Women Who Launch: Lucia Penrod of Nikki Beach

You launched Nikki Beach in 1998 - what was the biggest challenge you had to overcome in those early years? 

The Nikki Beach brand grew organically and at its own pace. It’s a brand created as a tribute of love from a father to a daughter, where emotional connections and human interactions are embedded in our DNA. 

When we first started Nikki Beach, there was never a traditional business plan behind it, nor an established beach club division in the hospitality industry. My husband Jack, started his hospitality career at McDonalds, making burgers at $.85 an hour and ended up owning 16 franchises in the 70’s. He was in the hospitality industry for over 60 years! But, there were no footprint, guidelines, or data on the beach club business. The biggest challenge we had, we turned into the biggest opportunity and created something new in this industry. By merging music, dining, entertainment, fashion, film and art into one marketing engine we created the daytime Celebration of Life. We changed the way people partied around the world. 

28 years ago, people were not used to having two to four-hour long lunches on the beach, with a DJ playing cool music, drinking Champagne, and having great service at tables on the sand. We also had a big challenge finding quality rosé wines in the USA. We had to import them from the South of France. But all these challenges shaped who we are now - a place to celebrate with family and friends during the day. We are not a daytime nightclub. We are Nikki Beach. 

From there, the brand evolved very naturally. Guests connected with the energy, the way the space made them feel, and our Celebration of Life state of mind. This encouraged us to keep developing the concept. We never set out with a plan to become a global hospitality brand. Each step came organically, based on the response from our guests and the opportunities that felt right for us. 

Looking back, I think one of the biggest challenges was learning how to grow something so personal without losing the emotion and authenticity that made it special in the first place. 

Your brand is very much centred around celebrating life - can you tell us a bit more about the story behind the brand? 

Nikki Beach was born from something incredibly personal to our family. In 1997, we lost my husband’s daughter Nicole in a car accident. She was 18 years old and full of life. Losing a child is a devastating tragedy and we chose to celebrate her life instead of mourning it. As painful as it was, we transformed the pool area at Penrod's Beach Club on Miami Beach into a beautiful butterfly garden called Cafe Nikki in her honour. People were immediately drawn to the feeling of the space, the vibe and the experience. A year later, we expanded the garden to the beach and Nikki Beach was born. Nikki Beach is a tribute to love.

That philosophy has stayed with us ever since. Celebration of Life isn't simply a tagline. It's the reason the brand exists. For me, it's about appreciating the time we have, bringing people together, and creating places where they can make memories with the people they love. 

What are three core brand values that you’ll never stray from? 

Authenticity would be the first. We've never built Nikki Beach around trends. We've always stayed true to who we are and to the feeling we want people to have when they're with us. 

Connection is another. Jack would always say, “Listen to your customers and give them more of what they want,” and that has stayed with me. Hospitality is really about listening to people, understanding what makes them happy, and creating experiences they want to return to year after year. 

And finally, Celebration of Life. That philosophy has guided us from the very beginning and will always be at the heart of Nikki Beach. 

What do you think is the secret behind the brand’s impressive legacy, and what makes the resorts and clubs stand out from the crowd? 

I think our longevity comes from knowing who we are while never being afraid to evolve. 

From the beginning, Nikki Beach brought together music, dining, entertainment, fashion, film and art in a way that hadn't really been done before. But what truly sets us apart is the people behind the experience. We have team members who have been with us for decades and who know our returning guests by name, remember their preferences, and make them feel genuinely welcomed every time they come back. That kind of relationship and consistency can't simply be replicated. 

We also have guests who have been part of the Nikki Beach family for many years, and now we're seeing new generations discover the brand. That loyalty means a great deal to me. You can update a menu, redesign a space, or introduce something new every season, but you can't manufacture that kind of emotional connection. 

What does a typical day look like for you? 

No two days are ever really the same, which is something I enjoy. Nikki Beach has grown into a global hospitality company, so my schedule often follows what is happening across our destinations throughout the year. 

In the spring, that might mean spending time in Cannes during the Film Festival or being in Monte Carlo around the Grand Prix. During the summer, Saint-Tropez becomes my base in Europe, and I spend as much time as I can visiting our teams and locations. I recently returned from Costa Smeralda, and later this year I’ll also be in Dubai, so there is always another destination, project, or team to connect with.

