Leading hotel brands are investing in
London, while icons such as The Ritz
and BT Tower are being redeveloped.
How will they differentiate
themselves in the competitive UK
capital? Katie Barnes finds out
£1 billion has been spent on transforming the Old War Office into a Raffles hotel and spa / photo: John Athimaritis
RAFFLES LONDON AT THE OWO
Opening date: Q3 2023
Guestrooms: 120
Residences: 85
• Raffles’ new UK home is steeped in history. The former Old War Office (OWO), dating back to 1906, was the base for Winston Churchill in WW2 and was once the site of Henry VIII’s Whitehall Palace before it burnt down
• It features Guerlain’s first spa in London. The French skincare brand is most known for its consumer-facing products, but now operates more than 40 branded spas and institutes worldwide
• The 27,000sq ft spa is spread over four levels
• Robert Jeffers, director of wellbeing, has worked in wellness for 18 years including head roles at BodyHoliday in St Lucia and Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
• OWO is owned by the Hindujas, the UK’s richest family who have made their fortune in a diverse number of sectors – from real estate and healthcare to transport, finance and energy
• They bought the site in 2014 for a reported £350 million (US$444 million, €409.8 million) and spent £1 billion (US$1.3 billion, €1.2 billion) on its refurbishment
• Raffles has been a part of the Accor group since 2015
The spa is spread over 27,000sq ft and marks Guerlain’s debut in the UK / photo: John Athimaritis
Pillar Wellbeing is running all wellness programmes / photo: John Athimaritis
Part of the spa reception at Raffles OWO / photo: John Athimaritis
MANDARIN ORIENTAL MAYFAIR
Opening date: Q2 2024
Guestrooms: 50
Residences: 77
• Bookings for Mandarin Oriental’s second London outpost are available from 1 July
• A subterranean spa has been imagined by Tokyo-based design studio, Curiosity
• The vision is to create a hub of nature and art, resulting in a sleek and stylish wellness space that draws on the greenery of Hanover Square on its doorstep
• Spa partners will include Swiss Perfection, Seed to Skin, OTO and Aromatherapy Associates
• Mandarin Oriental first landed in London’s Hyde Park in 1996 and spent £100 million (US$126.8 million, €117 million) on a major renovation, including its 14-treatment-room spa, in 2018
• The group has already revealed a third property in London Mandarin Oriental Bankside, which is due to open in 2028
A sleek and stylish wellness spa will open in July photo: MOHG
This is Mandarin Oriental’s second site in London and a third one will open in 2028 photo: MOHG
photo: MOHG
THE WHITELEY (SIX SENSES)
Opening date: 2025
Guestrooms: 110
Residences: 139 (14 branded as Six Senses
• A reported £3 billion (US$3.8 billion, €3.5 billion) has been invested in transforming The Whiteley, one of London’s first department stores which opened 130 years ago, into a notable property destination
• It will be home to the first Six Senses Place - an exciting new social wellness club concept for the brand which will offer wellness rooms alongside a central bar and lounge restaurant, co-working spaces and meeting rooms
• On top of this, the Six Senses hotel will still include a major focus on wellness and feature a separate 12-treatment-room spa, alchemy bar, gym and pool
• Six Senses was acquired by InterContinental Hotels Group for US$300 million (€274.8 million, £235 million) in 2019
• Today, it has more than 25 operational properties, a number which is likely to double in the next three years
READ MORE: Find out more details about
Six Senses social wellness club concept in our exclusive interview with CEO Neil Jacobs: spabusiness.com/neiljacobs
The Whiteley will be the launch site for Six Senses social wellness club concept / photo: six senses
There will also be a 12-treatment-room spa / photo: six senses
PENINSULA LONDON
Opening date: Q3 2023
Guestrooms: 90
Residences: 25
• UK debut for the high-end Asian-based operator that’s been seven years in the making
• Spa director Louise Molloy has more than 20 years of experience and has spent much of her career in Hong Kong and the UAE
• The two-floor spa and wellness facility has been inspired by London’s famous parks and created in guidance with a feng shui master
• The spa was designed by US architect and designer Peter Marino, a creative who’s also worked with Cheval Blanc, Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton
• Suppliers include Subtle Energies and Margy’s Monte Carlo – Peninsula’s preferred skincare partners – as well as Barr + Wray, Gharieni, Italidea linen and ZeroWaste by Urb’n Nature
• Established in 1928, Peninsula Hotels has 12 properties in 10 major cities in its portfolio
• The brand is owned and operated by The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd, which was incorporated in 1866 and is one of Asia’s oldest hotel companies that’s still in operation
Spa designer Peter Marino is known for his work with Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton / photo: The Peninsula London
The two-storey spa has been inspired by London’s famous parks / photo: The Peninsula London
photo: The Peninsula London
THE EMORY
Opening date: Q2 2024
Guestrooms: 61
• Opening in April, The Emory is the latest development by the Maybourne Group, which owns and operates Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley
• The all-suite hotel has floors dedicated to different world-class interior designers including Alexandra Champalimaud, André Fu and Pierre-Yves Rochon
• Spanning four floors and 2,000sq m, its private members’ club, Surrenne, is a major new wellness retreat for the capital
• Surrenne facilities will be free to hotel guests, while an annual club membership sits at £10,000 (US$12,662, €11,752), plus a £5,000 (US$6,331, €5,876) joining fee
• It promises a blend of immersive spa, beauty, recovery and fitness amenities and is firmly positioning itself in the longevity bracket – think Virtusan wellness tech, hyperbaric chambers and cold plunges mixed with skincare by plastic surgeon Dr Lara Devgan, aromatherapy sauna, snow shower and ashiatsu massage
• An entire floor is dedicated to classes by fitness pioneer, Tracy Anderson, who has a celebrity following for her sculpting method
• Itanda, the spa design agency led by Inge Theron, is charged with developing all wellness concepts for The Maybourne Group
Surrenne, the private members’ club, focuses on longevity / photo: The Emory
Each floor of the all-suite hotel is dedicated to a world-class designer / photo: Surrenne
The Emory is a sister property to Claridge’s and The Berkeley / photo: The Emory
THE RITZ
Opening date: 2028
Guestrooms: Up to 155
• spokesperson from The Ritz has revealed to Spa Business that plans to modernise the famous hotel are still forging ahead
• The refurbishment was announced in 2021 and will reportedly cost more than £300 million (US$378.7 million, €350.2 million)
• The green light has been given for an extensive 12-storey extension – including a five-floor basement – that will see leisure facilities added to the grande dame for the first time in its 118-year history
• It’s believed that a spa spread over multiple levels, offering anything from eight to 18 treatment rooms, will be a key feature
• Qatari investor Abdulhadi Mana Al-Hajri purchased The Ritz from the Barclay family in 2020 for an estimated £700 million (US$883.7 million, €817.1 million)
The Ritz has been given the green light to add a 12-storey extension / photo: shutterstock/Kiev.Victor
BT TOWER
Opening date and guestrooms: Unconfirmed
• News broke in late February that London’s iconic BT Tower is going to be transformed into a luxury hotel after being sold to MCR Hotels
• MCR, which owns 150 US hotels, will work with London-based design firm Heatherwick Studios on the project
• BT Group, the telecommunications conglomerate, sold the property in a £275 million (US$347 million, €321.3 million) deal
• The 620ft tower is a well-known landmark spanning 37 floors
• It opened in 1964 and was the tallest structure in London until 1980
The BT Tower was once the tallest structure in London / photo: shutterstock/DrPhee Jummy
THE CHANCERY ROSEWOOD
Opening date: 2025
Guestrooms: 146
• Rosewood is due to open its second site in London next year
Paragraph in here
• It will feature an Asaya spa, an integrative wellness concept which the group launched in late 2017 and is now rolling out with much momentum globally
• Canadian design studio Yabu Pushelberg is imagining the spa, while British architect David Chipperfield is leading the transformation of the hotel which was once home to the US Embassy
• Rosewood opened its first hotel and signature Sense spa in London in 2013, marking the group’s debut in Europe
• The Chancery project is being delivered by Rosewood in partnership with real estate developer Qatari Diar
Profile: King of Bhutan
Plans for a 'mindfulness city' nearly as big as Hong Kong have been unveiled by the King of Bhutan. Katie Barnes takes a closer look
Destination focus: London
Major hotel brands from Mandarin Oriental and Raffles to Six Senses are all investing in the UK capital, but how will they differentiate themselves asks Katie Barnes
Sponsored: Beltrami – made in Italy
Beltrami has more than 50 years’ experience creating bespoke textile products for spas around the world, with a focus on quality
Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
Attention to detail is a superpower and necessity in the luxury spa arena, says our contributing editor
Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
The father and son duo behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method share their exciting plans for research and innovation with Megan Whitby
First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
The wellness director for Atlantis Resorts explains how its two Dubai properties are 'smashing it' when it comes to spa performance
New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
Jane Kitchen reveals the thermal spa issues and trends delegates were talking about at this industry gathering in California
Sponsored: High end
Hoar Cross Hall has a new gym to match its award-winning hotel and spa. We find out more about the transformation
Software: Building relationships
Using personal data to create tailored experiences is paramount for spas, but operators have been fined millions for breaching GDPR. How can software systems help navigate this?
Sponsored: Add life
Increasing life expectancy is one of the great achievements of our
times and Starpool is working to bring real meaning to longevity
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Leading hotel brands are investing in
London, while icons such as The Ritz
and BT Tower are being redeveloped.
