News & Views
The Ayre Group and Nikki Beach hospitality group partner to bring a resort & spa, beach club and residences to Antigua
On 16 October 2024 in the presence of the Honourable Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda, Ayre Group and Nikki Beach announced their partnership to open the Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Antigua, which will also feature a beach club – Nikki Beach Antigua – as well as branded, private Nikki Beach Residences. Also in attendance were Lucia Penrod, Co-founder and CEO of Nikki Beach Hospitality Group, Calvin Ayre, Chairman of the Ayre Group, the Honourable Kelvin Simons, MP for St Mary’s South, the Honourable St. Clair Soleyn, representing the Minister of Tourism, and Sir Clare K Roberts KC, Deputy Governor General of Antigua, along with invited local and international guests and media. The US $400m+ development will be an immediate neighbour to the Jolly Harbour community.
The partnership was announced at an early evening groundbreaking ceremony on Jolly Beach, the location for the new development. The mile long Jolly Beach is located on the island’s beautiful west coast, an immaculate example of one of Antigua’s 365 powdery-white sand beaches. Guests were given a taste of the vision for the resort with a short video featuring artist impressions of the future destination and drone imagery of the location.
Nikki Beach Hospitality Group prides itself on providing guests with an unrivalled and distinctive barefoot luxury lifestyle experience. The properties feature cutting-edge architecture, contemporary dining, indulgent Nikki Spa services and signature entertainment, creating an atmosphere that caters to those seeking both high and low energy offerings.
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Antigua will become a marketing anchor for the broader tourism destination of Antigua and catalyse local private investment. The property will boast state of the art facilities including 82 hotel rooms and suites, 181 luxury branded residences of up to four bedrooms, comprising studios, apartments, and beach-front villas of varying sizes, with a total of 263 resort keys reflecting 876 guest beds on-site. Additionally, owners of the branded residences will be able to participate in a rental programme.
Besides the iconic beach club with its own boat drop-off point, there will be five additional food and beverage outlets on-site as well as extensive health and wellness areas including Tone Gym and Nikki Spa. This will also include cryo, hyperbaric, hydrothermal, red-light, and IV therapy rooms, an aquatic centre, and an exclusive residence owner’s lounge with a private gym.
The combination of world-class facilities nestled in breathtaking natural beauty will make Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Antigua and the Nikki Beach Residences a high-end destination for guests and residence owners alike.
The Antigua resort has been designed by HKS Architects and ROAM Interior Design, two of the world’s leading design firms for the hospitality, leisure, and entertainment industries. A hallmark of HKS’s award-winning work is their attention and sensitivity to the influences of local culture, natural resources, local communities, and the spirit of the location.
For overseas buyers, investment in the exclusive branded Residences will also provide eligibility for the Antiguan Citizenship by Investment programme. This programme offers individuals and their families, where applicable, Antiguan citizenship which includes visa free travel to over 150 countries.
A significant investment will be made in the resort’s development, and the expectation is that around 300 long term jobs will be created on the island along with a similar number of shorter-term construction jobs. During construction, a diverse workforce will be required for the project and once operational the resort will create significant full-time employment, resulting from the expected high levels of occupancy. Local suppliers will expand to cater for the resort’s operational needs, as well as to independently service a higher volume of tourists throughout the region.
The sales launch of the residences will be in late 2025 with Blueprint Global leading the sales and marketing. Interested parties can pre-register at Nikki Beach Residences Antigua.