These new luxury properties are putting wellness at the centre of the stay, from a longevity centre in Dubai to a hydrothermal bathhouse in the Rockies.
Hotel openings used to treat the spa as an amenity. These new luxury spa hotels put it at the centre of the floor plan, from a longevity clinic on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah to a hydrothermal bathhouse built into a mountainside in Banff. Two are open now, with one of them still to unveil its spa, and the other two arrive before the year is out.
Six Senses The Palm, Dubai
Six Senses The Palm, Dubai opens on November 23, marking the brand’s debut in the United Arab Emirates. The beachfront resort sits on the West Crescent of Palm Jumeirah with 61 suites and 172 privately owned residences, designed by architecture firm SAOTA. The suites have generous terraces facing either the water or the skyline, and a three-bedroom Pool Retreat suits families and groups. Residence owners can use all resort facilities, and the resort describes its dining as seasonal, built on regional produce.
Wellness is the main event. The 5,500-square-metre spa and longevity centre includes a vitality pool circuit, a hammam and a biohacking recovery lounge, plus an Alchemy Bar where guests create personalized botanical blends. Nova Clinic handles advanced diagnostics and preventive health services, and a Visiting Practitioner program rounds out the roster. Dining spans five venues, among them LOÄM for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, ROKA for Japanese robatayaki in a sky garden, and TWØ12, a New York-inspired speakeasy. See Visit Dubai for the destination.
Rimrock Banff, Emblems Collection
Rimrock Banff opened this fall as Accor’s first Emblems Collection hotel in North America. The 320-room resort is carved into the cliffside of Sulphur Mountain, with terraced architecture overlooking the Bow Valley. It is owned by Oxford Properties Group and a capital partner, and was redesigned by California-based Studio Collective.
The centrepiece is the 9,600-square-foot Bathhouse, which the hotel describes as the destination’s first thermal wellness bathing facility of its kind. It includes a vitality pool, a hot pool, a mountain-facing infinity pool, vista and salt saunas, a steam room and glacial cold plunges, plus a suspended meditation room and the Aurora sensory room. The 3,800-square-foot Movement Center adds Technogym and Peloton equipment, climbing and bouldering walls and guided classes. Wellness Studio suites sit directly across from both, designed around preparation and recovery, and the two-bedroom Infinity Suite has a private terrace with a firetable and a handcrafted barrel sauna.
Off the spa floor, there are four dining venues, led by Parker’s Table, a Canadian restaurant sourcing from local farmers, fishers and foragers, and Listening Room, a vinyl lounge. Private ski and snowboard guiding and lessons are offered at Sunshine Village. Plan the surrounding trip with Banff & Lake Louise Tourism.
Fairmont New Orleans
Fairmont New Orleans is now open as the brand’s 100th hotel, with 250 rooms and suites, interiors by Rockwell Group and dining led by chef Emeril Lagasse. That includes Delmonico Steakhouse, the restaurant’s first location outside Las Vegas, and The Café by Emeril for breakfast and lunch.
The spa is the next piece to land. A 10,000-square-foot spa and wellness centre opens in early December, with private treatment rooms including a couples’ suite, a dry sauna, a steam room and relaxation lounges, alongside a fitness studio. The 31st-floor pool deck, home to Bleu Perdu bistro with city and river views, opens around the same time, as does the late-night cocktail bar Third Measure. Find the rest of the city at New Orleans & Company.
Mandarin Oriental Makati, Manila
Mandarin Oriental Makati, Manila is scheduled to open in November, marking the brand’s return to the Philippine capital. The hotel has 275 rooms and suites at Ayala Triangle, on the corner of Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, perched above Ayala Triangle Gardens with views of the skyline and greenery. Club accommodations include access to the Club Lounge and dedicated butler service.
The spa offers treatments based on Philippine healing traditions, along with herbal remedies and bespoke treatments, and guests can also relax by a pool overlooking the park. Dining includes Bì Luò, serving modern Chinese cuisine with a private dining room, and Alambik, a whisky and cigar bar with a speakeasy feel, known for its rare whiskies.