Steve Kass, the founder of American Leisure, has died in New York after a battle with cancer.

Kass was the founder and CEO of American Leisure, the spa, sport and fitness operating company.

He founded the business aged 18 in 1967 and it grew to have a roster of more than 75 five-star hotel and large-scale residential apartment clients in North America.

American Leisure provided a wide range of design and management services for spa, sport, wellness and fitness.

Clients included the Setai Wall Street and Hotel Plaza Athenee in New York City, as well as luxury properties in Florida and California.

Kass sold American Leisure to First Service in 2015 and went on to launch Steve Kass Consulting, working with property developers and investors, conceptualising and advising on the design of wellness, spa, fitness and lifestyle facilities.

He also advised on the creation of the operational infrastructure needed to ensure the financial viability and sustainability of projects.

First Service merged American Leisure with Abigail Michaels Concierge to form a new business called LivUnLtd in 2017.