I first visited THE NICI, perched on Bournemouth West Cliff, in June 2022 for its opening night. Back then, freshly post-pandemic, I felt transported to another world: hotel chairman Nicolas Roach intended THE NICI to offer a splash of Miami South Beach in sunny Dorset and he hadn’t got it wrong.
After months of lockdown, it felt astonishingly luxurious to graze from huge platters of fresh seafood while sipping fruity cocktails from brass pineapples before diving into an enormous, cloud-soft bed at the close of the night. I’d concluded my review (for another publication) with the line: “THE NICI is an extravagant, fun and slightly surreal experience, with Roach’s passion for the Miami lifestyle evident in every vibrant corner.”
Fast forward to September 2024, and those Miami vibes are still as vibrant. The hotel has added a new restaurant, spa, heated outdoor pool and poolside cabanas over the past two years and has certainly been making waves, excuse the pun, winning awards from The Times, Elle magazine, Condé Nast Traveller and the Boutique Hotelier Awards, to name just a few.
With our birthdays only a few weeks apart, my partner and I headed to Bournemouth for a late-summer break. Sadly, Miami sun was nowhere to be seen but the torrential rain we had instead was doing little to dim the buzzing atmosphere of a busy Saturday.
I think it’s always a good sign when the hotel manager is clearly visible and the first person we saw when we walked through the door after handing our car keys to the valet, was general manager Neil Lewis, standing in the lobby greeting guests’ old and new as they took shelter from the rain. Lewis comes with an impressive pedigree and took over as general manager at the same time as THE NICI’s new restaurant, Old Harry Rocks, opened in May. He is working hard on customer service, and I noticed before our visit his personal responses to reviews (good and bad) on Trip Advisor.
Staying at THE NICI
After parking and checking in, we made our way to the bright, sea-view room on the corner of the first floor. Furnished with the same super-king, super-soft bed cocooned in white cotton bedding of 800+ thread count or maybe more (nothing, in my mind, feels more luxurious than good bedding and fluffy towels in a hotel). In the bright, en-suite bathroom was the same white marble, gold taps, powerful shower and Malin + Goetz products as before — all still looking as good as the day it was opened.
Had the sun been shining, we would have loved nothing more than to luxuriate on the sun loungers on our private patio, or take a dip in the 30m pool now adorning the front lawn — but this rainy September had other ideas so we instead sat sipping cocktails on high stools at the South Beach, while watching the world go by.
Vibrantly furnished with golden palms, raffia beach bags and table football, THE NICI is unique and it is constantly busy; the upbeat, helpful staff keeps up valiantly with demand.
The hotel has provided a much-needed high-end option for Bournemouth, attracting tourists and locals alike. I went to university in this town many moons ago, so know it well, and after the opening night back in 2022 I projected that THE NICI and its bar/restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows and seductive views to the sea would fast become a destination in its own right and I wasn’t wrong.
The place was packed two years later — hen parties, families with young kids, older couples and groups of 20-something friends, especially in the spa and indoor pool area. But with heavy rain not even conducive to an afternoon’s shopping let alone a beach promenade, I knew the experience was skewed — every guest was inside.
Food & Drink at THE NICI
But the new, Mediterranean-inspired bar and restaurant Old Harry Rocks was a different matter. Atmospheric, different and with more fabulous sea views the place has made a cracking addition to THE NICI, with its resident DJ, tables full of glammed-up diners and a laid-back menu featuring fresh seafood, juicy burgers and strong flavours.
My partner and I still talk about the sharing platter “Harry’s Combo”, with half lobster, king prawns and (the best bit by far) slow-roasted beef picanha, served with fries and salad. I felt so inspired by the holiday vibes, despite the rain, that I ordered a pina colada for pudding — something I *might* just have regretted by the morning.
No matter, as the hotel’s South Beach restaurant is made for Sunday morning recoveries and we sat reading the paper while grazing from the breakfast buffet followed by plates of full English and Shakshuka washed down with steaming cups of coffee.
A family had braved the weather and were splashing in the pool but alas, it was not meant to be for us on this trip. I’m not particularly fair weather, but on a rainy birthday weekend, the last thing I wanted to do was dip in an outside pool. It just means I will need to return on a sunny weekend to sneak a third stay in this hotel, sipping that pina colada in one of the inviting poolside cabanas, living the Miami life without the effort (and expense) of a long-haul flight.
THE NICI
West Hill Road
Bournemouth
BH2 5EJ
United Kingdom
