Southampton has approved a nine-storey, 128-room NICI hotel with rooftop helipad and 18 serviced apartments at Town Quay, the flagship of a £200m-plus waterfront regeneration by the Nicolas James Group. No opening date has been set.
The essentials
Group Nicolas James Group
Opening TBC
Rooms & suites 128 rooms plus 18 serviced apartments
Segment Premium
Designer NC
Entry rate NC Book a hotel in Southampton → The place Town Quay, on the existing pier on Southampton's waterfront, part of a wider £200 million-plus regeneration that also adds a large new marina and roughly 460 residential apartments.
The concept Southampton City Council approved the Nicolas James Group's Town Quay scheme in March 2025 after a public consultation that drew 74% support. The nine-storey hotel building sits on the existing pier, distinct from the three 25-storey residential towers and a seven-storey block planned alongside it, and is positioned as a second, larger sibling to the group's flagship THE NICI in Bournemouth. Construction was expected to begin later in 2025; no hotel opening date has been confirmed since.
Dining & wellness Restaurants, a bar, conference facilities and a spa, plus a helipad on the roof: company statements describe it as bringing the same level of luxury as the group's Bournemouth flagship.
Our take A helipad and a nine-storey footprint on a working pier is an ambitious brief for a regional waterfront project: worth tracking given the Nicolas James Group's track record with the Bournemouth NICI, but still pre-construction as of the most recent reporting.
Google guest reviews 4.0/5 · 1282 reviews
I booked the nici celebrating my mums birthday.
Setting the tone we were upgraded to a sea view room and it was beautiful, in the room was an amazing bathroom loved the shower and having conditioner was a nice touch. Having our bags put in our room for us as we we dropped them at reception as we were heading out made us check in with ease. Our bedroom had a decorated plate for my mother and a card which was a nice personalised thoughtful touch.
The bed was super comfy with super soft pillows and duvets.
We had breakfast in the morning and even though it was continental we were not stuck for choice. The yogurts were amazing and the choice of juice was great. Followed by our massages loved the touch of fruit and water avalible around the facilities. Ana who was my massage therapist was really friendly, you could tell she thought about the little details through the massage. Also loved the hot oil 😂Really enjoyed having a girls weekend with my mother and the staff made such effort to make her birthday special and memorable. We haven’t even left yet and already planning to come back for my birthday and breakfast some time before. Also loved the fire pits on the inside and walking around to the spa in our dressing gown felt like areal girls getaway. Just a thank you to staff for being friendly from taking our bags out of our hands and magically getting them to the room and separating our beds to the flow of waiters checking in during breakfast. Nailed the weekend on the head well done and thank you to the Nici team. We will be back 😁
My husband and I stayed at the NICI for a weekend in Bournemouth and had a fantastic experience from the moment we checked in. The hotel itself is beautifully designed - very beachy, fun and the most upscale hotel I’ve been to on the English coast. The outdoor pool is gorgeous - large enough to accommodate a full hotel and there’s the indoor pool as well if the weather isn’t great. Our room was upgraded upon arrival and was amazing - top floor with a sea view, spacious and nicely designed. Everyone working at the hotel is SO friendly and helpful, making us feel welcome the entire weekend. I also enjoyed a treatment at the spa which was so lovely and relaxing. It has been a 5/5 experience and we can’t wait to visit again!
What a lovely hotel. Very clean and the decor is so nice. The staff all very helpful. I went with my daughter for a spa day. It was great from the start. We arrived were handed towels and robes. And we proceeded to pool which was clean everywhere and the pool was amazing. The sun lounges were put too close together but we rearranged a few. Lovely relax. We had lunch which was superb. The waiting staff so attentive. It made it a lovely experience. Then out to pool again. We had treatments at 4 so we went to spa. I had molly who was amazing. She curtailed my massage to fit me which I appreciate being 75 ! Lovely girls knows her job. My daughter had a facial, which she said was the best facial she’d ever had. . This is high praise coming from my daughter who owns a salon just near broadstone ! It was a lovely day Thankyou all. Just couple things we did think of. The pool would be lovely for older or even younger people if it had a hand rail. Also the bar outside was up stairs which if I was with older people we just wouldn’t go up. Quite a few people commented on this. As ok going up but carrying 2 drinks down is a no no for a lot of people. Would be nice if someone came round and took orders. The young man at poolside was very attentive to everything. We had a fab day we will be back
Stayed for a night earlier this month what fabulous hotel. The pool area and location perfect. Food was good in both restaurants. The room was stunning with a lovely sea view. Special mention to Chelsea on reception what a fantastic staff member polite, helpful and gave us an upgrade for our special celebration. Gorgeous stay
I like the overall cleanliness and quiet atmosphere. The spa reception staff was welcoming. The pool, sauna and steam room area are nice place to relax. The massage technique is good but needs some improvement, it felt like the massage pressure was not given much attention, rather just a gentle touch which can be relaxing, but as I asked for a medium/firm pressure this was not performed. Restaurant's staff are polite and friendly, the Al fresco dining is great but we waited too long for our main dish. We wanted to order desserts to finish off our meal but we have to decline as it would be a long wait as the kitchen is quite ‘busy’.
