Miami brand Nikki Beach to make Middle East debut

Hotelier Middle East Staff, April 13th, 2011

Miami hospitality brand Nikki Beach is set to open its first property in the Middle East in Qatar on The Pearl next year.

Currently, the five-star luxury hcompany has eight new projects totaling US $200 million now in the pipeline in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including a property for the UAE.

“Nikki Beach is all about the celebration of life,” said owner Jack Penrod, who founded the Miami Beach company in 1998. “Through the years, our guests have enjoyed sharing our unique beach club experience with family and friends. Now, we are responding to their requests by opening beautiful new boutique hotels and resorts around the world.”

The Qatar property will be part of the multi-phase, mixed-use development Pearl development with 10 distinct themed districts

The Pearl, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa will be a boutique beachfront resort with 47-luxury villas and spa suites near the Doha business district.

Working with local development, architectural and construction partners, Nikki Beach is planning to open new resort projects in Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, the UAE and the Cape Verde Islands in 2012-2014.

“We are expecting an upswing in high-end travel and our construction and development plans are well-timed to take advantage of that trend,” added Sary Arab, chief operating officer of Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts EMEA.

A strong and growing hotel and resort operator, Nikki Beach now manages properties in 12 countries around the world, according to Jihad el Khoury, chief executive officer, Nikki Beach EMEA Hotels & Resorts Ltd. “We are excited to lead the natural evolution of our global lifestyle brand into the luxury boutique segment,” el Khoury said.

Building on the remarkable success of its 13 beach clubs in glamorous worldwide destinations, Nikki Beach is now focused on the luxury resort segment. In the next three years, the company’s Hotel and Resort Division expects to complete nearly 1000 rooms in new territories identified more than a decade ago as jet-set destinations suitable for the five-star Nikki Beach brand.