How will they differentiate
themselves in the competitive UK
capital? Katie Barnes finds out
£1 billion has been spent on transforming the Old War Office into a Raffles hotel and spa / photo: John Athimaritis
RAFFLES LONDON AT THE OWO
Opening date: Q3 2023
Guestrooms: 120
Residences: 85
• Raffles’ new UK home is steeped in history. The former Old War Office (OWO), dating back to 1906, was the base for Winston Churchill in WW2 and was once the site of Henry VIII’s Whitehall Palace before it burnt down
• It features Guerlain’s first spa in London. The French skincare brand is most known for its consumer-facing products, but now operates more than 40 branded spas and institutes worldwide
• The 27,000sq ft spa is spread over four levels
• Robert Jeffers, director of wellbeing, has worked in wellness for 18 years including head roles at BodyHoliday in St Lucia and Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
• OWO is owned by the Hindujas, the UK’s richest family who have made their fortune in a diverse number of sectors – from real estate and healthcare to transport, finance and energy
• They bought the site in 2014 for a reported £350 million (US$444 million, €409.8 million) and spent £1 billion (US$1.3 billion, €1.2 billion) on its refurbishment
• Raffles has been a part of the Accor group since 2015
The spa is spread over 27,000sq ft and marks Guerlain’s debut in the UK / photo: John Athimaritis
Pillar Wellbeing is running all wellness programmes / photo: John Athimaritis
Part of the spa reception at Raffles OWO / photo: John Athimaritis
MANDARIN ORIENTAL MAYFAIR
Opening date: Q2 2024
Guestrooms: 50
Residences: 77
• Bookings for Mandarin Oriental’s second London outpost are available from 1 July
• A subterranean spa has been imagined by Tokyo-based design studio, Curiosity
• The vision is to create a hub of nature and art, resulting in a sleek and stylish wellness space that draws on the greenery of Hanover Square on its doorstep
• Spa partners will include Swiss Perfection, Seed to Skin, OTO and Aromatherapy Associates
• Mandarin Oriental first landed in London’s Hyde Park in 1996 and spent £100 million (US$126.8 million, €117 million) on a major renovation, including its 14-treatment-room spa, in 2018
• The group has already revealed a third property in London Mandarin Oriental Bankside, which is due to open in 2028
A sleek and stylish wellness spa will open in July photo: MOHG
This is Mandarin Oriental’s second site in London and a third one will open in 2028 photo: MOHG
photo: MOHG
THE WHITELEY (SIX SENSES)
Opening date: 2025
Guestrooms: 110
Residences: 139 (14 branded as Six Senses
• A reported £3 billion (US$3.8 billion, €3.5 billion) has been invested in transforming The Whiteley, one of London’s first department stores which opened 130 years ago, into a notable property destination
• It will be home to the first Six Senses Place - an exciting new social wellness club concept for the brand which will offer wellness rooms alongside a central bar and lounge restaurant, co-working spaces and meeting rooms
• On top of this, the Six Senses hotel will still include a major focus on wellness and feature a separate 12-treatment-room spa, alchemy bar, gym and pool
• Six Senses was acquired by InterContinental Hotels Group for US$300 million (€274.8 million, £235 million) in 2019
• Today, it has more than 25 operational properties, a number which is likely to double in the next three years
READ MORE: Find out more details about
Six Senses social wellness club concept in our exclusive interview with CEO Neil Jacobs: spabusiness.com/neiljacobs
The Whiteley will be the launch site for Six Senses social wellness club concept / photo: six senses
There will also be a 12-treatment-room spa / photo: six senses
PENINSULA LONDON
Opening date: Q3 2023
Guestrooms: 90
Residences: 25
• UK debut for the high-end Asian-based operator that’s been seven years in the making
• Spa director Louise Molloy has more than 20 years of experience and has spent much of her career in Hong Kong and the UAE
• The two-floor spa and wellness facility has been inspired by London’s famous parks and created in guidance with a feng shui master
• The spa was designed by US architect and designer Peter Marino, a creative who’s also worked with Cheval Blanc, Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton
• Suppliers include Subtle Energies and Margy’s Monte Carlo – Peninsula’s preferred skincare partners – as well as Barr + Wray, Gharieni, Italidea linen and ZeroWaste by Urb’n Nature
• Established in 1928, Peninsula Hotels has 12 properties in 10 major cities in its portfolio
• The brand is owned and operated by The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd, which was incorporated in 1866 and is one of Asia’s oldest hotel companies that’s still in operation
Spa designer Peter Marino is known for his work with Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton / photo: The Peninsula London
The two-storey spa has been inspired by London’s famous parks / photo: The Peninsula London
photo: The Peninsula London
THE EMORY
Opening date: Q2 2024
Guestrooms: 61
• Opening in April, The Emory is the latest development by the Maybourne Group, which owns and operates Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley
• The all-suite hotel has floors dedicated to different world-class interior designers including Alexandra Champalimaud, André Fu and Pierre-Yves Rochon
