The L'Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa in California which will reopen Friday after a $25 million renovation, has opted to replace its French Chateau vibe with the look of a stylish beach home, complete with a sprawling new lobby and remodeled guest rooms.
Benchmark Hospitality International, which operates Chaminade Resort & Spa, has formally announced the completion of the comprehensive $15 million renovation of the historic property overlooking Monterey Bay in California. The renovation program included all public areas, the restaurant & lounge, guestrooms, as well as meeting and event spaces.
Like those misguided victims on extreme makeover TV shows, so many hotels and resorts these days are renovating themselves into properties that have been "improved" beyond recognition. Happily, after a $35-million makeover, Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage has emerged carefully refreshed -- and you can hardly see the scars.
La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa, A RockResort, will complete a $6.2 million dollar renovation this May 2008, inviting travelers to experience the revamped, sophisticated Southwest design, a brand new additional restaurant and updated luxury amenities. The extensive redesign will enhance all 157 guest rooms including 30 signature suites, public spaces, the RockResorts Spa, the historic Staab House and dining venues.
Since 1769 the Equinox has stood as an icon of American resorts. This well known Vermont landmark has recently commenced a multi-million dollar revitalization that pays homage to the past while bringing sophisticated touches of extreme comfort that are sure to make even the most discerning guest feel right at home. The $20 million renovation of all guestrooms, suites, lobby, Marsh Tavern and the creation of two new exciting dining venues will be complete in July 2008. Envisioned by famed interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield and executed by well-known architectural firms Baskervill and Middlebury-based Bread Loaf, the renovation will ensure that the Equinox will retain its place as New England's premier destination resort.
The Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort announced the completion of a dramatic renovation of the existing two-story 6,000 square-foot spa. Now under the direction of Alan Navarette, Spa Oasis opened its doors unveiling a 7,000 square-foot sanctuary of tranquility with traditional elements of Mexican flair.
The Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Resort & Spa (http://www.pier66.com/) has come a long way since its original days as a small waterfront motel catering to the upscale yachting crowd. Fifty years later, this Fort Lauderdale landmark complete with a 127-slip mega-yacht marina, is a stunning 22-acre vacation paradise fresh from a $30 million transformation and belongs to the impressive collection of LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels.
The legendary Eden Roc Renaissance Beach Resort & Spa, Florida, has embarked on a $170 million transformation to be completed in late 2008. Architect John Nichols will masterfully execute the extensive renovations, including all 349 guest rooms of the existing tower, pools and cabanas, Spa, restaurants, meeting space and retail options, as well as the creation of a 21-story, 283 guest room tower.
Killington Resort (Vermont) enters the 2007-08 ski and snowboard season with more than $5.3 million in resort improvements and new programs to enhance the overall guest experience. In addition, Killington is implementing new environmental initiatives in an effort to reduce the resort's overall carbon footprint.
The Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Spa has recently undergone a $2 million renovation, including newly-renovated guest rooms with new carpet, trim, furnishings and paint. These improvements complement the full-service spa opened during the summer of 2006. The Grand Hotel also features new carpet throughout the lobby, hallways and Grand Ballroom. Guests will also notice a new ski and snowboard check room and newly remodeled locker rooms in the health club.
In June 2008, L’Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa will be reborn. Respected for its romantic coastal sophistication and uncompromised service, the historic California hotel, managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, will set a new standard in hospitality as a result of a $25 million comprehensive property renovation including a new restaurant, spa and remodeled guestrooms.
Spa Makeover
Newsweek - USA
Mel Zuckerman and Jerry Cohen were hiking in the Arizona mountains in 1995 when they wound up having the conversation that determined their company's future. Zuckerman is the founder of Canyon Ranch, the Tucson-based spa resort; Cohen is vice chairman. Canyon Ranch has a devout following among affluent travelers and, to capitalize on that, companies were constantly pitching to Zuckerman licensing deals to stamp its name on frozen food, fitness equipment and face cream. Guests, meanwhile, were urging him to open more locations. Amid the desert scenery, the two men talked about the headaches and risks of trying to expand—particularly as Zuckerman neared 70. Cohen played devil's advocate. "You built this place to get away from stress, and you love your life," he said. "What do you want to grow for?" Zuckerman pondered, then replied: "Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur." And after a few final moments of respite, they hiked down the mountain and began the work of turning Canyon Ranch into an empire.
On Jan. 11, 2000, the editors of Mobil Travel Guide stripped away The Greenbrier's coveted five-star rating, proclaiming the historic hotel no longer stood among the few dozen considered the world's finest. The Greenbrier (nyse: GBX) had failed to keep up with the times, lacking radios, telephones in the bathrooms and suitable TV stands. Though still a fine hotel, Mobil decided, it was no longer perfect. .Work to regain the fifth star began immediately.
Margot Kohler felt her spa needed more room. After three years at her new location on Townsend Street, adjacent space became available, and Kohler invested $180,000 to add 2,700 square feet to handle more corporate events, retreats and wellness services. "Everything felt a little bit tight, and our clientele is more stressed right now," she said. "I just knew we had to grow." Margot's Euro Spa now features two hydrotherapy tubs, a state-of-the-art pedicure and manicure area and a conference room that can hold 20 people in a 6,400-square-foot facility, she said.
Major Reno-Tahoe resorts are pumping millions of dollars into expansion and improvement projects as competition in the gambling industry heats up. Local hotel-casinos plan to spend nearly $800 million in upgrades and expansions in the next year, according to the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority.
Resort owners said they must improve their properties because of the growing threat of tribal gambling in California and plans for new local hotel-casinos.
"It is imperative (to reinvest) if you want to stay competitive with other regions," said John Farahi, chief executive officer of the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno.
Gregg Pate, managing director for the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, today announced the property will undergo a $30 million transformation over the next 18 months to enhance the leisure guest experience and position the resort as the preeminent meeting facility in the Vail Valley. Many of the improvements at the Vail Cascade are designed to take advantage of the resort’s private location along one of the Vail Valley’s most distinguishing characteristics – Gore Creek.
Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina becomes the official name of the former Hyatt Regency Islandia. The $65 million renovation of San Diego Mission Bay's landmark 17-story waterfront hotel is underway, signaling the much anticipated resurgence of the seaside community. The transformation of the hotel to the coastally chic Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina promises to bring a fresh feeling of luxury and excitement to an area known as the place in San Diego to conquer the waves, dig your toes in the sand, or enjoy exhilarating bayside recreation. Scheduled to be completed in the fall, the reinvented hotel will feature an eco-friendly luxury spa.
It's been a long, slow death for many of the great resort hotels in the Catskills, but a few are finding new roles in today's market. The Fallsview has new owners - and a plan they think will work.
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The Fallsview Best 5 will be a fully equipped spa, with additional programs that will make the resort a "relaxation center." ['W]ithin the next 18 months, the indoor tennis courts will be converted to a 20,000- to 30,000-square-foot fitness center that will include the usual amenities, but the focus will be on Asian-style mind/body/spirit programs and a healthy lifestyle. The new facility is owned by a group of investors, part of a network of places operating under the principles of Dahn Hak, a program of self-development created by South Korean Ilchi Lee. The hotel's name, Fallsview Best 5, refers to five principles of the program.
Hotel Bel-Air has announced plans for ar new spa, a 12,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility, secluded amid the hotel’s 12 acres. The extensive project will break ground this September and debut in August 2008.
Located in the north section of the property, the spa will feature 10 private spa suites, a yoga and Pilates studio, an organic juice bar and a 1,000 square foot fitness center. In addition, 3 residential spa suite guestrooms have been added, bringing the total count to 94 rooms, with in-room treatment areas and facilities.
May 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) confirmed today the announcement of Lake Tahoe Development Co that RockResorts International, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts, has been selected to operate The Chateau at Heavenly Village at the base of Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev. Construction of the redevelopment project has commenced and is expected to be completed in early winter 2009.
J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr., chairman of the board of directors and CEO of Marriott International, Inc., was on Marco Island today to rededicate the upscale Marriott Gulf-front resort, which recently underwent $187 million in renovations.
Renovations included the creation of the 24,000-square-foot Spa at Marco Island, an overhaul of the pools and a redesign of The Rookery at Marco Golf Course, including a new clubhouse.
After rejuvenating thousands of visitors at its desert oasis and Golden Door Spa, The Boulders Resort is getting a face lift of its own.
Managing Director Michael Hoffmann said the sprawling 1,300-acre resort essentially will be divided in half for the $30 million makeover over the next coming months. This will allow the resort to maintain operations without disruption to guests or having construction areas dotting the property, Hoffmann said.
Visit the Boulders online
When the Sofitel LA was renovated last year to the tune of $40 million, the hotel was updated to include a new, signature element of Sofitel properties around the world: a spa. Since 2005 the chain has been opening beauty and wellness centers with the LeSpa name—the first was in Sofitel's Marrakech (Morocco) location.
Today, 40 Sofitels around the world, or 20% of the hotel chain's entire global inventory, have a LeSpa. This year the new Beijing and Paris Sofitels will feature LeSpas—part of a growing trend for hotels to offer guests more than a place to rest their weary heads.
If Phoenix's myriad hotel renovations are like an arms race, as one consultant put it, the Royal Palms on Camelback Road is pulling out the big guns: Spa rooms.
The cozy boutique resort, where President Bush often stays when he's in town, is emerging from a $12 million renovation. The owners stripped a portion of it down to the frame and reconstructed an enclave of 70 rooms situated around a courtyard with fireplaces and a reflecting pool. The rooms have bigger bathrooms, better soundproofing and better views of Camelback Mountain. Eight of the units are spa suites, a new concept in Phoenix, where guests can order from a special menu of in-room treatments. All aspects of the rooms focus on a "spa lifestyle," right down to the minimalist brown, taupe and sage decor. There are massage tables hidden under daybeds, ballet barres, yoga DVDs, light therapy lamps, European soaking tubs and steam showers.
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Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa in California has announced the completion of its $17 million transformation with the March conclusion of all major construction. The largest luxury hotel in the Southern California mountain community, the property’s dramatic transformation included redesigned guestrooms, meeting and public spaces, a re-imagined restaurant and bar, BIN189, and the new 11,000 square foot, full-service Spa of the Pines.
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DESERT HOT SPRINGS, California.
A developer has secured approvals to grow one of the city's most exclusive spa resorts into a massive refuge for health-conscious retirees and tourists, complete with hundreds of upscale homes, fountains, bungalows, an IMAX theater and a health-oriented retail complex. City Council members say their approval last week of a massive expansion of Two Bunch Palms Resort and Spa marks a turning point for Desert Hot Springs, which is working to parlay its natural mineral springs into more tax revenue and a splashier image for the city.
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