norton House hotel in Edinburgh. Located in the Walled Garden area of the hotel, below the new conference suite, the 13,777sq ft (1,280sq m) Norton House Spa has been designed by Steve Tabb of Fletcher Joseph, with interiors by Iain...
Skincare and beauty brand Clarins has revealed plans to rollout its Skin Spa brand in the US as part of ongoing global development plans. Exact plans and locations haven’t been confirmed yet but each new spa will be a partnership, and won’t be owned by Clarins. Clarins’ flagship US spa is situated on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York on Madison Avenue. Since its...
Shaza Hotels has an agreement with one of the world’s leading spa operators, MSpa International. Under the agreement, the Bangkok-based international spa group will design and manage a range of deluxe Hammam spas across all of Shaza’s upcoming developments throughout the Middle East and North Africa. MSpa, which currently manages some of the most exclusive resort and city ...
Auberge Resorts is to open a luxury resort and spa in July 2008 near Sante Fe, New Mexico. Called Encantado, the property will feature 65 bedrooms, a destination spa, a signature restaurant and a lounge area. Covering 10,000sq ft (929sq m), Spa Encantado will have 15 treatment rooms. The spa menu will combine ayurveda with Western herbalism and regionally-inspired therapie...
MILAN: Fancy enjoying the most expensive luxuries at a Versace group hotel without leaving the salubrious Indian tropical clime? Well, you will get the chance shortly. The Versace group is planning to set up a mega resort in India, which could be the third in its global chain of luxury hotels after Australia and Dubai. The Palazzo Versace (Versace palace) hotel is likely t...
London spa and beauty products group The Sanctuary is reported to be up for sale with a price tag of more than £80 million. The Covent Garden spa firm is said to have been put on the sale block by private equity owners HgCapital, which bought The Sanctuary in 2005. HgCapital, which was not immediately available for comment, could net a sizeable profit if the group fetches ...
The new Cliff at Cupecoy Beach is home to the first Christian Dior Health Spa in the Caribbean. Exclusive and by appointment only, The Dior Spa offers specialized body and face treatments using Dior products, balneotherapy with hydrotherapy bath treatments, seaweed and mud body masks and scrub using natural marine products, to detoxify and promote relaxation. Dior-certifie...
Brazilian based Kurotel Longevity Center and Spa has announced the opening of a new wellness facility in one of the world’s longest living people countries: Japan. Surveys completed by the government shows that Japan is ageing quicker than any other country in the world. After long scientific researches sharing and with similar high-end health technology, Kurotel has joine...
Kamalame Cay, the 96-acre, private island resort in the Bahamas, is launching a new Weekend Spa & Wellness program in early 2008. The three-night / four-day retreats will offer a tropical mini spa getaway. Daily yoga on the beach, meditation and chanting sessions, optional life coaching and treatments in Kamalame's unique spa. Nestled at the end of a 200-foot pier, th...
The Woodlands Spa at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, a Mobil Four Star/AAA Four Diamond spa and resort located just outside of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, has introduced a new wellness program called Turning Point. Designed to help both men and women find much-needed balance and improve their individual health and wellness, the five-day program will incorporate elements of health...
Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa has opened its new $7 million (U.S.), three-story, 16,000-square-foot spa and fitness center. Located at the gateway to Grand Teton National Park amidst one of the world’s unique mountain settings., Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa takes its inspiration from the soaring Teton peaks and the alpine lakes - Lake Soliture, for one -that shimmer between the...
The JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina is the first property in Hawaii and one of the first in the nation to adopt the PURE™ system which creates an allergy-friendly environment. All of the hotel’s 13 guest rooms and Presidential Suite on its 17th (top) floor have been converted to the system, and indoor meeting facilities and the Ihilani Spa will be converted by...
The new Sofitel Queenstown is the region’s first international-branded, five-star hotel spa and LeSpa at Sofitel is a new spa concept created specifically for Sofitel Hotels & Resorts. Housed in the multi-award-winning Sofitel Queenstown building in the heart of the popular tourist resort, the million-dollar spa features a full range of signature treatments. They include t...
The opening of Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano, Egypt, brings the count to four Four Seasons properties in the country and a total of nine properties in the Middle East. Located in a prime position overlooking the Mediterranean, the 118 guestroom Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria sits in the heart of this ancient city’s elite district of San Stefano. The two-story...
Red Door Spa Holdings has announced the opening of its destination spa, Red Door Lifestyle Spa, Elizabeth Arden. Located at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure, in Weston, Florida this 48,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility is the first of its kind in the company’s portfolio, which consists of more than 55 spas and salons. The new Red Door Lifestyle Spa is designed as a p...
The World, the only residential community at sea with a worldwide itinerary unveiled its newest and highly-anticipated addition – The World Spa by Banyan Tree. The 7,000 square foot spa, Banyan Tree’s first spa at sea, brings its Sanctuary of the Senses philosophy to The World. The Spa draws from Asian traditions and features a spa menu with a comprehensive selection of tr...
A luxury hotel and spa will open on Australia?s Kangaroo Island in March 2008. Southern Ocean Lodge is set to be the flagship site of Baillie Lodges ? a company set up four years ago by husband and wife team James and Hayley Baillie ? to provide premium experiential travel in Australia. ...
The spa arm of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG) has joined up with the US-based training facility the Cortiva Institute and the Frederique Academy to launch a new internship programme for spa graduates. ...
A new spa brand called Sensori has made its debut in two locations on Hvar Island, Croatia. Sensori spa is a collaboration between Orco Property Group and Suncan? Hvar Hotels Group, which owns nine hotels on Hvar and is the only privatised hotel group in Croatia. ...
The Himalayan Healers (HH) training organisation, which aims to help Nepali people from the lowest social orders and tragic backgrounds to become well-rounded, international-standard therapists, has opened its latest site within the International Club in Sanepa, Kathmandu. The launch of the one-room facility in Kathmandu follows the opening earlier this year of a site in D...
A sister facility to the Kohler Waters Spa at The American Club resort in Wisconsin, US, is to open in Chicago, US, in early 2008. The new Kohler Waters Spa will be located within a shopping and destination complex called the Burr Ridge Village Center in Illinois. Designed by Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc of Milwaukee and Kohler�s design team, the urban spa will...
Indian spa operator IHHR Hospitality Pvt (IHHR) � probably best known for its destination spa Ananda � In the Himalayas � is to launch its new training institute in March 2008. The Ananda Spa Institute will be situated in the grounds of the Hotel Istra in Hyderabad, India. Covering 22,000sq ft (2,100sq m) across three floors, the institute will have th...
Asian operator Banyan Tree is to extend its Angsana brand in the United Arab Emirates next year with a hotel and spa in Dubai as part of its ongoing expansion in the Middle East. The Angsana Hotel and Suites Dubai will open in February 2008 and will be the first city hotel to open under Banyan Tree�s Angsana brand. Situated along Sheikh Zayed Road, near to the Dubai...
US-based Facelogic International � a spa franchise company � has revealed plans to have 42 locations open in the US by January 2008. The ethos of each Facelogic spa is to provide luxurious but affordable therapies and products for the face. Each Facelogic franchise offers the same treatment menu. There are currently 28 Facelogic spas open in the US with a tot...
A new luxury hotel and spa is to open in February 2008 in the city of Bruges in Belgium. Located in a former 15th Century building in the old town area of the city, the Kempinski Hotel Duke�s Palace will feature a boutique spa. Wellness facilities will include three treatment rooms, offering massage and facials, as well as a hammam, a sauna and an indoor swimming po...
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG) is to expand its international portfolio with three new properties. The first to open will be the Mandarin Oriental (MO), Sanya, an exclusive 297-room resort on China�s second largest island, Hainan, which will launch early in 2008. MO, Sanya, will feature a 34,444sq ft (3,200sq m) spa, complete with 18 treatment suites, as w...
The Beach House Manafaru Island retreat and spa in the Maldives is on schedule to open in February 2008. The spa has been designed by GX Associates Pvt and will comprise five Element spa villas, five ayurveda villas, two Shiatsu gazebos, a consultation pavilion and a separate yoga area. There will also be two steamrooms, whirlpools, two Indian herbal steam facilities, a fr...
Hospitality management company Alila Hotels and Resorts has signed two new management agreements in Thailand. Alila will become the operator of the new Alila Hansar Bangkok, a residential and hotel development with a wellness club and spa, and the Alila Hansar Koh Samui, a resort being built on the edge of Bophut Beach, complete with landscaped pool gardens and a 426ft (13...
Hotel Splendid in Becici, Montenegro � which provided the backdrop to scenes in Casino Royale � has gained a new day spa. The 32,300sq ft (3,000sq m) Splendid Spa and Wellness Club opened on 9 November and is located in a separate wing of the hotel, overlooking the Adriatic sea. Facilities include three indoor swimming pools, a bar, three relaxation lounges, ...
The Tourism Finance Corporation of India (TFCI) is reportedly to establish a US$100m (67.5m euro, GBP48.6m) private equity fund to buy stakes in hotels and resorts catering to domestic Indian travellers. According to Bloomberg, the TFCI � which part-funded the Indian destination spa Ananda �in the Himalayas � is to raise its fund money from banks and h...
The Himalayan Healers (HH) training organisation, which aims to help Nepali people from the lowest social orders and tragic backgrounds to become well-rounded, international-standard therapists, has opened its latest site within the International Club in Sanepa, Kathmandu. The launch of the one-room facility in Kathmandu follows the opening earlier this year of a site in D...
Steven Conquy has stepped down as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of MSpa International � the spa arm of Minor International and the operator of the Mandara and Anantara brands. Conquy joined MSpa as COO in October 2005 and officially left MSpa on 7 December. His next position is yet to be announced. Conquy will be replaced by Michel Van der Hoeven, to ensure there is...
The UK government has unveiled a major investment programme for skills and learning. Over the next three years, more than GBP11bn (15.8bn euro, US$23.4bn) a year will be invested in education, employment and training initiatives for young people and adults to help boost the country�s job prospects. At the centre of the programme is an extension of apprenticeships, w...
The Evian Spa by Three, situated within the Three on the Bund property in Shanghai, China, has launched a new treatment, developed by the Clarins Institute in Paris. Called Le Massage, the new therapy divides the body into two vertical halves and begins at the feet before working upwards, ending with a face and head massage. The treatment technique incorporates effects fro...
Mark Bryant has become the spa operations director for the von Essen hotels group. Bryant will be responsible for overseeing the management of all the spa facilities within the UK-based group. The von Essen wellness portfolio currently includes the Royal Crescent Spa in Bath, the Pavilion Spa at Clivedon in Berkshire and the Aqueous Spa at Dalhousie Castle in Edinburgh...
According to the latest survey of global travel statistics from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourist arrivals have continued to grow at a sustained rate for the first eight months of this year. The latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer delivered indications that the sustained growth of international tourist arrival figures over the pa...
Mantra Resorts � a division of the Stella Hospitality Group � has added a new spa resort on the Central Coast in New South Wales, Australia, to its portfolio of properties. The Mantra Kooindah Waters Golf and Spa Resort is currently being developed by the Clarendon Residential Group. Accommodation will consist of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Kooin...
Not too long ago, travelers desiring a genuine spa experience had to book a week at the Golden Door, Canyon Ranch or any of the innumerable destination spas in Europe. But now not only are spas more plentiful, they're also located in some unlikely places--at more traditional family-style resorts, at smaller, exclusive properties and even as "spa suites" at larger inte...
For decades, the relationship of spa and client was really more like parents and children: From the time they crossed the threshold, the clients were told what, where, when to do and why they were doing it--the hope being that, as with children, the lessons learned would go out into the world with them. Gradually, however, the parents realized that the kids were ill-prepar...
When guests arrive at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, located deep in Banff National Park, they're reminded of the option to reuse their bath towels--as most people do at home--if they so choose. Ditto for the sheets. It's one of the many steps the Toronto-based hotel chain, which has many outposts located near heritage sites or national parks, is taking to shr...
At the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine, you can have a butler draw your bath while you linger on dessert in the Inn's gourmet restaurant. For $50, the butler will fill your soaking tub with spa bath salts and scatter rose petals and lightly scented candles throughout. All this will be choreographed, of course, so that when you walk through the door and kick off...
Ten years ago, budget-minded backpackers traipsing through India in search of pampering might have treated themselves to a meal or cup of tea in a "fancy" hotel. That couldn't happen in today's India, where fancy hotels really are fancy. It's hard to imagine anyone entering the immaculate Four Seasons lobby in Mumbai wearing muddy Tevas and a bulky backpack....
Jack Foster, managing director of global real estate for Franklin Templeton, spends about half the year on the road and, consequently, is very pointed about his hotel likes and dislikes. "This may sound strange, but I don't like it when the front desk doesn't tell me what all my options are," he says. "If there's a chance for an upgrade, then I want to know....
