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A real estate firm which also operates marinas commissioned the project / photo: ABCPlus Studio
A botanical spa, woven through open-air pavilions and meandering freshwater canals, lies at the heart of a bold eco-conscious destination designed by Italian architecture firm ABCPlus Studio.
Located near the town of Bibione, between Venice and Trieste on Italy’s Adriatic coast, the project is capturing industry attention with its blend of hospitality, residential and wellness facilities. The total development is expected to cost €37.5 million (US$43.9 million, £32.1 million) and is slated to open in 2030.
Wellness immersion At the core, the spa unfolds as a sensory journey where nature and design converge. A striking glass-and-steel pavilion will house hammams, thermal baths and lush tropical planting that thrives in the naturally humid micro-climate. Salt treatment facilities, including massage rooms, saline pools and saunas, will be positioned on panoramic relaxation decks suspended in a pine canopy with sweeping sea views. A dedicated yoga and meditation pavilion constructed from untreated larch will feature acoustically engineered walls that allow the music of wind, water and birdsong to filter through.
“Our design philosophy centres on guiding guests to discover and connect with the extraordinary indigenous territory that surrounds us,” says Damiano Capuzzo, partner at ABCPlus Studio. “In doing so, the act of wellness becomes a journey of environmental discovery and cultural appreciation.”
Business drive Commissioned by Bibione Darsena SRL – a real estate firm which also operates marinas – the development prioritises wellbeing. The wider scheme includes a 100-room hotel, private residences and off-grid micro-lodges scattered across the wetlands.
Public infrastructure investment of €6 million (US$7 million, £5.1 million) will fund the marina, waterfront works, pedestrian pathways and hydraulic safeguards, while the hotel and residential components are estimated at €16.5 million (US$19.3 million, £14.1 million) and €8.5 million (US$9.9 million, £7.2 million) respectively.
Capuzzo describes the vision as “a demonstration of how contemporary hospitality architecture can transcend traditional boundaries, creating spaces where human wellness and environmental regeneration exist in perfect symbiosis.”
Green ethos Sustainability underpins every detail across the 50-hectare masterplan, which overlooks a saltwater lagoon and sits within a protected wetland. The hotel and lodge design draws inspiration from traditional stilt houses, lifting structures among dunes. Native vegetation with shaded terraces, green roofs and reflective surfaces will tame thermal impact.
Raised walkways will preserve the fragile ecology below, while micro-lodges are designed to be fully energy-independent. The spa itself will run off-grid, with solar energy and rainwater harvesting systems. Every element of it (and all other structures on site) will adhere to cradle-to-cradle principles that allow complete removal and site restoration if required.
photo: ABCPlus Studio
"Wellness becomes a journey of environmental discovery and cultural appreciation" - Damiano Capuzzo, ABCPlus Studio
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Spa people: Colin Mcilheney
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A real estate firm which also operates marinas commissioned the project / photo: ABCPlus Studio
A botanical spa, woven through open-air pavilions and meandering freshwater canals, lies at the heart of a bold eco-conscious destination designed by Italian architecture firm ABCPlus Studio.
Located near the town of Bibione, between Venice and Trieste on Italy’s Adriatic coast, the project is capturing industry attention with its blend of hospitality, residential and wellness facilities. The total development is expected to cost €37.5 million (US$43.9 million, £32.1 million) and is slated to open in 2030.
Wellness immersion At the core, the spa unfolds as a sensory journey where nature and design converge. A striking glass-and-steel pavilion will house hammams, thermal baths and lush tropical planting that thrives in the naturally humid micro-climate. Salt treatment facilities, including massage rooms, saline pools and saunas, will be positioned on panoramic relaxation decks suspended in a pine canopy with sweeping sea views. A dedicated yoga and meditation pavilion constructed from untreated larch will feature acoustically engineered walls that allow the music of wind, water and birdsong to filter through.
“Our design philosophy centres on guiding guests to discover and connect with the extraordinary indigenous territory that surrounds us,” says Damiano Capuzzo, partner at ABCPlus Studio. “In doing so, the act of wellness becomes a journey of environmental discovery and cultural appreciation.”
Business drive Commissioned by Bibione Darsena SRL – a real estate firm which also operates marinas – the development prioritises wellbeing. The wider scheme includes a 100-room hotel, private residences and off-grid micro-lodges scattered across the wetlands.
