As a new year approaches, the editors of Spa Opportunities bring you a list of 18 of the most anticipated spa openings for 2018.

1.

Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, GreeceFour Seasons Hotels and Resorts is spending €100m ($US119m, £88m) to transform the iconic Astir Palace into the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens.

Due to open in early 2018, the resort will be the first Four Seasons in Greece. The 1960s hotel is undergoing extensive upgrades, with interiors by designer Meyer Davis. When complete, it will include 300 bedrooms and a wellness spa, fitness facilities and thermal features. Spa consultancy Blu Spas is working on the spa concept.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=5w9m6_S

2.

The Cavalier, USHistoric American hotel The Cavalier will reopen in early-2018 after a US$75m restoration. Built in 1927 and overlooking the Atlantic on one of the highest hills in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the hotel was inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate. The property is being redeveloped by Gold Key PHR and will become the latest venue in Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

Part of the redevelopment will include a 6,200sq ft (575sq m) spa with nine treatment rooms. The SeaHill Spa will feature a hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room, Himalayan salt room and a Serenity Lounge.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=x4q9D_S

3.

Como Uma Canggu, BaliComo Hotels and Resorts is opening its third location in Bali in February 2018, the Como Uma Canggu.

With 119 bedrooms, the Como Uma Canggu will be the brand’s 14th location worldwide and will include a Como Shambhala Retreat with seven treatment rooms.

Asian-inspired therapies – including the signature Como Shambhala Massage, a deep-tissue massage – will be offered, along with yoga and Pilates classes and personal training at the gym. The resort will also feature a luxury surfing concept, in partnership with Tropicsurf, to take advantage of the area’s many surf opportunities.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=k4M6w_S

4.

Parklane Resort Limassol, CyprusThe Le Meridien hotel in Cyprus will reopen in March 2018 under the new name 'Parklane', after an estimated €70m (US$83m, £62m) renovation as part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection.

The resort, in Limassol, is well known for its large thalassotherapy facilities, which span 3,000sq m, and include two outdoor and two indoor seawater pools. The new Kalloni Spa will also include 12 treatment rooms and three suites, two of which will have Russian banyas.

Situated in 25 acres of landscaped gardens within 300m (984ft) of the beachfront, the resort will include 274 bedrooms designed by Harrods Interiors, all with views of either the Mediterranean Sea or the Troodos Mountains.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=Y7W4h_S

5.Euphoria Retreat, Greece

A new holistic wellbeing destination spa is opening in the Greek Peloponnese next May. Designed to enable health and personal transformation, the Euphoria Retreat will include a spa offering a blend of treatments and experiences using ancient Greek and Chinese philosophies and medicines.

Situated in a valley on the edge of the Byzantine town of Mystras, a 13th century Unesco World Heritage Site, Euphoria Retreat has been created in harmony with the surrounding environment of mountains and citrus groves.

Founded by transformational healer Marina Efraimoglou, Euphoria Retreat’s philosophy centres around achieving balance, with programmes around the five elements of earth, fire, water wood and metal, and their related energies and emotions. All treatments will address the three levels of existence: emotional, spiritual and physical.

Landscaped into the earth, the spa will rise over four storeys, taking guests on a purifying journey. At its heart is a 25m water well, where a spiral staircase will lead to contrasting hot and cold footbaths for boosting circulation and injury recovery.

A sphere pool will have stone arches, hydrotherapy jets and in-water benches, and a warm water watsu pool will be available for floating therapy. The spa will also include a Byzantine Ottoman hammam, infrared sauna, large circuit classical sauna, tepidarium, cold plunge pool, ice fountain, steam room and relaxation area with views across the gardens.

Guests can choose to have a personal mentor to steer them on their customised programme, and a wide variety of retreats will be offered alongside a signature seven-day programme, which is aimed towards a deeper physical and emotional transformation. Focused retreats will be tailored around emotional self-awareness, improving body image and relationships.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=M2f5R_S

6.Auberge Beach Residences & Spa Fort Lauderdale, US

The upcoming 10,000sq ft (929sq m) spa at the Auberge Beach Residences & Spa Fort Lauderdale is designed by spa consultant Tracy Lee of TLee Spas, and inspired by the sea, sound, salt and sand, said Lee.

The spa will include a range of indoor and outdoor treatment areas, with rooms illuminated by natural light to instil a sense of tranquillity. Four massage rooms, two skincare rooms, a speciality massage room with a Gharieni MLX Quartz Treatment Bed, a body treatment room, couples suite with soaking tub and two outdoor treatment cabanas are all planned, as well as a full-service salon and Purification Circuit.