WTS International interviewing at ISPA 2007 Dear Spa Director and Assistant Director: I would like to take this opportunity, in advance of the upcoming ISPA Conference, to introduce WTS International to you. WTS is a 34-year-old company that specializes in providing spa consulting and management services for hotels, resorts, private clubs, and real estate developments thro...
The growing problem of enlarged prostate in men is becoming a large concern. It is estimated that 50% of men over 50 will develop a prostate issue that can lead to bothersome urinary and bladder problems. It is more important now than ever to take extra measures to ensure prevention of an unhealthy prostate by supplementing with the right ingredients. Pomegranate has been ...
Why supplementing with nutritional products can benefit the health of spa goers Think of your body as if it were a car; we need oil changes (cleansing the colon and circulatory system with nutrients to keep arteries, veins and our internal piping clear of toxic clogs), and gas (good carbs, proteins and fatty acids) to work properly. Most of our bodies are unable to fight t...
IRVING, Texas, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Essential Remineralizing Treatments, Papaya Enzyme Smoothing Wraps and "Omni-Omni" Four-Hand Massages -- these are just a few of the indulgences debuting at the new Mokara Salon & Spa, located adjacent to the Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas. Mokara Salon & Spa is the first in Omni Hotels' new line of luxury spas, with addition...
by Norma Meyer, 11/25/2007 - Go ahead, let a CT scanner determine if your coronary arteries are blocked or hand over a urine sample for a test that purports to gauge the state of your DNA. Then sip a signature Pomegranate Mojito, have a caviar facial and stroll pass the pagoda that was shipped over from Beijing. The California Health and Longevity Institute in Westlake Vil...
The newest addition to the esteemed Kiwi Collection Advisory Board is Sonu Shivdasani, Chairman and CEO of Six Senses Group - a resort and spa management company which oversees the luxurious Soneva, Six Senses Hideaway and Six Senses Latitude (previously Evason), and Six Senses Spa brands. Joining the ranks of other prominent Kiwi Collection Advisory Board members, includi...
AVON, Colo. � November 2007 � The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Vail Valley�s newestcareers-available.png luxury resort scheduled to open next summer, is doing everything possible to be sensitive to the environment and �go green� for guests. Situated on a magnificent 19-acre site bordering the Eagle River at the base of Beaver Creek Mou...
Trienelle Skincare announced this week the release of Reductase-5, the first of a new class of treatment for unwanted facial hair. It acts by helping resolve the hormonal imbalance that causes excessive facial hair growth in women. Coeur d'Alene, ID (PRWEB) November 28, 2007 -- Nearly half of women polled say that unwanted facial hair is a 'beauty pet peeve'...
By Martha C. White - NEW YORK: The golf course is not the only place to do business in a casual setting. The new spot to network with colleagues and clients is the hotel spa. According to the consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, 39 percent of the high-end hotels being planned in the United States will include spas, more than double the number five years ago. The increas...
OFFERING SPA-ENTHUSIAST DISTINCTIVE SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES AT TRUMP HOTEL COLLECTION LOCATIONS The unsurpassed luxury associated with a Trump Hotel Collection experience will soon be embodied in a new group of world-class spas. Featuring an exclusive arrangement with sought-after skin care expert Kate Somerville, as well as signature products by Shiffa and other leading nam...
The 250-room Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Will Be Oneof the Largest in the Ritz-Carlton Portfolio�� The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. will join with Cottonwood Properties and Greenbrier Southwest Corporation to open a 250-room golf and spa resort, along with single-family residences in the high Sonoran desert, northwest of Tucson, Arizona in the scenic to...
How to Choose a Medical Spa - By: Jason Begley Life is much better when you are surrounded by people you trust. From your mechanic to your hair stylist, it is important to know that the people you rely on have the training and experience to do the job right. This is not always easy to find. Living with a bad hair cut is one thing, but when it comes to skin care and our eff...
The Spa and Resort and Medical Spa Expo and Conference in the US is to rebrand and relaunch as the Spa and Resort Expo Conference and the Medical Aesthetics Conference and Expo in February 2008. The show also has a new management team, which includes event senior vice president Greg Topalian, who launched the Spa & Resort Expo and Conference in 2002, vice president Nancy L...
A new Angsana Spa has opened at the Sheraton hotel on the island of Guam. Bounded by the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Guam is the largest of the Mariana Islands while the Sheraton is located within the exclusive Tamuning district of the island. The new spa includes one deluxe treatment room with a shower and bathtub, two double treatment rooms and five single room...
Businesswomen are playing an increasingly significant role in the economic growth of the Middle Eastern region. According to the Gulf Daily News, the Council of Arab Business Women�s president, Shaikha Hissah Al Sabah, believes that the economic growth of the Middle East will continue to receive increasing input from enterprising businesswomen. Shaikha Hissah also w...
Hotel company Sofitel has revealed a strategic plan aimed at elevating its brand into the international luxury hospitality market. The plan involves Sofitel Luxury Hotels broadening its offer with the creation of two new, sister brands. These are Sofitel Legend, a collection of legendary properties for guests, and So by Sofitel, a creative, edgier offering. Each of the new...
A three-day Santi Spa Management Development Programme (SMDP) is to take place in Hong Kong on 14-16 January 2008. The SMDP programme will offer participants a practical boost to management skills. It will be presented by the Fr�d�rique Academy and delivered by Susie Santiago, the founder and presenter of the one-year scheme the Santi Leadership Programme...
Businesswomen are playing an increasingly significant role in the economic growth of the Middle Eastern region. According to the Gulf Daily News, the Council of Arab Business Women�s president, Shaikha Hissah Al Sabah, believes that the economic growth of the Middle East will continue to receive increasing input from enterprising businesswomen. Shaikha Hissah also w...
French skincare company L�Occitane has opened its first branded spa in Europe, at the Porto Palacio Congress Hotel in Porto, Portugal. The Porto Palacio Spa by L�Occitane cost 2.7m euros (US$3.8m, �1.8m) to develop and covers 16,145sq ft (1,500sq m). Spread over three floors, facilities include five treatment rooms, swimming pools, water experiences, r...
An extensive US$25m (16.9m euro, 12.1m) renovation has begun at the Southern Californian L�Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa in the US. The revamp will include a new 4,100sq ft (380sq m) luxury spa, to be located outside the south wing of the hotel. The Del Mar Spa will be open to the public as well as hotel guests and will include a complimentary wine and juice bar as...
A 5,000sq ft (464sq m) new spa facility has launched at the Heathman Hotel in Washington, US. Called Penterra Spa � from the Greek word for the number �five� � the space was designed by Cary Collier of Blu Spas. It has a wide range of facilities including seven treatment rooms, a relaxation sanctuary and a side-by-side Palladian hydrotherapy sys...
Indian Wells, CA - December 2007 - Greg Miller, vice president and managing director for Destination Hotels & Resorts, announced that Stan Kantowski recently was named general manager of the Miramonte Resort & Spa, a Mediterranean-inspired desert resort in one of the country's most affluent communities. In his new position, Kantowski will lead the resort's team a...
Over the next three years, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts plans to open four new hotels in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), including one Park Hyatt hotel, one Grand Hyatt, and two Hyatt Regency properties to accommodate a growing number of affluent business travelers. Hyatt is already the market leader in the most of Russia and the CIS, where the group has...
A new seafood restaurant serving cuisine tracing the culinary footsteps of explorer Marco Polo from the Mediterranean to the South China Sea has opened at Amara Sanctuary Resort on Sentosa's popular Palawan Beach. With both indoor and outdoor al-fresco dining options set in tropical gardens, Silk Road of the Sea showcases a variety of signature seafood from China, Tha...
In the internationally well-known trade fair metropolis of Dusseldorf recently opened one of the largest conference hotels in Germany: The Maritim hotel near the airport has 533 rooms and a conference centre for more than 5,200 guests. The meeting hotel is one of six new large hotel projects in the city. In the next years international hotel chains like Global Hyatt and Me...
The number of hotel rooms under construction or likely proposed has increased by 40% since March 2007 - albeit off a small base. According to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels' most recent National Hotel Development Register, a significant uplift in the number of proposed projects in Australia's major markets has boosted the hotel development pipeline to over 6,000 rooms...
HotelBenchmark� and Lincoln University are now working together under a new agreement to provide more comprehensive information and analysis for the hotel industry in New Zealand next year. Commenting on the announcement, Lorna Clarke, Executive Director of HotelBenchmark at Deloitte said: "We are delighted to work with Lincoln University and combine our research to...
One of Mexico's most exclusive resort destinations will soon have its crown jewel, when Capella Ixtapa opens in Summer 2008. This intimate Capella property will cater to the world's most discerning travelers, with 59 expansive suites, a pampering spa and world- class dining in a secluded cliffside setting of profound natural beauty. The announcement of Capella Ix...
Despite strikes and urban violence, November showed an increase in RevPAR of nearly 10% � Despite a month of November plagued with urban violence and public social movements, marked by the transportation strikes and rioting in Villiers-le-Bel, the French hotel industry remains in positive progression. � After a record October (+14.3%), the first estimates for...
Australia often appears in the world's top ten dream destinations, and is currently ranked as the number one choice by online travel company Expedia, as well as customers of MasterCard. Given its climate, stunning beaches, the vast outback, its rainforests and many world heritage sites, it has been an attractive option for decades; and more affordable flights are now ...
Australia's largest hotel group, Accor, announced today that it would launch its new 5-star Pullman brand in Australia, with the Pullman Sydney Olympic Park scheduled to open in August 2007. It will be the only 5-star hotel to open in Sydney this decade. It will also be western Sydney's first 5-star hotel. Accor also announced the only new-build hotel to open in ...
wow.travel (the online magazine of kiwicollection.com) edited by Mary Gostelow, introduces Seven Sensational End-of-year Getaways. 1) THE FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS, ALBERTA, CANADA Devil's Cauldron, the fourth hole on the Stanley Thompson course, is one of life's memorable challenges (as is, one must admit, extreme mountain-biking with the resort's GM, David Ro...
Center Parcs, one of the UK's largest domestic holiday destinations, has commissioned 15 bespoke IR therapy rooms from MagMed for the newly refurbished 3-bed executive villas at their Longleat site. MagMed has also been contracted to install a bespoke 4-person infrared therapy room at the front of the Aqua Sana Spa at Center Parcs' Whinfell Forest site in Cumbria...
Hawley International's new Illume� nail system uses an advanced process of acrylic application claimed to be the most innovative breakthrough since the invention of acrylics themselves! The result of more than four years formulation and testing, Illume is reported to place less stress on the natural nail and be be a safer and healthier alternative to the old, p...
TerraNova Spa has introduced the Organic Oasis� Spa Protocol, along with a complementary line of retail products. Inspired by beauty rituals from around the world, the Organic Oasis spa therapies are enriched with up to 90 per cent certified organic plant-based ingredients and rare essential oils and feature ingredients such as shea butter, green coffee, jojoba oil,...
January 2008 will see the launch at selected spas of the Kamana uK range of skin and body care treatments, inspired by the use of natural remedies in ancient Egypt. The treatments include massage, reflexology and aromatherapy - used in ancient times for their social, therapeutic, religious and practical benefits - in a range which features facials; body wrap; hand, foot an...
Comfort Zone has added three new products to its man space retail skin care range for men. Included are Extra-Protection Cream 50ml, Oil-Control Performer 50ml and Scrub Performer 50ml. Extra-Protection Cream is a daily moisturiser designed to restore an optimal hydration level to the skin. Using a combination of betaglucan and helioguard 365�, it also offers comple...
Natura Bisse has launched its first UK spa with the unveiling of two dedicated treatment rooms in London's boutique One Aldwych hotel. The Natura Bisse One Aldwych Spa will feature ten key face and body treatments, including a new treatment exclusively designed for the spa called Luminous Vitamin C Ritual. Body treatments include the Honey Scrub and the top-to-toe Mes...
Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd. plans to build an $870 million resort, residential complex, and golf course in Vietnam, according to a statement released by the company yesterday. The Singaporean operator of luxury spas and hotels has obtained an investment license from Vietnamese authorities to build the Laguna Vietnam resort on 300 hectares (741 acres) of beachfront land in th...
A new spa called Legends Spa has opened at the Legends hotel in Mauritius in association with French brand Anne Semonin. The overall concept of the Legends Spa has been inspired by the principles of Feng Shui while the interior design of the spa reflects its five elements � water, wood, earth, fire and metal � throughout. Treatments on offer include facials, ...
