In conversation with Alexander Schneider, President at Nikki Beach Global Hotel Division (Exclusive Interview)

How has the Nikki Beach brand evolved over the past years? Most of your hotel / resort properties seem to have maintained leading positions in each destination

Since its inception in 2007, the Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts division has disrupted the classic hotel business model by offering a new concept focused on unique lifestyle and dining features and by bringing our signature beach club experience into a resort setting. Over the past few years, our hotel and resort model has seen great appreciation on both the investor and visitor sides. Focusing on the expansion of our hotel and resort division has been one of the larger pivots that the brand has taken and looking at our current pipeline, we will see further growth in this direction in the next few years and beyond.

Tell us more about the positioning of the Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts brand?

Nikki Beach hotels and resorts stay true to the original brand DNA which focuses on barefoot luxury at its highest execution. We feel that the hospitality theatre is missing the laid back luxury approach that most of the fashion brands have already embraced. Our aim is to provide a canvas of choices to our guests and the ability to pick services with different energy levels that match the needs and wants of our loyal target clientele.

Each of our properties incorporate our six core elements – music, dining, entertainment, fashion, film and art – which we seamlessly intertwine to create the magic of Nikki Beach and an ever evolving range of exciting programming. We want to evoke a very emotional connection between our brand and its audience so that we can continue to establish long term relationships that go beyond the norm.

Post pandemic, are there still challenges persisting? (many destinations still struggle with staffing)

We were very fortunate that because our beach clubs are outdoor, daytime concepts, we were able to successfully survive the COVID years and actually emerged even stronger in many ways. In terms of residual challenges, we are still seeing challenges with airlines that are unable to handle the demand swings which has affected the travel industry overall.

We have always been a very people-centric brand which meant we were lucky enough to retain our top talents through the pandemic and subsequently the staff and talent shortage is not affecting us as strongly which has enabled us to outperform in our service quality across our portfolio.

Has the guest profile changed (if in any way)? Do they regard luxury differently? What about their expectations?

Our approach has shifted as we’ve put more focus on quality and less on quantity in our brand’s execution. This is especially tangible in our food and beverage concepts where we deliver on high end details instead of large format productions and events. Our target group has obviously shifted a bit with this trend but we see results that are extremely encouraging.

What are the USPs of a Nikki Beach Hotel / Resort property?

The emotional component and the relationship between the brand, service, and clients is what makes Nikki Beach so unique. The era of hardware thrills is definitely over and the high end clientele is more service quality-focused than ever. We have been delivering on our brand promise for over 20 years and this has created an overarching connection between Nikki Beach and its target group. We often see multiple generations of a family visiting our properties together – guests that have been visiting our locations for years and who travel the world to visit our different properties. We also feature a range of experiences, from cocooning low energy to providing the highest level of fun, which only a few concepts can achieve.

Which is the business model of the Nikki Beach Hotels expansion? What are the prerequisites? (size of property, location etc)

As we are a privately owned company, we can choose our pace for growth which allows us to hand pick locations that we feel are perfect fits. Traditionally, we have chosen territories where we could bring about a positive disruption through our presence, and we will continue with this approach. We prefer environments where we are innovators and not trend followers. This also enables us to keep the brand fresh and relevant.

Our footprint will always remain boutique and lifestyle-centric. I truly believe that the reflection of the local culture, architecture, and culinary scene needs to be a key driver in order to provide to our well-traveled clientele a truly authentic experience. Each of our properties is built around our core experience and aesthetic, with many influences from the surrounding area and from the locations around the world where we are based.

Is there a Nikki Beach DNA when it comes to both beach clubs and hotels / resorts?

Nikki Beach has organically grown into a global lifestyle and hospitality company strictly through word of mouth and a contagious “Celebration of Life” mentality. After 25 years in business, we’ve developed a cult following of clients who are now eager to enjoy our barefoot luxury experience at our destinations worldwide across both the standalone beach clubs and our resorts. The resorts and beach clubs are connected through the same brand DNA which I believe to be the beauty of our concept.

We understand how to add brand executions and services without discounting the core experience and still maintaining the original vibe. Everyday our staff are eager to embrace our core mission – to Celebrate Life – and to encourage our guests to do the same. This positive energy, combined with an unparalleled level of luxury service has clients feeling welcome and excited for their next trip to Nikki Beach whether it’s for an overnight stay or a day trip.

You recently opened a mega luxury suite at Nikki Beach Resort Dubai.

We feel that the traditional hotel suite is a blast from the past. Hence, we curated a space that is multidimensional in its use and expression. The Celebration Suite at Nikki Beach Resort Dubai is now the largest suite offered in Dubai and is a hedonistic playground for individuals, groups, or companies that seek the exceptional. Instead of offering more space we offer more experience. The suite is now open for bookings and can accommodate up to ten guests for overnight stays and up to 150 guests for private events.

Nikki Beach Resort Muscat is one of the most highly anticipated openings. Tell us more.

We are extremely excited to bring the brand to the Sultanate of Oman. At Yiti Beach we have found an exceptional location that combines nature, culture and a leisure activity heaven. With our outstanding partners of Omran we designed a resort which has the ability to change the horizon of hospitality in Muscat. The architecture has already collected numerous awards during construction and we are reassured that the opening in late 2023 will create an even bigger hype to follow.

What are your expansion plans? Are you specifically looking at certain regions / destinations?

Our pipeline is growing constantly with locations that add new excitement to the portfolio. At the same time, we want to ensure that every execution exceeds our guests’ expectations and hence we will grow in a linear fashion. Again, it’s quality over quantity. Secondly, we cherish the relationship with our owners and we want to ensure that we curate every location exactly to its needs. In terms of new territories, we are currently in love with the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Central Asia and Southeast Asia and there will be more exciting news to break soon.

Please share your top 5 suggestions for travellers anticipating or considering to discover / explore a Nikki Beach Resort?

1. Comes as you are
2. Pick your vibe
3. Be ready to spoil yourself
4. Keep an open mind
5. Enjoy every second

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