The Purification Circuits are a blended indoor/outdoor bathhouse experience with a South Florida twist, said Lee, and include hydrotherapy showers, steam, sauna and salt inhalation room and various resting areas. The women’s area also includes an al fresco vitality pool surrounded by lush plantings. Details: http://lei.sr?a=A4D8q_S

7.

Mandarin Oriental London, UKThe Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group have commissioned interior designer Joyce Wang to lead a multi-million-pound restoration of its European flagship, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London.

Hospitality designer Adam D Tihany has been appointed to oversee the redesign of the hotel’s “next-generation” spa, which will complement a recently installed contemporary pool and fitness area.

The facility will be significantly expanded to include couples’ facilities and an exclusive Mandarin Oriental Spa Studio concept, offering “powerful and effective express beauty and grooming treatments for both men and women”.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=B4e8Q_S

8.

Civana Carefree, USA group spa industry veterans have come together to create a new hospitality and real estate company, Civana, based around sustainable wellness through an affordable travel and lifestyle platform.

Led by Kevin Kelly – who was former Canyon Ranch president and chief branding officer, and most recently CEO and co-owner of California’s Two Bunch Palms – Civana will bring together wellness programming, sustainable design and hotel asset and property management.

Civana will invest US$40m to transform the 189-bedroom Carefree Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, US, which will open in September 2018 with a focus on sustainable wellness, along with a consumer appetite for a deeper guest experience, social connection, and an affordable health and wellness environment.

Civana’s transformation of the 1964 mid-century modern Carefree hotel will result in updated rooms and public spaces, along with a spa, movement studios and new fitness centre. The group will focus on sustainable design, and will also add a new healthy cuisine menu.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=z8y8s_S

9.

Peninsula Hot Springs, AustraliaAustralia’s Peninsula Hot Springs (PHS) is planning a major expansion focused on story-driven experiences including an open-air amphitheatre with seven pools and seating for 700 people, Spa Opportunities can reveal.

New offerings will include: an educational building; sauna rooms; a deep therapy pool; a fire and ice bathing area; a ‘Food Bowl’ area with on-site agriculture and picnic areas where guests are invited to “eat yourself to good health"; and the amphitheatre which forms the centrepiece of the arts and culture area.

Plans are also underway to add 126 bedrooms – a first for the hot springs.

“The purpose of our business is to create experiences where our visitors can relax in nature and connect with the deep well of their being,” Peninsula Hot Springs founder Charles Davidson told Spa Opportunities.

“Many of our experiences are story-driven – we want them to be places where guests can be engaged in the experience.”

Details: http://lei.sr?a=7c4X9_S

10.

Blackberry Farm, USFor the first time in 40 years, US wellness resort Blackberry Farm is launching a new property, Blackberry Mountain, set to open in late 2018 in 5,200 acres near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Views of diverse terrain, paired with a mountain-inspired wellness programme will be the focal points of the experience at Blackberry Mountain, which invites guests outside to seek adventure and explore the property from base to peak.

A full wellness programme will focus on encouraging an active and adventurous lifestyle supported by a menu of outdoor adventures, fitness classes and an eight-treatment-room modern spa. The spa will feature a holistic approach to skin and body care with treatments and products inspired by the land. An infinity edge pool outside will overlook the mountain scenery.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=W3e8b_S

11.

Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, ChinaMandarin Oriental will manage a luxury hotel project in the heart of Beijing, due to open in 2018, which will showcase traditional Chinese heritage and architecture.

Mandarin Oriental Qianmen will be located close to Tiananmen Square in a hutong quarter – an architectural style unique to Beijing that dates back to the 13th century.

Located within the Qianmen East Hutong Quarter, which is undergoing a process of preservation and regeneration, the hotel is designed to give guests the opportunity to experience luxury living in authentic Beijing surroundings.

Hutongs comprise traditional courtyard houses connected by narrow lanes and alleyways; the hotel will be dispersed through the quarter alongside privately owned traditional residences, retail outlets, restaurants, bars and cultural venues.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=8t5c9_S

12.

Two Bunch Palms, USThe iconic California hot springs spa Two Bunch Palms will again be undertaking a multi-million dollar upgrade that will include, among several projects, a new contemporary bathing grotto, new spa, apothecary, fitness centre, farm-to-table treatments, and new programme facility. The project is expected to be completed by Q3 2018.

Amy McDonald and her team at Under a Tree Health and Wellness Consulting are working on the new design and concept, which will also include treatments using the medicinal qualities of marijuana.

The 75-year-old Two Bunch will continue its focus on thermal water healing, which managing director John Trudeau said is more relevant than ever.

Trudeau said the spa experience at Two Bunch will revitalise and reinvent its legacy, “infusing the timeless appeal of its hot springs culture with a contemporary sensibility that places it in a new and refreshing realm”.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=U9A8C_S

13.