Rakindo, a joint venture company owned by the government of Ras Al Khaimah, part of the United Arab Emirates and the India-based Trimex Group will invest more than US$5bn (3.38m euro, �2.4m) in mixed-use developments in India over the next five years. According to Earthtimes.org, Rakindo will develop projects covering more than 50 million sq ft (4.6 million sq m) an...
Luxury brand Conrad Hotels & Resorts is to open its first resort hotel and spa in Europe in the Portugese Algarve following a management agreement with Grupo IMOCOM. Located near to the Quinta Do Lago resort, the new Conrad hotel will be set among landscaped gardens and terraces and feature a 16,145sq ft (1,500sq m) spa and health club as well as several swimming pools and...
The Crestline Hotels and Resorts group is to manage the Kyoto Grand hotel and gardens, formerly known as the New Otani Hotel, in downtown Los Angeles in the US. The hotel has recently received an investment of US$8m (5.4m euro, �3.8m) to improve its facilities, which include a Sanwa Health Spa featuring a range of Shaitsu massages. The 21 storey hotel also boasts a ...
A luxury day spa is to open in 2008 as part of a new signature hotel development by Borgata. Called The Water Club, the US$400m (277m euro, �194m) hotel will be situated at Renaissance Pointe in Atlantic City, New Jersey, US. The Water Club will feature five tiers of accommodation and a �spa in the sky� covering two floors and with five swimming pools....
SPAS WORLDWIDE TO DEBUT THE MAGAZINE FOR SPA GOER�S IN 2008 New Publication is focused on educating the Spa Consumer & to help Affiliates Toronto ONT. � In 2008, the SpasWorldwide.com will build upon its reputation as the voice of the spa industry by debuting SpasWorldwide.com�s Magazine. To be published in June, this inaugural publication will focus o...
At 25, most people are starting to build their r�sum�s - not multimillion-dollar hotels. But Ben Nash, Brooklyn's youngest real estate tycoon, isn't most people, and he is hard at work on developing Indigo, a $60 million hotel he expects to open in downtown Brooklyn by 2010. That might sound like enough to keep him busy, but the Crown Heights native...
1 LAOS Vietnam and Cambodia are so 2007. Now, Laos is shaping up to be Indochina's next hot spot. Ancient sites like the Wat Phou temple complex and the capital city of Vientiane are drawing culture seekers. Luxury teak houseboats are cruising down the Mekong. And global nomads are heading to Luang Prabang to sample the Laotian tasting menu at 3 Nagas (www.3nagas.com)...
Le M�ridien announced the launch of the re-designed LeMeridien.com, a website created for guests interested in traveling to discover a new perspective in arts, music, fashion, design and cuisine. The re-designed website offers a unique image-based navigation system, allowing guests to create a personalized interactive experience in those fields. Since being purchase...
Travelocity's annual travel forecast poll recently found that 38 percent of respondents are likely to take volunteer vacations in 2008, whether that be an entirely charitable trip or extending a vacation to include volunteer activities. While more and more concerned citizens are looking to enrich their travel by volunteering on vacation, many still don't know whe...
Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru has built and launched a new preschool for children aged three to five on the island of Feydhoo in the Shaviyani atoll of The Maldives. The construction and development of the project is in line with Banyan Tree's aim to comply with the United Nation's eight Millennium Development Goals. The school comprises three classrooms with a...
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced today that the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi has been re-branded as Fairmont The Norfolk after a multi-million dollar renovation program. The famed hotel joins recently opened sister properties Fairmont Mara Safari Club and Fairmont Zanzibar. The Fairmont Mount Kenya Club will soon join the portfolio in representing the company's East Af...
The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the world's largest association of travel professionals, has chosen South Africa as the destination for the 2009 International Destination Expo (IDE), March 8-12, 2009. The decision to host the event in South Africa was a unanimous one on the part of the ASTA Board of Directors, who made this decision during their annual m...
The spa arm of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG) has joined up with the US-based training facility the Cortiva Institute and the Frederique Academy to launch a new internship programme for spa graduates. The programme will offer new graduates the opportunity to enter the spa industry in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China via a three-month long internship. It has be...
The Paradise Bay resort and spa in La Tante, St David, Grenada, is to implement two new guest programmes. The first programme, called Unique, is a scheme where the carbon dioxide emissions for the flight and stay of every guest are offset against carbon �credits�, gained by a variety of methods including planting trees in Ethiopia. A second programme, called ...
Grafton International, the UK distributor for Italian skincare brand Comfort Zone, has appointed Sarah Russell to its education team. Russell will travel throughout the UK and work for spas and salons which take on Comfort Zone, training staff in the brand�s products, treatments and philosophy. Russell has worked in the industry on an international basis for more th...
Health and beauty group Alliance Boots is testing a new in-store spa concept called UR Beautiful within its UK-based Boots health, beauty and pharmacy outlets. The first UR Beautiful spa opened in the Boots in Kingston, Surrey in October this year and a further 20 spas are planned. Alliance Boots � which was formed through a 2006 merger between Alliance UniChem and ...
Josephine Wackett has been appointed as the Principal of the new Ananda Spa Institute, which is being developed by Indian spa operator IHHR Hospitality Pvt (IHHR) � probably best known for its destination spa, Ananda, in the Himalayas. The institute will be situated in the grounds of the Hotel Istra in Hyderabad, India, and will launch in March 2008. ...
Champneys has opened a fourth new day spa in the UK town of Guildford. The Champneys High Street Spa is situated on the High Street in the Surrey-based town and follows the launches of the first, flagship site in Chichester at the end of 2006. Two further sites in Enfield and St Albans also opened earlier this year. Two of the four boutique spas now open � in Guildf...
The Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) is to expand its Australasian portfolio with a new resort in the Cook Islands. Opening in 2009, the Hilton Rarotonga Resort and Spa on the island of Rarotonga will be managed by HHC following an agreement with Rarotonga International. The spa offering will combine international and South Pacific Island treatments ...
Further details have been revealed about a 500-acre luxury resort development within the masterplanned Playa Mujeres development in Mexico. Called La Amada, the resort will include a luxury spa, a boutique hotel, two golf courses, a yacht and beach club and the area�s first marina, to be situated on the Mexican Caribbean. There will also be a private helipad. The ge...
The Paradise Bay resort and spa in La Tante, St David, Grenada, is to implement two new guest programmes. The first programme, called Unique, is a scheme where the carbon dioxide emissions for the flight and stay of every guest are offset against carbon �credits�, gained by a variety of methods including planting trees in Ethiopia. A second programme, called ...
Steiner Leisure�s luxury resort spa division, Mandara Spa, is to operate two luxury spas � one at the new Grand Mauritian Resort and Spa in Mauritius and the other at the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur hotel in Malaysia. The 10,000sq ft (929sq m) Mauritian spa will open at the same time as the resort in early 2008 and is located on the northwest coast of Maur...
In May 2008, destination spa resort Chiva-Som in Hua Hin, Thailand will link up with the Park Hotel Kenmare in County Kerry on the south-western coast of Ireland for a 10-day event. Called the Essence of Chiva-Som at Park Hotel Kenmare, the cross-marketing event will showcase the Thai spa�s holistic therapies and healthy cuisine courtesy of three Chiva-Som�s ...
Icelandic spa company Blue Lagoon has opened a joint venture spa and fitness centre in Gl�sib�r, Reykjav�k, and has revealed further plans to open a series of city spas on an international basis. The 35,520sq ft (3,300sq m) Gl�sib�r centre will be operated in partnership with the Hreyfing group and carry Blue Lagoon products. The new buil...
Traditional Chinese herbal medicine will not to be used to treat athletes during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in order to avoid doping problems. Dai Jianping, of the Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games (BOCOG), said: �It doesn�t necessarily mean herbal medicine contains provocative substances. As other host countries haven�t used it before,...
A new urban spa complex has launched in the Monteregie region in Quebec, Canada. Called SkySpa, the 16,000sq ft (1,486sq m) facility is situated near downtown Montreal, above Gold�s Gym on the fourth floor of Place Extasia in Quartier DIX30. SkySpa has both indoor and outdoor areas, and includes large Finnish, Turkish and Nordic saunas and baths, located in an easil...
The Fairmont-Raffles company and The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG) have signed up for a pilot initiative aimed at establishing a benchmarking scheme for spas. The initiative is being developed by Jan Freitag, vice-president of global development for the US-based company Smith Travel Research. It has the backing of Andrew Gibson, group director of spa for MOHG, and A...
A new Asia-based yoga lifestyle retreat concept has been launched by the former director of spa for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG), Ingo Schweder. The concept was first revealed by the Bodhi Dhama Group (BDG) in October 2007. As managing partner, Schweder will be responsible for handling the operations, concept and design development of the new retreats. BDG will...
Singapore Main-Board listed Banyan Tree Holdings Limited ("Banyan Tree" or the "Group"), a leading developer, designer and operator of top-tier hotels, resorts, spas and galleries worldwide, has signed a management contract with Jabal Resorts LLC (a nominee of Kapico Group Holding Co.) for the development of two of its branded resorts within one of the largest integrated r...
The Bannatyne Group has announced plans to invest �16m in a portfolio of new hotels, spas and health clubs during 2008. Plans include the development of the 50-bedroom Hotel Bannatyne costing �3m in Thorpe St Andrews, Norwich, which will be built adjacent to Bannatyne�s Health Club. Two existing hotels will also be extended, with �1.3m being inv...
The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) has linked tourism to the common cause of climate change response, and linked it closely with the fight against poverty. Francesco Frangialli of the WTO was addressing a recent United Nations Climate Change Conference, and said both business and leisure-based tourism is key to making the world more climate-respo...
Announced in the presence of President Shimon Peres January 14, 2008 - Yokneam, Israel Lumenis? Ltd., a global developer, manufacturer and seller of laser, light-based and radiofrequency devices for surgical, aesthetic, and ophthalmic applications, announced today in the presence of President Shimon Peres during his visit to the company, that the company is beginning const...
January 16, 2008 - Yokneam, Israel Lumenis� Ltd., a global developer, manufacturer and seller of laser, light-based and radiofrequency devices for surgical, aesthetic, and ophthalmic applications, announced today that its chief operating officer, Zivi Nedivi, will leave Lumenis to take up position as CEO of a company in a different industry, but will remain with Lum...
Oslo Marine Group (OMG) has begun work on a marina development and yacht club complex at Sestroretsk on the Gulf of Finland. OMG, which is headquartered in St Petersburg, Russia, has commissioned Portugese architect Tomas Taveira to design the development. When completed, the Sestroretsk project will include a spa zone, health centre, hotel and conference centre and is sch...
YTL Hotels and Resorts has launched a new Spa Village in its new luxury hotel, The Majestic Malacca, in the city of Malacca, Malaysia. Designed by GSD Architects, the new facility will cover 9,110sq ft (846sq m) and have 10 spa rooms in total, comprising six treatment spaces and four hair treatment rooms. Therapies have been inspired by the heritage of Baba-Nyonya, a uniqu...
Dubai-based Jumeirah Group has revealed more details about the rollout of its global spa brand called Talise over the next two years. Launched in 2007 and developed over a period of eight months, there are three key models for Talise - an urban model for 'essential wellness'; a resort model for 'exceptional wellness' and a destination model for 'ex...
Asia-based group Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is to open two luxury hotels with wellness facilities in Puxi, Shanghai, in 2011. The luxury Jing An Shangri-La, Shanghai will occupy the top 24 floors of 58-storey building, open in mid-2011 and is set to boast a CHI spa, health club and swimming pool. Shangri-La's Jing An Kerry Centre Hotel will be modelled on the group...
A new regulatory body called The Natural Healthcare Council (NHC) is due to launch in the UK in April 2008. The NHC will set the standards across a range of complementary therapies, such as homeopathy and aromatherapy, across the UK. It will also have the power to strike off those who are deemed incompetent, encouraging enhanced consumer confidence and safety. It has been ...
Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts group is to open a new resort with a 9,687sq ft (900sq m) spa in Udaipur, India, called The Leela Palace, Kempinski Udaipur, in late 2008. The group currently has properties in Indian cities including Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore and Kovalam and plans to open sites in Chennai in 2009 and Hyderabad, Pune and Delhi in 2010 as well as the Kumarakom...
A luxury private island resort with a high-end Lifestyle Spa and Wellness Centre is to open in the Indian Ocean later this year. The Round Island Resort will be located in the middle of a designated National Marine Park in the Seychelles, around four miles east of Port Victoria. The property is being developed by Trinity Estate Limited, which will use traditional Creole ar...
Three Elemis Travel Spas will open with the British Airways (BA) Terminal 5 upgrade at Heathrow airport in the UK on 27 March. There will be six lounges within the new BA terminal: The Concorde Room, The First Class lounge, three Club Lounges and an Arrivals Lounge. Collectively known as 'Galleries', the lounges will be able to host up to 2,500 people. Two large ...
