Atlantis, The Palm will be the first resort to open its doors on The Palm Jumeirah, the smallest of three man-made Palm islands on the coastal area of Dubai. Opening September 24, the $1.5 billion resort (a joint venture developed by Kerzner International and Dubai government-owned Istithmar), will transport guests into an imaginative world encompassing Aquaventure (a water-themed attraction); fresh and saltwater pools; stretches of beach; a marine habitat; retail boutiques; 17 restaurants, bars, and lounges; a nightclub, a spa and fitness center; and more than 60,000 square feet of meeting and function space. Each of the 1,539 guest rooms and suites in the Royal Towers will have private balconies and views of the Arabian Gulf or The Palm Jumeirah. The resort's 20,400-square-foot spa will offer treatments derived from the Middle East, the Amazon rainforest, and other parts of the world. Guests access the resort by a six-lane underwater vehicle tunnel, which surfaces next to the property, or via a monorail that transports guests directly to the resort.

Venue News

Spa Updates

Pacific Palms Resort
Los Angeles

The News: A $60 million renovation completed in March 2008.

Specs: Renovations included guest rooms, meeting space, golf courses, and dining areas as well the addition of the Spa at Pacific Palms, a full-service, 11,000-square-foot spa featuring seven treatment rooms. The resort now offers 45,000 square feet of meeting and event space and 32 meeting rooms.

Extra: RED, a new, upscale restaurant and bar opened at the resort in May 2008.

Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
Santa Monica, Calif.

The News: Exhale spa opened at the hotel in April 2008.

Specs: The indoor spa pavilion includes five therapy rooms and an area specifically dedicated to nail care. The hotel also includes a fitness center and 25,000 square feet of meeting space.

Extra: Soon to open: poolside spa cabanas and private mind-body classes on the sundeck of the pavilion.

Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort
Solvang, Calif.

The News: The new Alisal Fitness Center and Spa opened in June 2008.

Specs: The 5,500-square-foot space features four treatment rooms, a wraparound porch, a 1,500-square-foot workout room and a 1,000-square-foot group fitness room. A business center is also available at the Fitness Center.

Extra: More than 50 miles of horseback riding trails, two eighteen-hole championship golf courses, six tennis courts, and a 100-acre, spring-fed lake

Brasstown Valley Resort
Young Harris, Ga.

The News: The addition of a 7,500-square-foot spa at the resort

Specs: The $3.4 million facility will feature therapeutic services and several indoor and outdoor relaxation areas with outdoor fire pit, decks, and hot tub. The resort also has nearly 15,000 square feet of meeting space.

Time Frame: Completion is expected by fall 2008.

Don CeSar Beach Resort
St. Pete Beach, Fla.

The News: The new $11 million Spa Oceana opened in March 2008.

Specs: The three-story spa features 11,000 square feet of space and 16 treatment rooms as well as an open-air rooftop garden and relaxation area. The resort features 38,000 square feet of function space.

Extra: Spa Oceana embraces hydrotherapy, one of the oldest forms of treatment involving water for soothing pains and cleansing.

Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort
Los Cabos, Mexico

The News: The resort completed a renovation of its spa in April 2008.

Specs: The two-story, 7,000-square-foot Spa Oasis includes 13 treatment rooms and 2 VIP couple's suites.

Extra: Before or after treatment, spa guests can relax in one of two lounge areas each with access to outdoor balconies.

Palms Place Hotel & Spa
Las Vegas

The News: The new, non-gaming hotel opened June 2008.

Specs: The off-strip hotel features 1,100 guestrooms; the Drift Spa & Hammam with more than 20 treatment rooms and a private garden; and 100,000 square feet of alternative and traditional meeting space.

Extra: Guests have access to the Palms Casino Resort via the SkyTube, an elevated, enclosed moving walkway that joins the two complexes.

News Makers:

• The Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa has appointed Kimberly Weber as the new spa director of the hotel's Pacific Waters Spa. Weber comes to the resort from The Spa at New York New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

• Event production company Campos Creative Works has named Jan Miller to the position of vice president of sales. Prior to joining CCW, Miller was director of integrated communications for Pinnacle Exhibits, Portland, Ore.