The building itself has been part of Newquay for more than 125 years. The original Hotel Victoria opened in 1899 and quickly became one of the town's landmark hotels, perched above Great Western Beach with views across the Atlantic.

And it had something that sounds almost ridiculous by today's standards.

A lift that went through the cliff to the beach.

In 1899.

It was an extraordinary piece of engineering and one of the hotel's defining features, allowing guests to travel directly from the hotel down towards the bathing beach below. (newquaymuseum.org)

That connection with the beach eventually disappeared, and the Victoria itself went through its own difficult years.

Then came The Nici.

And suddenly, the old building has a very different life.

What makes the transformation interesting

The obvious thing to say is that it's beautiful.

And it is.

The Nici has taken the old hotel and turned it into something that feels much more like a luxury coastal resort, with the design drawing heavily on the colours and atmosphere of the Mediterranean and, particularly, the Amalfi Coast.

But standing there as someone who actually comes from Newquay, that's not the bit I find most interesting.

What interests me is whether The Nici can become part of Newquay rather than simply being somewhere that visitors stay.

Because there is a difference.

Newquay has always had hotels that cater for holidaymakers. What it hasn't always had is somewhere that feels genuinely aspirational but still feels accessible to the people who live here.

And that seems to be what The Nici is trying to achieve.

They're not simply selling rooms.

They're trying to create somewhere where locals can come for lunch, meet friends for a drink, use the restaurants, enjoy the outdoor space and perhaps spend an afternoon somewhere that feels a little bit special without having to leave their own town.

And I think that is potentially much more important than another luxury hotel opening its doors.