Undercover research from the UK-based consumer group Which? has found that some cosmetic surgery clinics in England and Wales are 'downplaying' possible surgery risks and using overly aggressive marketing tactics. The undercover researchers visited 19 clinics during 2007 and had one consultation at each clinic, posing as prospective patients for a variety of cosm...
A new regulatory body called The Natural Healthcare Council (NHC) is due to launch in the UK in April 2008. The NHC will set the standards across a range of complementary therapies, such as homeopathy and aromatherapy, across the UK. It will also have the power to strike off those who are deemed incompetent, encouraging enhanced consumer confidence and safety. It has been ...
A luxury private island resort with a high-end Lifestyle Spa and Wellness Centre is to open in the Indian Ocean later this year. The Round Island Resort will be located in the middle of a designated National Marine Park in the Seychelles, around four miles east of Port Victoria. The property is being developed by Trinity Estate Limited, which will use traditional Creole ar...
The International Spa Association (ISPA) Foundation has announced that students can now submit their applications for consideration for the Mary Tabacchi Scholarship. Named in honour of the spa industry pioneer and Cornell University Associate Professor, Mary H Tabacchi, the scholarship is part of a newly established endowment fund created to provide a permanent resource f...
Tom's Companies, the group behind The Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall, County Durham, UK, is to open a number of new urban day spas in other UK cities following the launch of its pilot Newcastle site in 2006. The day spa concept, called Serenity in the City, is a smaller version of the original Serenity Spa, designed by the company's creative director Jocelyn Mayfiel...
Asia-based group Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is to open two luxury hotels with wellness facilities in Puxi, Shanghai, in 2011. The luxury Jing An Shangri-La, Shanghai will occupy the top 24 floors of 58-storey building, open in mid-2011 and is set to boast a CHI spa, health club and swimming pool. Shangri-La's Jing An Kerry Centre Hotel will be modelled on the group...
Asian spa and resort operator Banyan Tree is to enter the Philippines with a joint venture development on Dinaran Island. Banyan Tree has entered into an agreement with businessman Salvador B Zamora II to jointly develop and operate two luxury resorts on the uninhabited island, at a total cost of US$70m (48m euro, �35.8m). Banyan Tree will masterplan and provide arc...
International spa design, consulting and management company Blu Spas has launched a comprehensive spa business audit. Called Blu-Revu, the new service has been designed to aid the owners and operators of resort, hotel and day spas to produce a realistic assessment of their current operation. The audit will use key performance indicators and benchmarks as well as reviewing ...
Grafton International, the UK distributor for Italian skincare brand Comfort Zone, has opened a new education facility at its head office in Tamworth, Staffordshire, UK. Managed by Louise Drysdale, Comfort Zone's education coordinator, the facility - called the education zone - comprises a reception area, hospitality suite, three treatment rooms, a relaxation area and...
Neil Jacobs has been appointed president of global hotel operations for the US-based private real estate firm Starwood Capital Group (SGC). Jacobs will be responsible for hotel brands including Baccarat Hotels and Resort, 1 Hotels and Residences and the Crillon Hotels brands. Prior to joining SCG, Jacobs was the senior vice president of the Asia Pacific region with Four Se...
PZ Cussons, maker of Imperial Leather soap, has acquired the Sanctuary Spa brand from private equity firm HgCapital for �75m. The deal will see Cussons take control of the Sanctuary day spa at Covent Garden, UK, as well as the Sanctuary line of personal care products. A spokesperson for Manchester-based Cussons said the deal presents an "excellent strategic opportun...
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (AFP) � Spa owner Sadasivan is doing his bit to reassure tourists coming to India's resort state of Kerala they won't get rubbed the wrong way when they get an Ayurvedic oil massage. Sadasivan said he has just spent 3,000 dollars sprucing up his "Divine Spa" -- buying new towels, a treatment table and other equipment -- to secure ...
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) acquired Baccini SpA for EUR225 million ($334 million) in cash in order improve its position as a supplier to the solar industry. Applied said Baccini, a supplier of automated metallization and test systems for manufacturing crystalline silicone photovoltaic cells, will be integrated within its solar business group. The San...
North Carolina spa www.yuvanmedspa.com generates buzz through unparalleled client service and technological and pharmaceutical innovations. Cornelius, NC (PRWEB) January 31, 2008 -- Offering a new path in relaxation and refreshing spa treatment, Yuvan MedSpa has stepped forward to deliver unmatched personalization to its clients. Avoiding classification as another massage ...
The Island Outpost Group � owned by music mogul Chris Blackwell � is to open a spa at Ian Fleming�s former residence Goldeneye in the village of Oracabessa, Jamaica, later this year. The spa will cover more than 26,000sq ft (2415sq m) and feature a private lagoon at its centre, surrounded by a relaxation area and 14 treatment rooms � seven wet a...
Fall in Love with a Skin Care Career at SpaBeautySchools.com. Staten Island, NY (PRWEB) February 5, 2008 -- Love is in the air, and cash registers are ringing around the country. As Valentine's Day approaches, spa workers are soothing skin with scrumptious chocolate and cherry facials, luxurious facials for two, and more. It's an excellent time of year to be a sk...
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) � The good news keeps coming for Washington's grape growers and winemakers: A new study shows the industry contributed $3 billion to the state's economy in 2006. Industry leaders say the report released Thursday confirms that the state's wine industry is leading to increased visibility for Washington's wines and driving efforts...
Who knew an anniversary present could lead to a family business? Neil and Kim James didn�t. In December 2006, Neil bought Kim a spa package at The Rain Tree Salon & Day Spa for their 11th wedding anniversary. Less than a year later, the Jameses became the new owners of the long-established salon and day spa located at 1602 W. Northfield Blvd., Suite 508 in the Georg...
A list of Southwest Florida business-related briefs. APPOINTMENTS Valerie R. Cialini has joined CNLBank, Southwest Florida as an assistant banking office manager in the Naples market. Cialini has been actively involved in the banking industry for more than 25 years. Joshua Evans has become a principal in the firm Q. Grady Minor & Associates, P.A. The board of directors una...
By Jane Engle, Los Angeles Times If you're looking to cruise in 2008, it's high time to book your trip. Or maybe past time if you want the best deals. These days, half of cruise passengers book their voyages more than seven months ahead, according to a report from Cruise Lines International Association. And you won't believe where they're going in this ...
In conjunction with Air Tahiti Nui, Tahiti Tourism and Maison de la France, Tahiti�s Pearl Beach Resorts and Spa hosted a lavish function at Sydney�s Waterfront Restaurant last week for more than 70 industry members, corporate clients and media. Complete with tropical cocktails and tiare flowers, attendees enjoyed performances by traditional Tahitian dancers ...
Since 2001, Intelligent Spas has helped set the industry standard for providing high quality spa benchmarks and now shares its knowledge in a free educational guide aimed to fast track global spa benchmarking. With over 35 country surveys currently underway, Intelligent Spas is expanding its 100 per cent independent research model to other key spa markets across the globe....
Guests are taking advantage of resorts' relaxing, pampering, soothing services Sunday, February 10, 2008 Plain Dealer Reporter Susan Glaser The soft sounds of synthesized music soothe inside Spa Kalahari, just a short walk down the hall from the nation's largest, and perhaps loudest, indoor water park. This is where parents come to escape the noise, the surf - an...
new scholarship has been created by the Urban Healing Company to encourage nationals from the Asia-Pacific region to pursue careers in spa and wellness leadership. Called the Urban Healing Scholarship for Wellness Leadership Development, the initiative will support talented individuals within the spa industry who want to focus on the creation of genuine wellness for themse...
A new wellness centre has opened at the Shandrani Resort & Spa in Mauritius. Called La Source Wellness Centre, the new facility has been built in addition to the existing La Source Spa and will be managed by Shandrani's owner, Beachcomber Hotels, alongside Decl�or-trained therapists. Located within the tropical gardens of the resort, the new centre was designed...
A US$500m (�253.1m, 337.2m euro) residential concept specifically designed to improve the health of residents has launched in the US. Branded Cooper Life, the new community is the brainchild of Dr Kenneth Cooper, the doctor who coined the term aerobics in 1968. It has been developed in partnership with Wellstone Communities and is located at Craig Ranch, Texas - hom...
The Relais Thalasso of B�nodet (RTB) group, owned by the Ph�lippeau family, is to open its fifth hotel and thalassotherapy centre in Brittany, France, in 2010. According to Cosmetique Spa, RTB plans to spend approximately 20m euro (�14.9m, US$29.3m) to turn a recently-purchased castle in Pornichet into an 80-bedroom hotel with a 21,527sq ft (2,000sq m)...
Designer Ian Schrager has been confirmed as one of the keynote speakers at this year's Global Spa Summit. The co-creator of the infamous Studio 54 nightclub in New York, US, Schrager's other notable designs include the newly completed Gramercy Park Hotel in Manhattan, US. He will speak about the future in the hotel and spa industries at this year's Summit, w...
Beachcomber's luxury Sainte Anne private island resort in the Seychelles is due to begin a major refurbishment in April including an extension of its existing spa. The Sainte Anne Spa by Clarins at the Beachcomber group's luxury private island resort first opened in 2003. The spa, set in tropical gardens, boasts a slate pool and guests can choose from a menu of C...
The Fortina Spa Resort in Malta has added 47 new Wellness Rejuvenation Rooms to its offering, which will be available to guests from June. The new rooms have a sleep system based on the earth's magnetic pull and include magnetic mattresses, duvets and pillows to enable guests to sleep better and maintain a deep relaxation state for longer. Water de-ioniser machines an...
A new white paper issued by the ResortSuite company details the requirements for a successful yield management strategy for spas. The white paper, entitled Implementing Spa Yield Management, was written by members of the ResortSuite team, to provide spa professionals with solutions to some of the challenges facing their businesses. The paper discusses how yield management ...
Resort and spa operator Banyan Tree has signed a management contract with Jabal Resorts LLC for the development of two resorts - a Banyan Tree and an Angsana property - within a large integrated resort development in Sifah, Oman. The project will be Banyan Tree's first development in Oman and will see the expansion of the group's property portfolio to 10 projects...
SpaAsia and the training academy Institute of Healing Hands have announced further details of their newly-launched SpaLEAD programme. Held in different locations in Thailand, the wellness leadership programme has been developed by the Urban Healing Company, a provider of educational wellness solutions. Focusing on specific training and interpersonal skills as well as busin...
Icelandic spa company Blue Lagoon has opened a joint venture spa and fitness centre in Gl�sib�r, Reykjav�k, and has revealed further plans to open a series of city spas on an international basis. The 35,520sq ft (3,300sq m) Gl�sib�r centre will be operated in partnership with the Hreyfing group and carry Blue Lagoon products. The new buil...
The Island Outpost Group � owned by music mogul Chris Blackwell � is to open a spa at Ian Fleming�s former residence Goldeneye in the village of Oracabessa, Jamaica, later this year. The spa will cover more than 26,000sq ft (2415sq m) and feature a private lagoon at its centre, surrounded by a relaxation area and 14 treatment rooms � seven wet a...
The UK�s first eco-spa, West Yorkshire's Titanic Spa, has become one of the first of a few specially selected locations in the UK to offer the new head, hair and scalp products and treatments from ghd. ghd spa includes a selection of sixteen professional products divided into four collections - Immortal, Prayer, Saviour and Trinity - each designed to address sp...
HydroCo has introduced the V-Tub, the first hydro-massage tub to incorporate a separate hair/scalp wash bowl that enables hair washing/scalp treatments without contaminating the bathing water. This allows muds and sea-weeds to infuse as they have been designed to do and allows the guest to fully benefit from the products used within the tub. The V-Tub is a free standing un...
Colony's Wax Lyrical collection of home fragrance products now includes nine new scents for 2008. Unveiled at Spring Fair at the NEC this month, everyday scents include 'The Rouge', Vanilla & Tonka, Yuzu & Lime, Egyptian Rose, Linen & Cashmere and Sambac Jasmine. For the 2008 Christmas season, featured fragrances are Orange & Cranberry, Amber & Myrrh and Whi...
Aromatherapy specialist Primavera will be introducing a new organic skincare line called Natural Balance at the Professional Beauty show in March. Created exclusively for professional spa, beauty and holistic therapist use, Natural Balance contains the company's Re-Cell Complex�, reported to be the first 100 per cent certified organic complex of active substanc...
Organic spa brand Ytsara has been selected as one of the product ranges for Chester's new Karma spa. Completed in September 2007 and part of the city's renamed and re-branded Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa, the spa features six treatment suites, three luxury relaxation rooms, a VIP couples suite with hydrotherapy bath, traditional Turkish Hamman, Arabian Rasul, Sp...
