Nikki Beach Global launches new Lucia brand in Cannes
© Lucia Cannes
Renowned the world over for its beach clubs and luxury hotels, the Nikki Beach Global group is celebrating its 25th anniversary. And to mark the occasion it is launching its new Lucia concept on the Croisette on 9 March 2024.
It is one of the world’s leading international hotel groups. With 11 beach clubs and 5 hotels and resorts, Nikki Beach Global stands out because of its avant-gardism, its luxury concept being the very first in the field.
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We wanted to offer a completely new concept, different from Nikki but still with the same DNA of celebrating life
Lucia Penrod
The touching story of how Nikki Beach was created
Founded in 1998 by Jack and Lucia Penrod, the entrepreneurial couple began with a simple Zen-like garden and a café, as a tribute to Jack’s daughter Nicole, who died in a car accident at the age of 18. Thanks to the magic powers of word-of-mouth, what started out as Café Nikki became more and more popular, eventually extending onto the beach to become the Nikki Beach.
An intense journey, which the group is celebrating today on the Côte d’Azur, on its 25th birthday. “Today, we wanted to create a concept that retained Nikki’s DNA, while continuing to build on Nicole’s legacy,” says Lucia Penrod. After Monte Carlo, Miami Beach, Koh Samui, Marbella and many other destinations, the group introduced its brand-new Lucia brand in Cannes on 9 March.
Metropolitan and winter destinations on the horizon
Popular for its timeless charm and iconic Croisette, the location was certainly not chosen at random. Every year, the Nikki Beach has a pop-up space during the Cannes Film Festival, reflecting its proximity to the festival city. Starting Lucia off in France was important to the hotel group, which has plans to open up its borders in future. “The family business, who owned this location for almost 40 years, were happy to pass us the baton. With a Nikki Beach in both Saint-Tropez and Monaco, we wanted to come up with a completely new concept, different from Nikki but still with the same DNA of celebration of life,” says the co-founder.
It is an opportunity to move away from summer destinations and develop in new and different places. “This is the first of many establishments. It’s a restaurant on the beach, but it’s also a restaurant that we can take to other places, like ski resorts,” Lucia explains.
Lucia: making happiness contagious
Derived from the Latin “lux”, meaning light, the name Lucia is “a perfect fit for the concept our creative team created.” An ideal moniker to define the luminous spirit of Nikki Beach Global indeed. Bright colours, intricate patterns, objects representing the sun and maximalist design: the brand has no intention of going unnoticed. “We want people to feel happy and easy when they come here.”
For the co-founder, brightening up her customers’ day is a real vocation. “The moment I open my door, I make it contagious. So when our staff come to work, they know that their job is to make people happy,” she continues. “Our mission statement is: ‘Wake up in the morning, say your blessing, you’re alive and well, and make a conscious decision that today we are going to celebrate life’.”
So what is the new luxury concept all about?
In a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere, Lucia serves top-of-the-range Mediterranean cuisine featuring ingredients straight from the sun. The menu is created by Nikki Beach Global chef Alessandro Pizza, who varies the recipes along with the seasons.
To further captivate her customers, Lucia called on the services of the English-Italian artist Chiara Perano, famous for her Dolce Vita style, highlighting the simple pleasures of everyday life. Her art is present in the design of the logo and other visual elements that provide the brand with an unusual visual identity.
Reservations are now open on the restaurant’s website!
Nikki Beach is preparing to open new resorts in the Caribbean, Oman, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates.