Horst Schulze, the hotelier who led Ritz-Carlton to prominence, has launched Capella Hotels and Resorts, a new luxury hotel brand, at a recent ceremony which took place beneath the Alps in Velden, Austria.Speaking to guests during June ceremonies celebrating the opening of Schloss Velden and the launch of the Capella brand, Schulze commented, “Capella represents the opportunity to paint my finest canvas.  I’m so gratified that this ‘artwork’ can now be unveiled in such a beautiful setting.  Most of all, I’m pleased that you, our guests, can make Capella your own.  We look forward to welcoming you at Capella Hotels and Resorts around the world in the months to come.”
While Schloss Velden will be popular within Austria, Germany, Italy and other European destinations, many American visitors are expected to be drawn to this stunning Alpine region in Austria.  Schloss Velden’s historic chateau, with its distinctive “goldenrod” yellow hue reflecting off of Lake Woerth, is comprised of 39 guestrooms, a fine dining room, the reborn Schloss Bar, a wine and champagne cellar, and a private “living room” for guests with stunning lakefront views.  A contemporary Jabonegg & Pálffy-designed addition houses 66 rooms and 45 private residences. The striking modern structure with wraparound glass views of the mountains and lake is also home to an extraordinary 30,000-square foot spa and wellness center called Auriga, exclusive to Capella Hotels and Resorts.
In August, Capella Castlemartyr, in County Cork, Ireland, will join Schloss
Velden and emerge as the second Capella to open to the public.  This stunning resort is set on 220 acres in the bucolic country village of Castlemartyr and encompasses a grand, fully restored manor house adjacent to the dramatic ruins of a thousand-year-old castle.
Each of the 109 spacious guest suites - 85 standard suites, 11 manor suites and an extraordinary Presidential Suite - range from 500 to 3,000-square feet.  The Knight’s Bar will be the hotel’s social focal point with its blazing fire, baby grand piano and fully restored Rococo ceiling, and the Bell Tower, the hotel’s fine dining room, will serve cuisine prepared with the finest local, farm fresh ingredients.
Auriga, the 16,000 square-foot wellness, spa and fitness center at Castlemartyr - comprises 10 treatments rooms, vitality pools, an ozone treated swimming pool, steam room, saunas, a spa suite, a yoga and Pilates studio and a spa café.
For golf enthusiasts, an 18-hole links-style golf course at Castlemartyr, created by renowned golf course designer Ron Kirby, is poised to be another one of the region’s memorable courses when it opens in spring 2008.
During 2008, Capella will open hotels and resorts in Mexico, at Capella Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas; in Düsseldorf at Breidenbacher Hof, a Capella Hotel; on Sentosa Island in Singapore, at Capella Singapore; and in Ireland once again, at Capella Dunboy Castle in Castletownbere.

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