A new wellness centre has opened at the Shandrani Resort & Spa in Mauritius. Called La Source Wellness Centre, the new facility has been built in addition to the existing La Source Spa and will be managed by Shandrani's owner, Beachcomber Hotels, alongside Decl�or-trained therapists. Located within the tropical gardens of the resort, the new centre was designed...
By Matthew Goodman The Chinese property and travel tycoon Deng Hong likes to leave his personal stamp on his ventures. Take his new InterContinental hotel in Chengdu, in the heart of China's Sichuan province. Deng's watercolours, the results of an earlier artistic career, adorn the walls. He designed the old-style teahouse on the hotel's fifth floor, where g...
"Images of beautiful ladies with cucumbers over their eyes are pass� as savvy consumers are no longer fooled by this representation of the spa-goer," said International SPA Association President Lynne McNees while talking about the association's new magazine, LiveSpa. As the voice of the spa industry since 1991, ISPA is debuting LiveSpa in June to debunk myths,...
MotionVR, LLC announced a partnership with Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, whereby the luxury resort and casino, located on the Las Vegas strip, has become the first Nevada-based property to debut MotionVR Tours - realistic "walk-through" motion tours. Using hi-tech, yet simple-to-use navigation tools, visitors to Mandalay Bay's website - whether the connoisseur, th...
By Golu Timothy In its determination to block access to the entry points of crime, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has directed all operators of hotels and guest houses to start issuing identification cards to guests who check into their premises and monitor them as a way of ensuring that they don't keep criminals in their business environs. The FCTA also...
By Carol Chapman, Principal and co-Founder of The Brand Ascension Group Empowering your people is absolutely essential to creating a culture that champions your brand. So why are some organizations reluctant to empower their employees? Is it because they don't trust their judgment? They might not do the right thing? Well, here's my perspective. If you hire the RI...
Key points in providing exceptional service training experience for hotel employees By Roberta Nedry, President, Hospitality Excellence, Inc. ALL ABOARD! Interviews are complete. New employees are hired. Orientations are scheduled. Training is about to begin. How does your organization view and define the training experience before it takes place or before it leaves the st...
By Jason Cochran After a few quiet years on the family front, the travel industry is once more revving up to seduce the younger set. Million-dollar developments are being thrown up everywhere you look, in hopes you'll bring the kids. But if you think the changes - outlined in our preview below - this year are big, just hang on to your lanyards. In 2009, Universal'...
The travel and tourism industry has estimated a huge shortfall of about 30,000 rooms required for around 150,000 additional visitors to the national capital for the Commonwealth Games which are just two years away. "There is a gap of about 30,000 rooms as there will be an estimated five million visitors from within the country and abroad during the 2010 Games," Ankur Bhati...
By Jayne Clark mayflower_hotel_book_feb_11_400Keith McClinsey didn't bat an eyelash when he spotted a silver Champagne bucket for sale on eBay that had been filched by the seller's father during a long-ago party at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel. He was a tad perplexed, however, to learn of a 5-gallon punchbowl that vanished after a holiday fete in the 1950s. Ho...
Stark Service Solutions is known nationally for its cutting edge programs to enhance customer loyalty through superior guest satisfaction and associate satisfaction ratings announced the launching of their on-line store, The Motivational Marketplace. Already used in a number of hotels including such brands as Hilton Hotels, W Hotels, and Marriott Hotels and Resorts as well...
Malta's International Hotel Investments p.l.c. (IHI), together with Libyan Foreign Investment Company (LFICO) and Istithmar Hotels FZE of Dubai, have bought the old Metropole building near Trafalgar Square in London for re-development as a five-star hotel. The building was a hotel in the first part of the last century but was more recently used by the Ministry of Defe...
Utell Hotels & Resorts has welcomed a raft of prestigious hotel signings, building on the success of its Utell Collections programme. The five Utell Collections; Utell Business, Luxury, Boutique, Spa and Golf have seen strong growth since launch at ITB, Berlin in March 2007. The Utell Luxury Collection recently reported 30 per cent revenue growth for its member hotels. The...
As part of the global rollout of the Accor Group's new upscale hotel chain Pullman, The Sofitel Paris Bercy has adopted the Pullman brand to become the Pullman Paris Bercy. Located at the heart of the capital's new district of Bercy, the Pullman Paris Bercy (396 rooms, including 20 suites) is designed primarily for business travelers. With its own 1,800 m2 conven...
The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. enjoyed its most successful year ever in 2007, setting new records in sales and revenue. The percentage of business driven into The Leading Hotels of the World's London hotel members rose from 16% to 21% - a total increase of 5% of their total yearly business. And the number of room nights produced for London increased by 13,000 i...
WOW.travel (the online magazine of kiwicollection.com) edited by Mary Gostelow, introduces Seven Sensational Hotels where you Arrive by Boat. 1) PARK HOTEL WEGGIS, SWITZERLAND wow_park_hotel_weggis_feb_11 The magical arrival is, thanks to Swiss public transport, like clockwork. Alight from your train at Lucerne and take a five minute walk to the ferry. After a 20 minutes&#...
By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com Hotel Lawyer on hotel management agreements and operator breach of duty. It may be an exaggeration to say that "JMBM wrote the book on hotel management agreements," but we certainly know the area and have at least written a few chapters in that book. We have been helping owners, developers and lenders with many h...
Ian Schrager and J.W. Marriott, Jr., today kick started their new lifestyle boutique hotel brand, introducing its name, "Edition," and announcing an initial wave of signed development deals that will see the expected opening of the first properties in 2010. The renowned inventor of the boutique hotel and the CEO of the world's premier lodging company said that they ha...
Karnataka tourism has drawn global attention like never before. In the next couple of years, several international players in the hospitality industry are expected to pump in huge investments in the State. Malnad and the coastal Karnataka region may attract unprecedented investments. Sources in the Tourism Department told The Hindu that top executives of 55 companies in gl...
Microsoft and Emirates announced they will set up an Innovation Lab in Dubai to develop new products and services for the travel industry using Microsoft's cutting-edge technologies and tapping on Emirates' expertise and experience in developing IT solutions for the aviation and travel industry. Both companies will invest in the project. Microsoft will work with ...
Virtual Worlds , developers of the world's first "Mirror World" ,announces the availability of the world's first platform for virtual tourism to industry operators in Singapore. From key tourism destinations, places of interest , historical sites to realistic full scale 3-Dimensional replicas of entire cities. This mirror world of our existing planet - "Mirror Wo...
By Gina Keating Walt Disney Co's quarterly profit sailed past Wall Street targets as attendance rose at its Florida, Paris and Hong Kong parks and a new "High School Musical" DVD proved a hit, sending its stock up about 5 percent. Disney saw no sign that the U.S. economic downturn had affected consumer products sales or theme park bookings, Chief Financial Officer Tom...
Seattle Hotel Association's 11th Annual Gala raised funds towards ending homelessness in Seattle From extraordinary travel experiences to silent auction items, $529,000 was raised during the 11th Annual "Evening of Hope," Seattle Hotel Association's most glamorous event to date, benefiting Plymouth Housing Group (PHG). Held on Saturday, February 9, it was a magic...
Hotusa Hotels has enlarged its portfolio during the month of January with the addition of 19 new associated establishments, which reasserts its privileged position amongst the principal hotel groups worldwide. Of the 19 new hotels added to the chain's list, 12 form part of its international network, while the remaining 7 are spread over Spanish territory. As detailed ...
By Eugene Gilligan The hotel construction pipeline reached a new milestone in 2007, according to Lodging Econometrics. But a record number of hotel rooms may be entering the U.S. market at a time of softening demand. The lodging real estate consulting firm, based in Portsmouth, N.H., said that the lodging construction pipeline stood at 5,438 projects, encompassing 718,387 ...
It was 80 years ago that two international legends were launched: the Academy Awards and The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. And to celebrate that mutual milestone, Leading Hotels has drawn on all the adventure, romance and excitement that made the Academy Award-winning classic "Around the World in 80 Days" so memorable to create an Oscar-worthy performance in luxury tra...
Deloitte is delighted to announce they have crossed the 500 market milestone with the addition of 29 new markets to the Monthly HotelBenchmark�Survey. The new markets added to the survey include 12 markets in Asia, 13 markets in Europe and four markets in the Middle East & Africa listed below. The HotelBenchmark�Survey by Deloitte is the world's largest ...
Hand Picked Hotels, the award-winning collection of country house hotels, is on the acquisitions trail, buying three hotels and increasing its portfolio to 17 hotels. Owned by former City lawyer Julia Hands, Hand Picked Hotels is buying three hotels from the Bridgehouse Hotels Group: the Grade II listed 57-bedroom Hendon Hall Hotel in Hendon, North London; Audleys Wood Hot...
By Scott Baltic Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., White Plains, N.Y., announced that two former Adams Mark Hotels will be reflagged as the Sheraton Dallas Hotel and Sheraton Denver Hotel. And starting in mid-April, both hotels, owned in partnership between Whitehall Funds and The Chartres Lodging Group--known until last month as Oxford Lodging Advisory & Investment...
His highness sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum the ruler of Dubai Ordered Building Dubai palms to support the tourism industry increasing Dubai beaches by over 500 km doubling-up Dubai shoreline. Palm Jumeirah Palm Jumeirah According to Al Nakheel Palm Developers "palm Jumeirah the first man made island will be Officially launched by the end of 2008" along with the Atl...
By Jeremy Lazell Regular readers will know that The Sunday Times likes a bit of five-star. Mud wraps, we enjoy. Hand-dived scallops, we endorse. But romance is our weakness, and no amount of Molton Brown or Mo�t can beat the simple allure of a wild, abandoned shack. Last autumn, I stayed at Sheneval, a boggy bothy at the heart of the Highland wilds: stags bellowed f...
Worldwide lodging franchisor Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH) and leading hospitality services company Outrigger Enterprises Group announced a new alliance through which six Outrigger-managed and/or affiliated properties representing over 3,000 rooms will be affiliated with Choice's Clarion Collection brand. The new properties are located in Honolulu, Waikiki a...
Benchmark Hospitality International has announced the greening of its three Virginia resorts: The Founders Inn and Spa of Virginia Beach; Virginia Crossings Resort of Richmond; and Lansdowne Resort located near Leesburg. Each property has been presented with the Virginia Green Lodging Certificate of Environmental Commitment by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quali...
Following its inaugural Strategic Planning Forum in Bali in March last year, APSWC established five industry task forces, to address the most pressing needs and challenges: People, Professionalisation, Products, Profit and Planet. The 2nd annual STRATEGIC PLANNING FORUM 2008 - The Next Step Forward is scheduled for February 22 - 23, 2008 in Kuala Lumpur. Hosted at Mandarin...
Skal International Bangkok held its monthly meeting recently at the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel, Bangkok. With a record attendance of over 80 Skalleagues and guests who were also able to witness the inauguration of the Bangkok Club's new president, Mr. Andrew Wood (pictured), GM of the Chaophya Park Hotel, received the chain of office from outgoing president, Mr....
Making Africa the world's next premier travel destination, Feb. 27-28, 2008. New York, NY Plenary and workshop descriptions Plenary 1: Introducing Africa to the U.S. Travel Consumer For most travel consumers, Africa is a new, yet still unfamiliar destination. But for leaders in the U.S. travel and tourism industry, Africa represents one of the fastest growing outbound...
By Jake Grieves-Cook, Spokesman, Kenya Tourism Federation Kofi Annan met Kenyan MPs from all the political parties at a special session of Parliament to brief them on the progress of the talks between the government and opposition negotiating teams which he has been chairing. Mr Annan repeated calls that have been made for MPs to travel to their constituencies and preach p...
One of the most exceptional hotel projects in Russia, The Barvikha Hotel & Spa, is about to open its doors. The intention to become the first luxury spa hotel in Moscow has its obvious implications to happen. The hotel is located on Rublevo-Uspenskoe shosse, in the area of Barvikha, which has always been the residence place of cr�me de la cr�me of the Soviet ...
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA � February 20, 2008 � VOIL� Hotel Rewards, the first global, point-based frequent guest programme specifically created for independent hotel companies, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Gabi Kool to the position of Senior Vice President and Managing Director. VOIL� Hotel Rewards is a ground-breaking, new loy...
By Eric J. Lyman An overnight fire ripped through part of the Venice Lido's historic Grand Hotel Des Bains, forcing the temporary closure of the stately property. But officials said the hotel will "probably" be fully operational by the start of the Venice Film Festival, in which the hotel plays a central role. Firefighters extinguished the blaze early Tuesday, though ...
Feb 22, 08 | 1:52 am Perched on the edge of a fabled city lake, the InterContinental Hanoi Westlake officially opens its doors March 6 as the UK-based hotel group's first property in Vietnam. After a soft opening in mid-December, the 359-unit hotel shows off its polish in a market where the demand for upscale accommodation has never been greater. "We couldn't get...