Public infrastructure investment of €6 million (US$7 million, £5.1 million) will fund the marina, waterfront works, pedestrian pathways and hydraulic safeguards, while the hotel and residential components are estimated at €16.5 million (US$19.3 million, £14.1 million) and €8.5 million (US$9.9 million, £7.2 million) respectively.
Capuzzo describes the vision as “a demonstration of how contemporary hospitality architecture can transcend traditional boundaries, creating spaces where human wellness and environmental regeneration exist in perfect symbiosis.”
Green ethos Sustainability underpins every detail across the 50-hectare masterplan, which overlooks a saltwater lagoon and sits within a protected wetland. The hotel and lodge design draws inspiration from traditional stilt houses, lifting structures among dunes. Native vegetation with shaded terraces, green roofs and reflective surfaces will tame thermal impact.
Raised walkways will preserve the fragile ecology below, while micro-lodges are designed to be fully energy-independent. The spa itself will run off-grid, with solar energy and rainwater harvesting systems. Every element of it (and all other structures on site) will adhere to cradle-to-cradle principles that allow complete removal and site restoration if required.
photo: ABCPlus Studio
"Wellness becomes a journey of environmental discovery and cultural appreciation" - Damiano Capuzzo, ABCPlus Studio
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Spa people: Tim Fu
Leading a wellness architecture project in Slovenia that’s one of the first in the world to use AI in all stages of design
Spa people: Kayley Thomas
Lush is famous for its bath bombs and retail empire, but the co-founder of its day spa concept reveals why its 19 global spa facilities are so essential
Spa people: Colin Mcilheney
We find out more about Colin Mcilheney, the man who created the ISPA US Spa Industry Study and has been analysing the sector’s performance ever since
News report: Map of luxury
New research by WATG shows emerging wealth hubs in India, the Gulf, Southeast Asia and Africa are reshaping luxury travel demand
Interview: Chris Norton
The CEO of Equinox Hotels tells Katie Barnes how the uber-cool brand is scaling its bold fusion of fitness, spa and luxury
Ask an expert...: Recovery
From cryo to compression to contrast bathing, Julie Cramer investigates why and how spas and resorts are integrating recovery packages
Research: Behind the boom
What are the hidden messages in the latest US study by ISPA? Colin Mcilheney digs beneath the surface
Research: Bigger picture
Rising salaries and shifting consumer expectations – two new surveys by the UKSA and GSG reveal the trends impacting UK spa operators
Sponsored: Lemi - Good sensations
Lemi’s Venice Head Spa combines the beauty of Italian design with fine-tuned technology to provide the ultimate top-to-toe treatment station for spas
Sponsored: G.M. COLLIN – Smooth operator
The new toner from G.M. Collin represents a ‘gold standard’ in leave-on liquid exfoliation for smooth and radiant results, without the irritation of a scrub
Sponsored: TechnoAlpin – Snow for all seasons
TechnoAlpin’s magical Snowroom installation at the Alpenrose resort brings the Austrian landscape and feel-good nature factor to its wellbeing experience
First person: Costa Blanca cure
Jane Kitchen visits Spain to compare and contrast two world-class medi-wellness clinics: well-established SHA and ambitious newcomer ZEM
Sponsored: Gharieni Group – Tech-powered recovery
The new brand in the Gharieni Group portfolio – Metawell – is delivering what today’s wellness clients are seeking most – deep recovery and mind-body renewal
Sponsored: BC Softwear – Human touch
While touchless therapies are a positive addition to spas, nothing can replace the healing power of human touch, says Barbara Cooke
Sponsored: Yon-ka – A potent blend
Yon-Ka’s new Serum Omega is a potent blend of Omega 3, 6 and 9 to target
dry, stressed-out skin and deliver a calm and nourishing client experience
Menu engineering: At your service
Self-playing gongs in Sweden, surfing therapy in Morocco and Ananda launches holistic diabetes management programme in India
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
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.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
LVMH-owned beauty house Guerlain will launch up to five spas with partners a year as part of
its plan to expand globally, according to the brand’s international spa and wellness director,
Diane Davody.
A new global study by Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich, called WELLSurvey 2.0, has revealed
more than half of consumers in the UK, US and Germany would not choose numerous high-
profile wellness resort brands for a future trip.
Luxury hospitality and wellness pioneer Jeremy McCarthy has launched Leisure Alchemy, a
digital platform that will provide professionals with strategic guidance on how to build
transformational leisure experiences that drive profit.
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Agilysys UK Ltd Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), is a leading
global provider of hospitality software
solutions that [more...]
