Nikki Beach CEO grows brand with feminine touch

MIAMI – With a hospitality brand defined as ‘barefoot luxury’ by Co-founder and CEO Lucia Penrod, Nikki Beach Hospitality Group continues to gain traction globally with an established presence in some 10 countries and new concepts on the drawing board.

Established in 1998 by Penrod and her late husband Jack as a tribute to his daughter Nicole, who tragically passed away at 18, the Nikki Beach brand got its start in Miami with a beachside café. The Miami-based, family-owned company has now grown into a multi-faceted entity which includes several subsidiaries including a Beach Club Division; a Hotels & Resorts Division; a Lifestyle Division; a Special Events Division; and Nikki Cares, a non-profit charity division.

In addition, Penrod—who took over the reins of the company in 2018—told Hotel Investment Today that the company is planning to launch a new boutique hotel brand that will “really stamp our DNA in the hotel industry.”

Eschewing the franchise model for hotels, all of the resorts operate under management agreements. Nikki Beach owns its standalone beach clubs in Saint-Tropez and Saint Barth, along with Lucia Cannes by Nikki Beach.

Penrod elaborated on how they go about choosing partners and investors.

“What we look for is a partner that has the same vision for serving in the hospitality industry,” she said. “We look for partners that understand who we are. We have to connect honestly. We are very friendly to the partners, we are very transparent when we sit down and discuss how we’re going to do things.”

The company has a host of global properties in development, including in Antigua, which Penrod called “one of the most exciting projects we have right now.” Other global properties in the pipeline include Oman, Ras Al Khaimah and Baku, the latter of which will add a resort and residences to an already open Beach Club.

Penrod also noted the company is hoping to announce a project in northern Africa this year as well. Within the U.S., she asserted the company has been focused on expansion in south Florida, which has the “that vibe of celebrating life.”

Decidedly positive

Originally from Nicaragua, Penrod arrived in Miami in 1979 and spent five years serving the Diplomatic Corps, representing the interests of South Korea and Venezuela. In 1984, she joined Jack Penrod’s organization to oversee the Jockey Club of Miami. A year later, she assumed the role of project manager for Penrod’s Beach Club, which would become the first Café Nikki.

Penrod—who pointed out she “loves talking about her brand”—described her experience as a female CEO as decidedly positive.

“I have never experienced anything that I haven’t felt comfortable with as a female CEO, even though the conversation has always been ‘you’re a woman and this is a man’s world,’” she noted.

As an example, Penrod talked about visiting Oman—where the company is gearing up for the soft opening of Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Muscat later this year—to discuss the possibility of expansion. Unsure what kind of response to expect from local businessmen, Penrod was pleasantly surprised.

“My brand is so optimistic and so full of life. So, I think that’s what I received and that’s why I felt so welcome. I never felt any obstacles, any rejection or any challenges because if you want to do business with me you know I’m a female. As a female, I’m having fun in this field, I don’t feel any challenges,” she emphasized.

The feminine touch

Penrod did acknowledge female executives are a key demographic for the company’s hotel brand and will very much be a focal point of the new boutique concept being developed.

“The hotels have always been dedicated to everybody, but we make sure that we keep that feminine touch in everything we do,” she continued. “I believe that is one of the most exciting things we’re bringing into the hotel industry because while many hotels are beautiful they’re mostly designed for men by men. You have all these beautiful hotels, they are gorgeous, but all those [female] details are missing.”

The Nikki Beach hotels feature signature white decor, exclusive beach clubs with DJs, curated entertainment and high-end amenities like Nikki Spa, Tone Gym and upscale dining options. The company’s current Nikki Beach Resort & Spa portfolio includes Dubai in UAE; Koh Samui in Thailand; Santorini and Porto Heli, both in Greece.

Penrod noted that the company opted to branch off into hotels after associating with properties and their respective F&B operations as part of its Nikki Beach Club. She described 2025 as an “incredible year” throughout the company’s hotel portfolio noting that F&B represents roughly 50% of gross operating revenue for the company’s hotels.

“We quickly found out that our food and beverage is so strong that it became an added asset for the hotels,” Penrod said. “When we saw how the hotels [we worked with] were all of a sudden becoming busier and more successful, then we said ‘maybe it’s time that we start doing our own.’ That’s how we moved from the beach clubs and food and beverage to the hotels because we knew that we built something very, very strong, and it’s our food and beverage component.”

In terms of what’s ahead for Nikki Beach, Penrod flatly states “we’re not even halfway there.” Describing herself as “very hands on,” she indicated there’s still lots of runway for her as CEO.

“I’m still having fun,” she said. “The reward that you get from adding simple things to your business that make people fall in love with you is a feeling that is very hard to replace. On top of that it comes with a very good financial reward, but what comes first is serving my customers either in the food the beverage outlets or the hotels and restaurants. It’s very rewarding.”