Shangri-La opens Tower 2 in Shanghai 27 Sep 2005 Luxury hotel group Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts has unveiled the US$138m (£78m, E114m) extension to its five-star Pudong Shangri-La in Shanghai, including its first CHI Spa in China.
Bally sells Crunch brand to Tasche for $45m 23 Sep 2005 Bally Total Fitness has entered into an agreement to sell its Crunch Fitness division for US$45m (£25m) in cash to industry veteran Marc Tasche in partnership with the private equity group of Angelo, Gordon & Co.
New theme park complex for Dubailand 15 Sep 2005 Plans for a new US$1.9bn (£1bn, 1.5bn euro) theme park resort based on a cruise ship has been unveiled in Dubai.
Six Flags offloads AstroWorld 15 Sep 2005 US-based theme park operator, Six Flags, has announced it is to sell its 109-acre AstroWorld in Houston, Texas, USA, but denied that the announcement was a sign for further offloads.
Disney plans second Hong Kong site 15 Sep 2005 Disney’s chair, George Mitchell, has said the company is planning to build another theme park adjacent to its newly-opened Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
Revamp for historic NY hotel 13 Sep 2005 Dubai Investment Group has completed the acquisition of the Essex House Hotel in New York and appointed Dubai-based luxury hospitality group Jumeirah to operate the property.
David Lloyd plans Russian lifestyle club 13 Sep 2005 Health club entrepreneur and former captain of the British Davis Cup Team, David Lloyd, is planning to open at least one ‘lifestyle’ tennis club in Russia as part of plans to create a string of sites in developing markets.
Injoy expands in Europe 13 Sep 2005 The Injoy International Sports & Wellnessclubs chain is heading for Italy, with two sites due to open next month.
Tourists choose London first 13 Sep 2005 London’s tourism industry has received a boost with news that the capital has been voted Britain’s top visitor destination in the Condé Nast Traveller 2005 awards.
Splashdown at Kalahari 13 Sep 2005 US waterpark Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells has opened a Splashdown Safari interactive feature within its outdoor Kalahari Zambezi park.
No more shark diving in SA? 13 Sep 2005 South African tour operators are being urged to end the popular tourist pursuit of cage diving to watch sharks, following a considerable increase in the number of shark attacks in the region.
Earth spa comes to Thailand 13 Sep 2005 Six Senses has opened the Earth Spa alongside the new Evason Hideaway at Hua Hin in Thailand.
Tschuggen to launch two new spas in Switzerland 12 Sep 2005 The Tschuggen Group – which operates four luxury hotels in Switzerland – has announced plans for two new spas, the first of which will be a £15m (US$27.6m, 22.2m euro) facility due to open in December 2006
Hong Kong Disney opens 12 Sep 2005 Hong Kong Disneyland opened to the public this morning, two weeks earlier than originally projected.
Six Senses opens Private Retreat 09 Sep 2005 Six Senses Resorts and Spas unveiled The Private Reserve at Soneva Gili in the Maldives on 1 September.
UKinbound predicts continued tough trading for tourism 08 Sep 2005 The inbound tourism industry association for the UK, UKinbound, has revealed visitor arrival and forward booking figures for July, showing a fall in visitors after the 7 July bombings, but a rapid recovery. However, the association believes the subsequent attacks on 21 July will have caused more longer term damage to the industry.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Elevate has had its busiest show to date, with almost 200 exhibitors, 115 seminars and 200 speakers over two days, with numbers understood to be up by ten per cent over the two days.
A new report from Your Personal Training (YPT) suggests UK gym operators could be missing out on revenue and retention opportunities they could be enjoying if they maximised the performance of their personal training businesses.
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House Hotel and Spa in St Albans, UK.
“For 5,000 years humans have been emotionally moved by artworks, but the relationship has always flowed in one direction,” said Refik Anadol, artist and co-founder of the world’s first AI art museum. “While developing Dataland we asked ourselves, ‘Is it possible for artworks to feel us back?’”
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey and Company’s Future of Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-day destination.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider, HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Researchers in the US have identified an antibody which could greatly reduce the loss of lean muscle mass in people who are taking weight-loss medications.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day (GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation experiences.
