BUILDING EXCITEMENT
FAMOUS LUXURY
NOBU HOTEL AND RESTAURANT
Caesars Palace , Las Vegas
18 CASINO DESIGN 2013
CAESARS PALACE IN LAS VEGAS has been known as a luxury spot on the Strip for decades , but one addition that opened this year has redefined the term for the resort . Nobu Hospitality , the venture formed by actor Robert De Niro , Meir Teper and famous fusion chef Nobuyuki “ Nobu ” Matsuhisa to spread Nobu restaurants around the world , opened its first hotel in January .
The Nobu Hotel and Restaurant is a 181-room luxury boutique property featuring three styles of chic contemporary suites ranging from 1,000 square feet to 4,350 square feet in size .
To infuse a level of luxury one step up from the well-known extravagance of Caesars Palace and to do justice to the world ’ s first hotel to carry the worldrenowned Nobu brand , Matsuhisa and De Niro tapped award-winning New Yorkbased designer David Rockwell , principal of Rockwell Group . Rockwell had designed the first Nobu Restaurant , opened in New York in 1994 . ( De Niro had been instrumental in bringing Matsuhisa to New York , having been familiar with the chef ’ s first U . S . restaurant in Beverly Hills .)
The challenge to Rockwell was to create a design worthy of Nobu ’ s famous Japanese / Asian / South American fusion cuisine , which has been called by many the “ best food in the world .”
The designs embrace comfortable simplicity with natural materials and textures counter-balanced with outsized elements to reveal a touch of Vegas flair . The rooms and suites , designed with input from Matsuhisa and De Niro , include custom art by upand-coming Japanese artists that feature a mix of traditional prints and expressionist designs . The main focal point of each room is a feature wall that displays a custom “ shodo ” -style calligraphy .
The bathrooms have teak fittings , stone tile and sleek modern fixtures . The oversized walk-in shower is made with traditional black Umi tiles and offers multiple showerheads and a teak bathing stool , a fixture of traditional Japanese bathhouses .
Overall , the interiors of the hotel showcase natural materials fused with Japanese elegance . The real showcase spaces in the property are the suites — the Hakone , the Sake and the Nobu Penthouse suite , which was named one of the top suites in the world by Elite Traveller .
The 10 Hakone suites draw inspiration from the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park just outside of Tokyo , famous for its hot springs and views of nearby Mount Fuji . The six Sake suites are inspired by traditional sake drums , and feature a spacious living room with billiard table , a separate entertainment / media room , high-definition television screens , an open entryway and centralized bar and pantry for relaxing or entertaining .
Co-owners Robert De Niro and Chef Nobu
The two Nobu Penthouse suites are bilevel spaces with two-story vaulted ceilings , with five bedrooms . Maxing out at 4,350 square feet , the Nobu Penthouse can configure up to five bedrooms , and feature double-height , teak panel screens that contour a curved staircase , a second-story terrace that overlooks the entire suite , a 90-inch flatpanel television screen that adorns an impressive two-story-high wall , a large living room with leather sofas , dining table with seating for six , billiard table , desk and large master bedroom suite .
The suites present what Rockwell calls the perfect balance of fun and luxury , while integrating what is known as the “ Nobu lifestyle .” To create the balance , Rockwell fused distinctive design elements with Eastern and Western influences into a visual and textural masterpiece .
— FRANK LEGATO
OWNER : Nobu Hospitality ( Principals , Chef Nobuyuki “ Nobu ” Matsuhisa , Robert De Niro and Meir Teper ); Caesars Entertainment
ARCHITECT / DESIGNER : David Rockwell , Rockwell Group
TOTAL INVESTMENT : $ 30 million