Feb 22, 08 | 1:51 am Raffles Hotels & Resorts has announced the portfolio exchange of two general managers within the group. Mr. Riaz Mahmood, presently area general manager, Indo-China, has been appointed as general manager of Raffles Beijing Hotel starting February 18, 2008. Mr. Peter Wynne, who is currently general manager of Raffles Beijing Hotel, will undertake his ne...
Feb 22, 08 | 1:50 am The Ty Newydd Country Hotel has invested more than pounds 100,000 in a state-of-the-art wood gasifying biomass boiler system. The investment has been supported by a grant from the Wood Energy Business Scheme (WEBS), established by Forestry Commission Wales on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government, and an interest-free loan from the Carbon Trust. The ...
ProfessionalTravelGuide.com (www.professionaltravelguide.com), the world's most comprehensive travel and trip planning resource, has launched a new comprehensive cruise ship information hub. The hub will provide consumers with brand new professional cruise reviews, news, cruise line information, and useful insider tips on one of the fastest growing luxury travel segme...
Realty firm Parsvnath Developers said it has entered into a joint venture with Bangalore-based Royal Orchid Hotels to develop 10 hotels in the country with an investment of Rs 500 crore over the next five years. The joint venture company would operate under the name of Parsvnath Royal Orchid Hotels, wherein Parsvnath Hotels Ltd (PHL) would hold 70 per cent and the remainin...
The Emerald Hotel Perth has been acquired by The Straits Trading Company Limited through its wholly owned subsidiary Rendezvous Hotels Management Pty Ltd for $25.1 million. Through Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels' Mr Mark Durran and Colliers International's Mr Greg O'Meara, settlement of the property is expected to occur on 1 April 2008. The hotel, currently a Bes...
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms, announces new roles for company veterans Tom Murray and Jim Anhut as they will lead the company's development activities in the Americas region and help continue IHG's global development momentum as the company is well on track to exc...
Hotels in Korea are rejoicing over unusual rooms demand, thanks to the forthcoming inauguration ceremony of Presidential-elect Lee Myung-bak. According to industry sources on Wednesday, rooms on February 24 and 25 in five-star hotels such as Lotte Hotel Seoul, Shilla Hotel and Grand Hyatt as well as four-star hotels are almost fully booked with foreign and domestic guests ...
Dubai-based diversified investment group, Zabeel Investments has taken a strategic step into the hospitality sector, through the acquisition of a fifty percent stake in leading US hospitality development and management company, The Light Group. This partnership marks the first foray into the US market by the fast-growing and dynamic investment house. The partnership unites...
Burt Caba�as, chairman and CEO of Benchmark Hospitality, announces the launch of Benchmark Hospitality International Japan (Benchmark Japan), a joint venture partnership with Mr. Hiromi Takagi and Ms. Kozue Honda, both of Tokyo. Mr. Takagi and Ms. Honda have been affiliated with the leading hospitality management company for several years through Benchmark Tech, Ben...
Health and wellness tourism gaining the spotlight in Austria, according to in-depth study Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c83377) has announced the addition of Euromonitor International's new report: Travel and Tourism in Austria to their offering. Our Travel and Tourism in Austria report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and sha...
Despite repercussions of the ongoing global credit crunch, Travel & Tourism leaders revealed that the industry will moderately be impacted and signalled continued growth rates for 2008 at a reduced pace. According to the recent research produced by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Oxford Economics (OE), Travel & Tourism entered this recent period on the back o...
Thomas A. Klein brings nearly three decades of hospitality leadership to his new position as regional vice president, California for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and general manager of the brand's flagship property, The Fairmont San Francisco. In addition to managing The Fairmont San Francisco, he will oversee all Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in California; including The ...
Presence with Triumvirate of Industry Leaders Preferred Hotel Group has enhanced its presence in the Asia Pacific Region with an expanded management team of highly regarded, seasoned executives. Lynne Ireland, Managing Director, Preferred Boutique and Area Managing Director, South Pacific, will be the newest addition to the team, creating an impressive trio that also inclu...
Global family entertainment leader Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) have forged a new strategic partnership, both organisations announced. Effective immediately, Disney becomes a PATA Premier Partner, gaining exclusive access to a range of co-operative opportunities including market intelligence, business development and co-brand...
The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. is pleased to announce that it has accepted the following new member hotels: Dating back to 1450, Hotel Schloss Fuschl is set on a peninsula in Austria's Lake Fuschl, 20 minutes from Salzburg. The storybook setting comprises a castle complex, and lakeside cottages, surrounded by manicured lawns. Its 110 rooms and suites artfully b...
TripAdvisor�, the world's largest travel community, today announced the top 10 art museums in the world, based on traffic to the attractions on tripadvisor.com. 1. Louvre Affair: Musee du Louvre, Paris, France Once a fortified palace that was the home to kings of France, the Louvre is now the world's most famous museum, renowned for some of the finest piec...
By Cliodhna Doherty The Cayman Islands is to become a "greener" tourist destination. This will include at least seven tourism properties taking on extra environmental responsibility with the ultimate goal of Green Globe 21 certification and the exploration of Green Globe destination certification for the island of Little Cayman. Minister for Tourism and Environment Charles...
By Brian Hutchinson He has built it, and Muhammad Abid now hopes they will come -- intrepid foreigners, willing to throw caution to the wind and book rooms at the Royal Afghan, this city's first and only luxury hotel. It's an unlikely endeavour. The five-storey, $15-million hotel is the most attractive new building in southern Afghanistan. Therein lies the proble...
The Israeli Tourism Ministry is seeking foreign investors to establish hotels in Acre and across Israel due to the increasing shortage in the number of available guest rooms. "The Tourism Ministry expects a 20 percent growth in the demand for hotel rooms throughout 2008 in accordance with the current report on the booking of hotel rooms," Tourism Ministry Director-General ...
By Sharon Lem Riding down the elevator to the ninth floor from the hotel's rooftop swimming pool, an Australian family of four coming back from a swim is oblivious to the fact that they're staying at ground zero in a health-care crisis that would rock Asia. This is where the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak began. The couple's children are g...
By Chad Blair The shakeup of top managers at Hilton properties in Hawaii suggests that the hotel company's new owners are on an aggressive campaign to streamline operations and quickly increase profits even as demand for traditional hotel rooms slackens. Since acquiring Hilton Hotel Corp. for $26 billion in October, New York-based Blackstone Group has replaced key cor...
Hilton Hotels Corporation ("Hilton") today announced the appointment of Steven R. Goldman as President, Global Development and Real Estate. Mr. Goldman is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Sunstone Hotel Investors (NYSE:SHO), a Real Estate Investment Trust that owns upscale hotels operated under various nationally recognized brands. Mr. Goldman will join H...
In anticipation of the one billion international tourism arrivals expected by 2010, Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) plans to add more than 140 hotels and resorts outside the U.S. and Canada, representing more than 34,000 rooms in 43 countries over the next four years. These new hotels are part of Marriott International's global growth strategy in which more th...
Yes, it's another airport stopover. Gritty-eyed and groggy, your head and body are operating in two different time zones courtesy of jet lag and interrupted in-flight sleep patterns. You're ready to keel over but sleeping in the terminal isn't that simple. Airports can be noisy, airport chairs are uncomfortable and security guards are growing ever-more suspi...
The British Hotel Guest Survey 2008, researched and produced by BDRC, has just been released. This in-depth annual survey focuses on the domestic hotel market both in the business and leisure sectors, and it is one of the most comprehensive of its kind. The sample group has been increased for the 2008 report to 2000 respondents made up in equal part of business and leisure...
Folks in Seattle will tell you that before opening some of Turkey's most prestigious hotels, Ali Bozatl� sold carpets. The scientific community refers to his scientific studies on aerodynamics funded by NASA. Both are right. But Turks know Bozatl� neither for the small carpet shop he opened in Washington state nor his aeronautical research, but as one of...
Travelocity teams with Intercontinental Hotel group to strengthen merchant hotel connectivity platform. Travelocity and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) have implemented state-of-the-art next generation connectivity between their systems, giving Travelocity's customers immediate and accurate access to IHG's complete range of inventory and pricing while allowin...
Millennium and Copthorne (M and C), the hotels and resorts group, has appointed Richard Hartman as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Hartman, who retired as managing director of InterContinental Hotels Group�s Europe, Middle East and Africa region in September last year, has been recruited to fill the CEO post at Millennium & Copthorne that has been vacant since la...
The Society of Dermatology Skincare Specialists (SDSS) has awarded an esthetic student with a scholarship as part of the National Coalition of Estheticians, Manufacturers/Distributors and Associations Scholarship Program. The student, Monica McGregor, is a graduate of the Xenon International Academy in Wichita, Kansas. In addition to beginning her career in esthetics, Moni...
The Advanced Nutrition Programme (ANP) has launched a new UK-based course. Taking place in London, Bristol, Leeds, Glasgow and Dublin, the one-day product knowledge course is intended to help skincare therapists to gain accurate knowledge in order to achieve optimum results for their clients. The course explains how healthy skin depends on the combination of the right trea...
A new Elemis day spa is to open at the Foxhills resort in Surrey, UK, in July. The �5m (6.19m euro, US$9.8m) Foxhills Health Spa has been designed in conjunction with UK architects Robothams and developed by consultant Michelle Hammond. Covering 15,586sq ft (1,448sq m), treatments will use Elemis products as well as ghd Spa, Mama Mio and NEOM by Natural Magic. ...
New appointments have been made for key operational management positions within the Asia-Pacific based hospitality and spa organisation Anantara Hotels and Resorts. Brice Borin has become the hotel manager of the Anantara Resort Hua Hin in Thailand. Borin joined Anantara Resorts in 2005 and took on a leadership role in the pre-opening team at the Anantara Resort in the Mal...
A total of 10 spa management students are to be given the opportunity to join the second annual Global Spa Summit from 18-20 May in New York City, US. There will be four students chosen from New York�s Cornell University�s School of Hospitality Administration in the US as well as two from the California-based UC Irvine Extension�s Spa and Hospitality M...
Asian resort and spa operator Banyan Tree Holdings (BTH) � which operates the Banyan Tree and Angsana brands � is to open 50 more spa resorts and hotels by 2011. This year, the group plans to open Banyan Tree Sanya on the Chinese island of Hainan and the Angsana Hotel and Suites in Dubai. The Banyan Tree Ungasan in Bali will also open in late 2008 as well as ...
A new spa has opened within the former stables of Grade I-listed Rushton Hall in Northamptonshire, UK. Called the Stableyard Spa, facilities include an indoor swimming pool with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall, two spa pools and two treatment rooms. The spa is linked to the Elizabethan hotel by a glazed corridor. Treatments will use Phytomer products and include facials, mas...
Two new Australian ThoSona facilities have opened under the ThoSona Wellness Lifestyle Sanctuaries brand. Located within Next Generation sports clubs in Memorial Drive, Adelaide, and Kings Park in Perth, each ThoSona offers a range of services including naturopathy, zen shaitsu, physiotherapy, infrared sauna treatments, pre and post natal therapies and facials. The urban w...
The Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) has revealed plans to further extend its international Waldorf=Astoria Collection of hotels, resorts and residences. The latest addition to the collection is the Rome Cavalieri hotel and spa in Italy, which was first opened in 1963 and is situated in a 15-acre park with panoramic views across the centre of Rome. The company is also in th...
Airline group Finnair has revealed plans to open a 17,000sq ft (1,580sq m) spa and wellness centre in late 2009, adjacent to its new Helsinki Lounge within the Helsinki Airport terminal extension in Finland. The lounge and spa will offer services to Finnair�s growing number of customers. Facilities will include a sauna with a view of the runway, a mineral water bath...
The Urban Retreat day spa at Harrods in Knightsbridge, London, UK, is to host YTL Hotels� Spa Village brand from 2-29 June. During the Spa Village Festival, there will be six treatments administered by Spa Village therapists, added to the existing Urban Retreat menu, and chosen as the best reflection of the essence of the spa brand. The first Spa Village Pangkor Lau...
Two spa areas for men-only and women-only have launched at the Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel and Residence within the Diplomatic Area of Manama, Bahrain. Each called the Diplomat Spa and costing a total of US$2m (1.25m euro, �1.01m) to build, the spas are managed by the Thailand-based Sivalai Spa Company while the Thai Heritage Spa Company acted as consultants. The la...
A third Sun Spa-branded facility is to launch at the Iru Fushi beach resort in the Maldives. The Sun Spa at the luxury Iru Fushi resort in the Noonu Atoll will have 18 treatment rooms and open on 21 July. Owned and managed by Sun Spa Resorts Pvt, the two existing Sun Spa sites are both in the Maldives. Further spas are planned for both the Maldives and internationally. ...