Kempinski Phuket, ThailandThe Kempinski The Spa Phuket will be located in the Kempinski Resort, designed by architect Bill Bensley, and will feature a spa experience designed to connect guests to nature. Indoor and outdoor experiences will embrace natural materials, plants and water, and Bensley will create an eclectic mixture of Thai and Asian influences.

The 675sq m (7,266sq ft) spa will include three single and three luxury spa suites, as well as outdoor spa cabanas, a yoga shala, spa retail area, outdoor terrace and foot massage zone. Thai and European treatment modalities will be incorporated in the menu.

Designed exclusively for resort guests, the spa is set to open in 2018 and aims to bring the natural world indoors, with open spaces and terraces that transition the guest from outdoor sun terrace to treatment suites.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=u4F2V_S

14.

Lux Organic Escape, Chengdu, ChinaLux* Resorts & hotels is opening a ‘sanctuary to wellbeing’ in the Sichuan province of Southwest China in 2018.

Set amid an organic farm, the 40-bedroom Lux* Organic Escapes Chengdu features a holistic, integrated approach to wellness designed to detoxify, promote mindfulness and bring a “fresh perspective to living”.

The Lux* Me Spa concept has been tailored for the location, with traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and tailored rituals. A full set of fitness, yoga and meditation activities will also be offered.

The retreat will showcase Chinese craftsmanship and includes a partnership with Shanghai eco-purveyor of fruits and vegetables Tony’s Farm, and will feature cuisine grown on the on-site organic farm.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=E5s3r_S

15.Six Senses Shaharut, Israel

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas will open a resort in the Negev Desert in late 2018 – its first property in Israel.

Nestled into a dramatic cliff with panoramic views of the desert, the Six Senses Shaharut will be located in the small community of Shaharut, and will be built from, and inspired by, local rocks and pigments.

A Six Senses Spa will offer a layered approach to wellness and will include the Six Senses Integrated Wellness programme, which is based on the preventative principles of Eastern medicine and results-oriented Western influences.

The approach allows in-house experts to measure and analyse key physiological biomarkers in order to provide guests with lifestyle and nutritional advice as well as a personalised programme of spa treatments, fitness and wellness activities.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=x7j4g_S

16.Gisborough Hall, UK

Gisborough Hall has revealed plans for a new multi-million-pound woodland spa, due to open at the end of 2018. Designed by Peterborough-based Harris McCormack Architects, the standalone spa will include nine treatment rooms, an 18m indoor swimming pool, an outdoor hydro-pool, a variety of heat experiences with relaxation spaces, a gym and a fitness studio.

The spa will overlook the Cleveland Hills in a secluded part of North Yorkshire and will provide a full range of spa days and membership packages, with facilities accessible to hotel guests.Details: http://lei.sr?a=c3J2E_S

17.

1 Hotel Haitang Bay, ChinaConsultancy, development and management firm GOCO Hospitality has worked on the concept and technical design of the upcoming 2,138sq m (23,013sq ft) spa and wellness area of the 1 Hotel Haitang Bay in Sanya, China – the first Chinese development for 1 Hotels – due to open in late 2018.

The wellness area will include seven treatment rooms with views of the surrounding landscape, each with their own outdoor terrace relaxation areas. Two spa suites also feature private gardens and outdoor whirlpools.

Significant indoor heat and water facilities include a women’s bio sauna and herbal steam room and a men’s sweat lodge and salt steam room.

An outdoor vitality pool will provide guests with various combinations of massage-jet settings, and a large, circular communal relaxation lounge acts as one of the main focus points of the wellness facilities, along with a wellness cafe and spacious gym.

A dedicated wellness concierge will guide guests on all of the wellness opportunities available, and an onsite farm will be run and managed by the property, providing fresh and organic fruits and vegetables for the 15,000sq ft (1,393sq m) of signature restaurants and lounges.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=n2h9n_S

18.

Six Senses Krabey Island, Cambodia

Six Senses Krabey Island will open in September 2018, with 40 pool villas set around a naturally landscaped 30-acre private island in Cambodia. The Six Senses Spa Krabey Island will feature signature therapies as well as Cambodian healing traditions, multi-day rejuvenation journeys and an alchemy bar.

Visiting practitioners will bring a range of alternative treatments, and the spa will also feature a meditation cave, nail bar, gym, outdoor yoga sala and outdoor treatment sala.

A spa library and juice bar will incorporate a variety of fresh fruits and herbs from the island, and the retail boutique will include a range of resort wear, yoga wear and natural body and beauty products.

Details: http://lei.sr?a=K5P9h_S