MIAMI—Nikki Beach Worldwide is focusing on the expansion of its hotels and resorts sector by adding two senior executives set to spur growth abroad.
Kevin Wallace is the new president of Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts Asia, leading the division’s plans for expansion throughout China, India, Australia and Southeast Asia.
Alexander Schneider will serve as VP of Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts in Europe and the Middle East.
“This year, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary as a global brand. I am very proud of what the company has become,” said Jack Penrod, founder and owner of Nikki Beach Worldwide. “It’s now time to take our growth to the next level with an aggressive, yet well thought out, expansion plan for the hotels and resorts division. By segmenting the business into different regions of the globe and putting trusted senior executives at the top of each division, I am confident that our expansion plan will be a great success.”
As a seasoned international hospitality executive, Wallace has held many senior positions within the hotel industry as a CEO, CFO and COO in top Asian markets. Prior to joining Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts, Wallace was president of Centara Hotels and Resorts, managing director-Asia of Plateno Hotel Group and managing director-Asia Pacific for Dream Hotel Group.
Schneider has been working with the brand since April 2016, leading the opening of Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai. Within six months of opening, this resort ranked in the top 10 of all luxury resorts in Dubai, according to the company. He has worked with major hotel operators including Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi – UAE; Rixos Properties UAE; Grand Hyatt Germany; and Casa Camper.
While Nikki Beach’s roots are in luxury beach clubs with 13 destinations worldwide, the Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts portfolio currently includes four resort properties in Koh Samui, Thailand; Porto Heli, Greece; Bodrum, Turkey; and Dubai, UAE.
With the recent appointment of Lucia Penrod as CEO of Nikki Beach Worldwide, the shift in responsibilities enables Jack Penrod to be laser-focused on developing this new division of the company. There are also plans to develop rooftop locations in major metropolitan areas and there is an ongoing pipeline of properties to open in the next five years, with a goal to have several in contract within the current year. The Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts division has plans to open more than 20 additional properties in the next five years.