• Spanning four floors and 2,000sq m, its private members’ club, Surrenne, is a major new wellness retreat for the capital
• Surrenne facilities will be free to hotel guests, while an annual club membership sits at £10,000 (US$12,662, €11,752), plus a £5,000 (US$6,331, €5,876) joining fee
• It promises a blend of immersive spa, beauty, recovery and fitness amenities and is firmly positioning itself in the longevity bracket – think Virtusan wellness tech, hyperbaric chambers and cold plunges mixed with skincare by plastic surgeon Dr Lara Devgan, aromatherapy sauna, snow shower and ashiatsu massage
• An entire floor is dedicated to classes by fitness pioneer, Tracy Anderson, who has a celebrity following for her sculpting method
• Itanda, the spa design agency led by Inge Theron, is charged with developing all wellness concepts for The Maybourne Group
Surrenne, the private members’ club, focuses on longevity / photo: The Emory
Each floor of the all-suite hotel is dedicated to a world-class designer / photo: Surrenne
The Emory is a sister property to Claridge’s and The Berkeley / photo: The Emory
THE RITZ
Opening date: 2028
Guestrooms: Up to 155
• spokesperson from The Ritz has revealed to Spa Business that plans to modernise the famous hotel are still forging ahead
• The refurbishment was announced in 2021 and will reportedly cost more than £300 million (US$378.7 million, €350.2 million)
• The green light has been given for an extensive 12-storey extension – including a five-floor basement – that will see leisure facilities added to the grande dame for the first time in its 118-year history
• It’s believed that a spa spread over multiple levels, offering anything from eight to 18 treatment rooms, will be a key feature
• Qatari investor Abdulhadi Mana Al-Hajri purchased The Ritz from the Barclay family in 2020 for an estimated £700 million (US$883.7 million, €817.1 million)
The Ritz has been given the green light to add a 12-storey extension / photo: shutterstock/Kiev.Victor
BT TOWER
Opening date and guestrooms: Unconfirmed
• News broke in late February that London’s iconic BT Tower is going to be transformed into a luxury hotel after being sold to MCR Hotels
• MCR, which owns 150 US hotels, will work with London-based design firm Heatherwick Studios on the project
• BT Group, the telecommunications conglomerate, sold the property in a £275 million (US$347 million, €321.3 million) deal
• The 620ft tower is a well-known landmark spanning 37 floors
• It opened in 1964 and was the tallest structure in London until 1980
The BT Tower was once the tallest structure in London / photo: shutterstock/DrPhee Jummy
THE CHANCERY ROSEWOOD
Opening date: 2025
Guestrooms: 146
• Rosewood is due to open its second site in London next year
Paragraph in here
• It will feature an Asaya spa, an integrative wellness concept which the group launched in late 2017 and is now rolling out with much momentum globally
• Canadian design studio Yabu Pushelberg is imagining the spa, while British architect David Chipperfield is leading the transformation of the hotel which was once home to the US Embassy
• Rosewood opened its first hotel and signature Sense spa in London in 2013, marking the group’s debut in Europe
• The Chancery project is being delivered by Rosewood in partnership with real estate developer Qatari Diar
Profile: King of Bhutan
Plans for a 'mindfulness city' nearly as big as Hong Kong have been unveiled by the King of Bhutan. Katie Barnes takes a closer look
Destination focus: London
Major hotel brands from Mandarin Oriental and Raffles to Six Senses are all investing in the UK capital, but how will they differentiate themselves asks Katie Barnes
Sponsored: Beltrami – made in Italy
Beltrami has more than 50 years’ experience creating bespoke textile products for spas around the world, with a focus on quality
Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
Attention to detail is a superpower and necessity in the luxury spa arena, says our contributing editor
Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
The father and son duo behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method share their exciting plans for research and innovation with Megan Whitby
First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
The wellness director for Atlantis Resorts explains how its two Dubai properties are 'smashing it' when it comes to spa performance
New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
Jane Kitchen reveals the thermal spa issues and trends delegates were talking about at this industry gathering in California
Sponsored: High end
Hoar Cross Hall has a new gym to match its award-winning hotel and spa. We find out more about the transformation
Software: Building relationships
Using personal data to create tailored experiences is paramount for spas, but operators have been fined millions for breaching GDPR. How can software systems help navigate this?
Sponsored: Add life
Increasing life expectancy is one of the great achievements of our
times and Starpool is working to bring real meaning to longevity
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.
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.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
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