The Azul Fives Hotel by Karisma is to open in December this year in Playa Del Carmen on the RIviera Maya in Mexico. Designed as an all-suite property, the new Azul Fives will offer a Zen-inspired spa with massage suites as well as hydrotherapy areas and a fitness centre. There will also be the Azul Fives� penthouse suites and the Presidential penthouse suites, each ...
Legacy Hotels & Resorts has revealed more details of upcoming developments in Africa including new properties in Madagascar and South Africa. The Kuzuko Bush Lodge resort and wellness centre in the Easter Cape Area of South Africa has launched. It is located in a private section of the Greater Addo Elephant National park, near to Port Elizabeth airport. The group has also ...
A new wellness brand which aims to integrate fitness, beauty and spa has launched in South Africa. Called ONEwellness, the first facility launched in December 2007 within the Radisson Hotel on Cape Town�s V and A Waterfront. Covering 9,741sq ft (905sq m), facilities at the day spa include 10 multi-function treatment rooms, a fitness centre, a sauna, a vitality pool ...
A large wellness centre has opened at the Quellenhotel and Spa property in Bad Waltersdorf within the Styrian region of southern Austria. Costing 5m euro (US$7.37m, �3.71m), the interiors of the Quellenoasis centre were designed by Zangger & Zangger with consultation from Schletterer Wellness & Spa Design. Covering 32,291sq ft (3,000sq m), the new centre has a natur...
Istithmar World Capital (IWC) has acquired a 40 per cent equity stake in ESPA International. ESPA, a UK-based spa company offering a range of services from design and management to products and therapists training, was founded in 1993 by Susan Harmsworth. Chief Executive of ESPA, Harmsworth, said: �I am delighted to be working in partnership with IWC and we look for...
Paul van Frank has been appointed as the new general manager at the Indian destination spa Ananda � In the Himalayas. Prior to joining Ananda, van Frank was the Chief Operating Officer of the Rayavadee resort in Krabi, Thailand. He has held management positions at Fort Young in Dominica, the Plantation Club Resort & Casino on Mah� in the Seychelles and the Re...
A famous Middle Eastern hot springs site is to be redeveloped by the Six Senses group and turned into an Evason-branded spa property. The Ma�in Hot Springs in Jordan are around a one-hour drive west of the capital Amman and are located 866ft (264m) below sea level. They have been reputed for their healing powers for centuries � legend has it that Herod the Gr...
The president of the Day Spa Association (DSA) and the International Medical Spa Association, Hannelore Leavy, has announced the new 2008-09 DSA Advisory Board. Rosemary Weiner is to remain as the chair of the board while Skip Williams, Vice President of Spa Operations Consulting Service, will remain as chair of the DSA Education and Trade Show Committee. The DSA Membershi...
The Preferred Hotels Group has added 18 properties, many with spas, to its Preferred Hotels & Resorts portfolio. Part of the additions include a number of new spa resorts and destinations due to open later this year. These include the Finca Cortes�n in Casares, near Sotogrande in Spain. Part of the Stein group, the Finca Cortes�n is due to open later this yea...
A new city day spa has opened within the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin in Germany. Split across three levels, the 9,687sq ft (900sq m) spa has 13 treatment rooms and was designed by Anne Marie Jagdfeld. Other facilities at the spa include a sauna, steambath, watsu pool and yoga rooms. Treatments use Sensai by Kanebo International and Skinceuticals. Before each treatment, gu...
Eight new Star Schools have opened in Durban, South Africa, as part of a JAC (Jobs, AIDS and Conservation) initiative from the owner of the Thanda Private Game Reserve and Spa, Dan Olofsson. The Star Schools promote an AIDS-free lifestyle in an area that has high levels of unemployment and HIV/AIDS levels. The concept aims to help and support South African high school stud...
The Island Outpost Group, owned by music mogul Chris Blackwell, is to open a spa at author Ian Fleming�s former residence, Goldeneye, in the village of Oracabessa, Jamaica. Developed in conjunction with Thalgo Spa Management, the spa will cover 26,000sq ft (2,415sq m) and feature a lagoon at its centre, surrounded by 14 wet and dry treatment rooms. Other features wi...
The European Union (EU) Asia Invest Programme is behind a funding project to internationalise the operations of spas in the Asia-Pacific region by training up to 1,000 spa therapists over the next two years. The programme is a European community initiative intended to support business cooperation between the European Union and Asia. Focusing on spa operations in Thailand, ...
The International Spa Association�s (ISPA) membership has reached a record high of more than 3,000 spa professionals and, for the first time, 20 per cent of the members of ISPA�s Board of Directors are from the Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific based members of the Board of Directors include Jesper Hougaard, managing director of Serena Spa, who is based i...
Spa and resort management company Per Aquum is to expand its international portfolio with a series of new resorts, many including its Lime spa concept. First to launch will be the Desert Palm Dubai in the UAE. The boutique property was due to open last year, but the project was delayed due to unforseen construction and labour issues. Two Maldivian properties � Maaka...
International spa brand Champneys has formed an alliance with spa consultancy and management company Wheway Lifestyle International (WLI) to provide consultancy services on behalf of Champneys. The link between the owners of WLI, Allan and Tanya Wheway, and Champneys began more than 35 years ago when the couple took over the bankrupt Lief�s Nature Cure Resort in Tri...
Asia-Pacific based Anantara Hotels & Resorts has formed a joint venture with Kempinski Hotels & Resorts in order to pursue strategic development opportunities in Europe and Asia. Anantara will seek out development opportunities in Asia on behalf of the Kempinski group and will also offer technical service skills to match Kempinski�s growth strategy. In return, Kempi...
luxury day spa is to open in May at the Monte do Casal hotel in Cerro do Lobo in Portugal�s Algarve region. The Sanctuary Spa will cover 2,368sq ft (220sq m), excluding its outdoor area, and will boast three treatment rooms, a relaxation room, a sauna, hammam, sundeck, outdoor swimming pool and gazebo. Created by William Hawkins to provide a meditative environment w...
A new women-only spa hotel has opened in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Reportedly the Middle East�s first completely women-only hotel, the Luthan Hotel and Spa has 25 bedrooms, a swimming pool and a spa. Saudi Arabia requires women by law to cover themselves in Islamic dress when in public. Inside the Luthan Hotel, women can use the facilities uncovered and unchaperoned. ...
Projects with innovative concepts, the most conducive investment-friendly climate as well as a robust exhibitions and events sector have collectively shaped Dubai as one of most thriving destinations for business tourism. Reaffirming the status of the emirate, the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives (SITE) in its recent report said Dubai is one of the most popular d...
Eco Sensibility saves 70,000 kilowatt hours per year equalling an annual heat consumption of some 10,000 Viennese households. Vienna: Since 1873, crystal clear mountain spring water is used to wash the crystal of the chandeliers of the country's most prestigious hotel, the Imperial Vienna. Photograph: Michelle Chaplow Vienna, Austria: The Hotels Imperial and Bristol a...
HGR (Hospitality Graduate Recruitment, www.h-g-r.com, Luzern, Switzerland) has just secured its first global contract with leading hotel group Hyatt International. The contract which came into effect last month will see the Swiss based recruitment consultancy supporting over 110 hotels with their recruitment strategies. For the next twelve months, HR departments across Hya...
Tiger Woods will begin his attempt to win golf's calendar-year grand slam during the Masters tournament at Augusta National in Georgia this weekend. Nick Mastroianni might suggest starting the tournament with a massage. It's easy to see why. Along with getting his shoes shined and his clubs repaired on-site, Mastroianni, a 44-year-old real estate developer and me...
Going green is not a new concept in the world of travel. For decades, resorts like Maho Bay in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Turtle Island in Fiji have demonstrated that eco-awareness and sustainability can coexist with tourism. But in the past five years, the "eco" buzz has been amplified within the travel industry-and throughout popular culture as well. In picture: Luxury ...
Bird group subsidiary Bird Hospitality Services (BHS) is contemplating setting up 20 hotels by 2015. The group has recently forayed into the hospitality sector with a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with Thailand-based hospitality chain, Dusit Hotels & Resorts. An investment in the range of $300 to 400 million has been set aside for the hotels venture. "The funds will be raised t...
Thomas Storey and Michael Glennie to new roles Fairmont Raffles Hotels International ("FRHI") today announced the appointments of Thomas Storey as President of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Michael Glennie as President, Real Estate & Development of FRHI. William R. Fatt, Chief Executive Officer of FRHI, said, "We are delighted to have Tom lead Fairmont at a time when our b...
Business in Abu Dhabi is booming, driving the fortunes of the Omeir bin Youssef Group, which has holdings in multiple sectors including tourism and automobiles. Emirates Business spoke to Khalifa bin Omeir bin Youssef (pictured above), CEO of the group, about his take on the recent growth and his criticisms of the handling of amendments to the trade agency law. Abu Dhabi h...
Hilton Hotels Corporation and IPC Jerusalem Ltd have today jointly announced the execution of a management agreement to introduce the first Waldorf=Astoria Collection hotel in Israel. To be known as The Palace Jerusalem - The Waldorf=Astoria Collection, the historic property is anticipated to open by the end of 2010 and will form part of development featuring approximately...
Record breaking attendance, $100 billion in investment Posted by: Spas Record breaking attendance, $100 billion in investment highlight Caribbean hotel & tourism conference The 12th Annual Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) concluded with a very optimistic outlook for the Caribbean region as a record-breaking 522 delegates met at the newly opened Hya...
Intercontinental Hotels group appoint Karl Hala in new senior role in Africa. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced that Karl Hala will assume two senior positions within the hotel group - Director of Operations for Africa and General Manager for InterContinental Nairobi, Kenya. Karl Hala, who has over 26 years experience in the hospitality industry, has held s...
Hotels sell rooms to tour operators at prices below their published rates. Operators sell those rooms on to consumers. Sometimes the hotel asks the operator to agree that the price charged to consumers should not fall below the rates published on the hotel's own web site. This agreement - a guarantee that the hotel's rates cannot be undersold - can be judged to b...
According to a recent report by Habia � the government-approved standards body for hair, beauty, nails and spa � training remains the biggest issue facing beauty salons in the UK. The report, entitled the Habia Skills Survey for the Beauty Therapy Industry 2007, is based on a survey and consultations conducted by Habia in late 2006 and early 2007. It provides...
A survey conducted for the Physicians Coalition for Injectable Safety in the US has shown that, when it comes to cosmetic injectable treatments, those who visit a plastic, facial plastic or opthalmic plastic surgeon are more likely to have their procedure carried out by a doctor as opposed to a physician�s assistant or registered nurse. The survey � conducted...
One of the hospitality industry's most interesting aspects is its diversity. There are many different hotels in numerous countries and the job of hotel manager varies substantially throughout the different regions of the world. Productivity and Quality A critical challenge of hotel management, especially in high labour cost areas such as Western Europe, Northern Ameri...
The famous faces who feed the foodies Most celebrities have an intimate understanding of restaurants-especially since a plethora of them worked as waiters waiting for their big break. "You feel like you know everything once you've been a waitress," Sandra Bullock, a former server, once said. But who knew so many stars, like Bullock, would be inspired to return to thei...
We have finally broken free from the corsets of Victorian parenting. According to a new survey we now put our kids first on holidays - no more �seen and not heard'! In possibly the largest survey of its type, over 7000 UK mothers bared their soul on travelling as a family, letting children have cake and [almost] forgetting who the adult is. Sponsored by Sea-Ban...
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed an exclusive agreement with MAK Hotel Holdings, a member of the M.A. Kharafi Group of Kuwait, to develop an InterContinental Hotel in the Syrian capital. Located in the city centre, the 370-room InterContinental Damascus, due for completion in 2010, will form part of the capital's only integrated development which will in...
A UK-based syndicate of private investors called Hotbed has invested in a �23.8m (30.2m euro, US$46.3m) deal to construct and operate a residential health spa in Essex, UK. Called thelifehouse and located at Thorpe Hall near Colchester, it will be built on 135 acres of parkland and will be completed by late 2009. According to CEO of Hotbed, Gary Robins, the decision...
A new resort, residential community and spa development is in the final stages of construction in Bermuda. Called Tucker�s Point, the hotel and spa will boast a private pink-sand beach and two freshwater swimming pools as well as an 88-bedroom hotel. All guestrooms will have a private terrace or balcony overlooking Castle Harbour and Harrington Sound. Tucker�...
The Camelot Spa Group � which currently has 13 spas in South Africa � plans to open a further 10 spas by the beginning of 2009. The latest site to open is the R5m (US$0.63m, 0.4m euro, �0.3m) Camelot Spa at Velmore Estate in the Hennops River Valley, South Africa. The 5,381sq ft (500sq m) spa has eight treatment rooms, a multi-jet vitality pool and a c...
Hotel Attorney at JMBM's Hotel Finance Conference: mood of the industry and where we go from here. It is May 8, 2008. JMBM's 18th annual hotel conference, Meet the Money� 2008 wrapped up this afternoon, and more than 100 of the industry leaders have just shared their latest experiences and outlooks for the remainder of 2008 and beyond. There is a consensus...
Hotel Attorney at JMBM's Hotel Finance Conference: mood of the industry and where we go from here. It is May 8, 2008. JMBM's 18th annual hotel conference, Meet the Money� 2008 wrapped up this afternoon, and more than 100 of the industry leaders have just shared their latest experiences and outlooks for the remainder of 2008 and beyond. There is a consensus...
Relais & Ch�teaux, an exclusive collection of some of the world's finest luxury small hotels and gourmet restaurants, most of them in Europe, has released its first ever dedicated Asia/Pacific directory. The first Asia Pacific directory lists the 35 members from the region which have been admitted to this elite collection of some of the world's finest smal...
The Rocco Forte Collection is to open a 101-bedroom hotel and spa in a converted 13th-century monastery in Prague later this year. The new hotel, called The Augustine, will be created from a complex of five buildings in the city, including parts of the St Thomas� Monastery. The spa will include four treatment rooms, a sauna and a relaxation area. Key historic featur...
Dubai-based Jumeirah Group has revealed plans to manage a private island resort and spa near the island of Phuket in Thailand. The Phuket Private Island Resort is located on the tropical island of Koh Raet, north east of Phuket Island and is scheduled for completion in late 2008. The resort and spa will be located on 602,778sq ft (56,000sq m) of untouched private land and ...
The Kairali Group, which runs ayurvedic health resorts, spas and centres in India and internationally, is reportedly planning to expand its presence in the US, UK, Poland and Russia. Speaking to Express Hotelier, Kairali�s Ram Mohan said: �All our international spas will run on a franchisee basis. We will be launching a spa in London, UK, by June and are also...
The Leading Hotels of the World continues strong production for First Quarter 2008 Despite ongoing global economic volatility, The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. achieved strong production in the first quarter of 2008. Continuing a solid trend through the first three months of the year, the company has generated hotel revenue USD 200 million. Internet sales are robust, ...
A 13,000sq ft (1,207sq m) residential retreat called Spa Villagio has opened in Napa Valley, California, US. The spa has 16 treatment rooms as well as five personal spa suites, each with views of Napa Valley, and called Aqua, Mayacamas, The Den, The Loft and Stags Leap. Designed as an intimate retreat, the spa features fountains, reflecting pools and flowers including whit...
A new director of education, Lisa Capozio, has been appointed at ayurvedic spa and skincare product brand Sundari. Capozio will be responsible for all internal and external education as well as driving the spa focus for Sundari�s �Living Ayurveda� theme. Sundari was founded in 1999 by Byayla Hussain, Cavan Mahoney and supermodel Christy Turlington. ...
Almost perfectly timed, following debate at the recent World Travel & Tourism Council Summit concerning shortages of trained and qualified hotel sector workers, a new hotel school to be located in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has been announced. The Dubai Hotel and Tourism Management Institute, is expected to open in 2009, and is a joint venture between an internation...
Rodolfo Elizondo Torres, Mexico�s Secretary of Tourism, has announced a �3.5 million investment in the country�s tourism infrastructure - an increase of more than 50% on last year�s spending. In addition, almost �2.5 million will be invested to further raise the international and national profile of Mexico as a tourist destination. Among ...
As the 2010 Soccer World Cup approaches, there is much debate about the benefits of this major global event for South Africa. Joop Demes, MD of Pam Golding Hospitality, says the increasing exposure South Africa is receiving worldwide due to the 2010 Soccer World Cup is the equivalent of hundreds and hundreds of million rand in free advertising for the country's hotel ...
On the heels of the recent announcement of its new luxury brand, Andaz�, and reaching the 100-hotel milestone of Hyatt Place hotels in the United States, one of the world's leading hospitality companies, continues its global development pace at an unprecedented speed. With more than 50 full service hotels in the pipeline, Hyatt has announced 14 hotels under dev...
Luxury safari operator Elewana Afrika has entered into a US$12m (7.7m euro, �6m) agreement with Thailand-based resort and spa operator Minor International (MINT). Based in Tanzania, Elewana owns and operates a collection of luxury lodges � many with wellness facilities � in the African bush. Under the agreement, MINT will acquire a 50 per cent stake in...
Hong Kong-based strategic marketing communications consultancy CatchOn and Co has released the findings of its new quantitative survey of China�s spa consumer market. The findings are based on an eight-month survey of more than 1,100 people in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, which included consumer forums and more than 100 hours of one-on-one interviews. Entitled B...
Refad Hotels and Resorts announced the addition of a new hotel brand and concept to their already impressive portfolio at the Arabian Travel Market yesterday. The Square Media One, named for its unique location at the forefront of Media City, is to be a fully connected and integrated corporate hotel catering to the needs of Media City's professionals and visitors. Des...
Singapore-based leading hotel management company, Parkroyal Hotels & Resorts, has been appointed by Chengdu Xinda Real Estate Development to manage its 361-room property in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in China. Parkroyal is privileged to be a partner in the master development by Chengdu Xinda Group that is developing this landmark project at Nanmen, a vibrant ...
The spa at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has introduced an Ice-Cream Spa for its younger guests. Part of the new �Maaja� Children�s Club facilities on Rangalifinohlou Island, the Ice-Cream Spa has been designed to resemble an old-fashioned ice cream parlour. It boasts a range of treatments for children that use products from the Me! Bath range. ...
A new government-funded training initiative has been launched by the Spa and Wellness Skillnet in Ireland, in partnership with the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management and tourism development board F�ilte Ireland. The Spa & Wellness Skillnet will represent a network of around 180 spa and wellness facilities across Ireland, which will contribute 120,000 euro (...
A 13,000sq ft (1,207sq m) residential retreat called Spa Villagio has opened in Napa Valley, California, US. The spa has 16 treatment rooms as well as five personal spa suites, each with views of Napa Valley, and called Aqua, Mayacamas, The Den, The Loft and Stags Leap. Designed as an intimate retreat, the spa features fountains, reflecting pools and flowers including whit...
The Hong Kong based group Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has launched a residential spa village facility under its signature CHI, The Spa brand at the Shangri-La Fijian Resort in Yanuca, on Fiji�s Coral Coast. The spa covers 32,291sq ft (3,000sq m) and has as a village layout, which includes overnight accommodation with 10 sea-facing residential and treatment villas....
Hotel and management company Mirvac Hotels & Resorts has entered into an agreement with Melview Development to manage the Quay West Resort and spa within Melview�s Queenstown Kawarau Fall Station development, on the South Island of New Zealand. Under the agreement, the apartment-style resort will be known as the Quay West Resort Queenstown and include a large day sp...
Mexico invests �6 million in tourism infrastructure Posted by: Spas Rodolfo Elizondo Torres, Mexico�s Secretary of Tourism, has announced a �3.5 million investment in the country�s tourism infrastructure - an increase of more than 50% on last year�s spending. In addition, almost �2.5 million will be invested to further raise the ...
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts may consider going public over the next three to five years, a top company official told Emirates Business. "We don't have any specific IPO plans right now but what we have thought about is as we transition the company from an owner of real estate to more of a branded management company, to support the level of growth that we're undertak...
Singapore's landmark Raffles Hotel, jointly owned by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's Kingdom Hotels International and U.S. private equity firm Colony Capital, has been sold for about S$650 million ($476 million), a local newspaper reported on Thursday. Colony bought the 121-year-old hotel, which comes with an adjoining shopping arcade, for about S$200 million i...
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) today announced that 13 of the company's franchised properties won big at the company's 54th Annual Convention in Las Vegas-each coming home as a 2008 Inn of the Year award winning hotel. From every corner of the United States and across the world, this year's winning hotels represent the "best of the best" among...
For engaged couples, nowhere is too high or too low, too far or too wide, when it comes to having an alternative wedding that doesn't include a guest list. From the heights of Machu Picchu to the isolated beaches of the Seychelles Islands, ordinary weddings are out. Exceptional elopements-or "matrimonial getaways," if you prefer-are in. In picture: Elope in high style...
Wyndham Hotel Group today announced an agreement with Days Hospitality Inc. of Markham, Ontario, for the development of 17 Ramada� hotels throughout Eastern Canada during the next 10 years. Days Hospitality, which currently owns and operates three Ramada hotels in Calgary, Prince George, and Vancouver, will develop and operate the new hotels in the provinces of Onta...
IHG first Quarter Results to 31 March 2008 Posted by: Spas Headlines * 5,267 net rooms added in the quarter. System size up 6% year on year, taking the total to 590,361 rooms (3,983 hotels). * Global constant currency RevPAR growth of 3.5%; impacted by Easter timing. * Total gross revenue* from all hotels in IHG's system of �2.2bn, up 10% at constant currency...
2008 British Association of Hospitality Accountants (BAHA) Annual Conference and IT Exhibition �Managing to Sustain Future Profitability' is the title of the 3rd British Association of Hospitality Accountants (BAHA) Annual Conference and Technology Exhibition - one of the most prestigious and informative business and social events on the UK hospitality industry...
Exponential growth in the world's hospitality industry has led Hyatt to embark on a new, innovative strategy to hire and retain the sector's best talent, according to company executives. Hyatt's ambitious expansion plans for the Middle East and South West Asia - where it intends to open more than 15 new properties over the next five years - have led the hote...
Paris-HotSPA is a new highly selective professional rendezvous created at instigation of Vladi Kovanic, Manager of Millenium Organization and Thierry Julien Dreano, Hotelkeeper, organizer of events and man of networks in the hospitality, the luxury and the fashion businesses. The first edition of Paris-HotSPA will take place at the hotel Ritz in Paris on Thursday, July 3rd...
Just over a month ago, Scandic announced a new hotel project at Gardermoen Airport, and earlier this year the chain also unveiled hotels in Bod� and Stavanger. Now it is the turn of Haugesund. The hotel will be built by Kirkegaten 166 AS, on a total budget of NOK 200 million. "Haugesund is an exciting town, with plenty of activity in the offshore and shipping indust...
Pool & Spa Association (PSAI.in) to be launched in India by Spa Association of India Spa Association of India (SAI) with the support of SpasIndia.com will look to work alongside national and regional tourism boards as well as operators, manufacturers and distributors to set quality standards and encourage education, preventive health and hygiene measures within the spa, ...
Hyatt Hotels will dramatically increase the number of global properties in the next five years Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, one of the world's premier hotel companies, is set to significantly expand its properties over the next five years, opening a series of landmark properties across South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, according to senior company executiv...
At Cairo s Grand Hyatt, alcohol ban met with cheer and uncertainty Posted by: Spas Sheikh Abdel Aziz Ibrahim, owner of the Cairo Grand Hyatt, banned alcohol in his hotel on Thursday, prompting the Hyatt's international management to order an explanation and triggering worries the hotel may lose its five-star status and, eventually, the Hyatt brand name. Although the...
Unfortunately, many hoteliers or Spa are content with simply having a web site as the sum-total of their Internet marketing effort. These same people wonder why their fair-share of reservation production is still eluding them. Many hoteliers wonder what more they can do to drive business from the Internet. For the record, just having a web site is not nearly enough. Even a...
Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality & leisure business subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC, has revealed plans to launch and operate its own five star premium global brand of world-class hotels and resorts under the brand name, The Address Hotels & Resorts. Set to redefine the hospitality experience, Emaar's global hotel brand will roll out later this year with t...
You can do better. This year, give the woman who raised you-or who's helping to raise your children-something that's tons more fun, a million times cooler and infinitely more memorable. Give her an adventure. � The Breakers Resort and Spa In picture: Mother's day getaways We asked Stephanie Elizondo Griest, author of "100 Places Every Woman Should Go"...
The International SPA Association, the ISPA Foundation and The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute are making headway in spa education to prepare a quality workforce for the future. These tools include a soon-to-be-launched collegiate course as well as a scholarship, grants and textbooks. "The spa industry is very labor intensive, and one of the biggest challeng...
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts today announced a new hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, scheduled to open this fall. The hotel is the focal point of the iconic Abraj Al Bait Complex, which is part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project whose mandate is to upgrade the precincts of the Two Holy Mosques. The complex includes seven towers with a total floor space equal to 15.6 millio...
As the voice of the global spa industry, the International SPA Association has taken an important step forward in validating spa industry research. ISPA has formed a partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers to review the association's studies as well as spa-related research produced by other groups. "During the 2007 ISPA Conference, Jim Collins urged the spa community ...