What I value most is that many of the people I work with have been part of Nikki Beach for years and have really become family. Even as the company has grown, I’ve always wanted to stay close to the people behind the brand, because hospitality is personal and that connection matters to me. 

You have Beach Clubs across the world in places such as Thailand and Greece. In terms of future expansion, are there any particular countries you've got your eye on? 

Our approach to expansion has become very focused. We're not interested in opening somewhere simply to add another destination to the map. The location has to feel right for Nikki Beach and give us an opportunity to create something that feels authentic to the destination. 

At the same time, Nikki Beach Hospitality Group is continuing to grow beyond the beach clubs and resorts. We've introduced new restaurant concepts like Lucia and Maison Mer, each with its own identity, and we're excited to continue developing those brands alongside Nikki Beach. 

We also have an exciting pipeline ahead of us, including future resorts and residences in Antigua, Oman, Ras Al Khaimah, Marrakech and Azerbaijan. Antigua is particularly exciting because we're developing the project from the ground up and bringing together the resort, residences, beach club, dining, wellness and the wider Nikki Beach lifestyle in one destination. The residences will also officially launch for sale later this year, which will be an important milestone for the project. 

Looking further ahead, there are a few markets we continue to find interesting, including the United States, Mexico and Indonesia, among others. For me, the future is less about how many places we can enter and more about choosing destinations and opportunities where we can create something truly special. 

Nikki Beach has entered a new chapter by way of luxury residential developments - can you tell us about the Dubai project? 

Residences were a very natural evolution for Nikki Beach because our guests have always wanted to take more of the lifestyle home with them. 

In Dubai, the residential experience goes beyond the home itself. Residents are connected to the wider Nikki Beach ecosystem, with access to dining, wellness and fitness experiences, alongside services such as concierge and housekeeping. The idea is to bring the ease and service of hospitality into everyday living. 

What excites me most about residences is the opportunity to build an even deeper relationship with our community. Instead of spending a day or a holiday with Nikki Beach, people are able to make that lifestyle part of their everyday lives. 

Is there a particular business skill you’re trying to master?

I don't think there's ever a point where you truly master business. You're always learning, growing, and adapting, and I think being comfortable with that is a skill in itself. 

For me, that means continuing to listen to our teams, understanding how new generations of guests are evolving, learning from the different markets we're entering, and staying open to new technology and new ways of working. At the same time, growth has to be balanced with protecting the culture and identity of the company. I think the most important thing is to never assume you have all the answers. 

What advice would you give to budding female entrepreneurs? 

Don't feel that you have to become someone else in order to succeed. Some of the qualities that are sometimes underestimated in business, like listening, empathy, intuition and understanding people, can actually become some of your greatest strengths. 

I would also say to listen to everyone around you. You never know where the most creative idea will come from. It could be a server, a manager, or someone who sees the business from a completely different perspective. Some of the best ideas come from the people who are closest to the guest experience, so creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing is incredibly important. 

And be patient. Building something meaningful takes time. Nikki Beach didn't become what it is today overnight. 

What has been your proudest achievement to date? 

Seeing what Nikki Beach has become while knowing that the heart of the brand has never changed is something I'm incredibly proud of. 

What started as a very personal way of celebrating Nicole's life grew into something that has brought people together all over the world. We have team members who have been with us for decades, guests who return year after year, and families who have made Nikki Beach part of their own memories and traditions. 

I always say that when you leave this earth, you don't take anything with you. What matters is the impact you had on people and the memories you helped create. To know that, through Nikki Beach, we've been able to create meaningful moments for thousands of people over the years is probably my greatest achievement. I feel incredibly lucky that this is what I've been able to do as my life's work. 

Are there any mantras/outlooks which have helped you through challenging times? 

Celebration of Life has always been much more than a philosophy for the business. It's something I try to carry into my own life as well.

Life will always bring moments you can't control, and our family knows that very personally. What you can choose is how you move forward and how you appreciate the people and moments you still have around you. 

For me, it comes back to gratitude, family and remembering to enjoy the present. Business is important, but life is happening at the same time. You have to make sure you're actually living it. Life is a gift and we are on borrowed time.

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