Why Nikki Beach Barbados should be on your Caribbean to-do list
James Mullinger
The luxury beach club concept has just become the island’s star attraction – here’s the lowdown:
Luxury beach club concept Nikki Beach has been slowly but (not so) quietly taking over the world since its inception in 1998. With locations in Miami Beach, Saint-Tropez, Saint Barth, Marbella, Koh Samui, Mallorca, Ibiza, Porto Heli, Monte Carlo, Dubai, Bodrum and Versilia, it’s almost as if you can’t call yourself a coastal hub that caters to the discerning traveller without a Nikki Beach club.
The latest entry, Nikki Beach Barbados, is the first luxury beach club property on the island and sits on one and a half acres of unsurprisingly gorgeous beachfront. Offering mind-blowing views of the Atlantic Ocean and the turquoise water and sandy beaches we all know and love Barbados for, it also boasts everything you come to Nikki Beach for: music, dining, fashion shows, film, art, vibrant pool scene, and of course beach access, which here includes oceanfront seating for up to 200 guests.
At the pool, guests can swim up to an octagonal wet bar to enjoy the island’s best mojito, made with local Mount Gay Rum. All-white sunbeds and VIP cabanas anchor the space, and the service is so fast that unlike most pool service, you will never see a warming glass of champagne (it’s all about the frosting on the flute, no matter the air temperature).
Sunday afternoon drinks by the pool will make you feel like you are at the most decadent birthday party ever, replete with dancing on the tables. They call it #AmazingSundaysBrunch, and it’s a blistering bacchanalwhere the champagne and rosé flow freely and the entertainment combination of DJ Jérome Barthélémy with live saxophonist, percussionist and violinist works a treat.
Not to be outdone, the brunch menu is an indulgent feast that can be honestly described as a culinary masterpiece: every single dish – tapas boat, sushi platter, surf and turf and dessert – is delicious, authentic and healthy.
Concierge, valet service and ample parking (both on and off property) are available to guests, but the only way to arrive is by yacht, which you can dock directly at the location. Nikki Beach offers a water shuttle service as well. Either way, when the sun set the only thing that took me back to my resort was the knowledge that Nikki Beach would be waiting for me the next day.
Nikki Beach Barbados is open daily for lunch from noon to 7pm, and dinner is served Thursday to Saturday from 7pm to midnight. www.nikkibeach.com
GQ stayed at the Unna Living Resort. unnaliving.com
