ADMINISTRATOR MTC Posted June 12 ADMINISTRATOR Share Posted June 12 The first Nobu Hotel in Asia. A Robert De Niro–Nobu Matsuhisa–Meir Teper partnership transposed into Manila's Entertainment City. 321 rooms designed in modern Japanese codes — origami carpeting, sakura wall paneling, the calm of bamboo at the edge of a casino's noise. A Different Kind of Hotel Inside an Integrated Resort Most Manila integrated resorts are organized around scale — volume rooms, banquet halls, dining for thousands. Nobu Hotel Manila, opened at City of Dreams Manila as part of the property's 2015 launch, was designed to do something quieter: a 321-room boutique hotel that uses the integrated-resort infrastructure (the casino, the entertainment, the dining) while operating its own private register of taste. The Nobu brand is, by now, a global signature. The hospitality arm was launched in 2007 by chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro, and film producer Meir Teper, as an extension of the Nobu restaurant empire that had begun two decades earlier on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles. The Manila property was the partnership's first Asian hotel — a strategic choice that put the brand's expansion flag in Southeast Asia rather than Tokyo. The Design Language The interior architecture is modern Japanese — not the Edo-period nostalgia of some Japanese hospitality brands, but the contemporary minimalism of post-2000 Tokyo design. Bamboo details run through the public spaces. Low-slung furniture sets a horizontal sight line. Water features in the lobby create the soundtrack. In the rooms, the Japanese vocabulary is more specific: Origami-inspired carpeting — angular, geometric patterns that reference the folded paper tradition Sakura wall paneling — cherry blossom motifs in the headboard wall, executed in low contrast Floor-to-ceiling windows — every room frames either the resort grounds, the pool deck, or the skyline The aesthetic register is "modern Japanese minimalism with a Manila view." It is the closest Manila has to the design vocabulary of Aman Tokyo or Hoshinoya Tokyo — at a different price point, in a different setting, but with the same calm. The Accommodations 321 rooms across four primary categories: Nobu Deluxe King — entry-tier, the property's volume room. Plush, contemporary Japanese interiors, the smaller of the two view angles. Nobu Premier — corner rooms. Two-window-angle views, the most-requested mid-tier. Nobu Executive — floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic pool views. Larger, airier, the family-friendly mid-tier. Nobu Suite — the property's signature room. Separate bedroom and living room, the resort's most prized vantage on both city and resort. The Pool The 23.2-meter infinity lap pool is the property's defining outdoor space. Cabanas, day beds, and a pool bar. It is one of the longer hotel pools in Entertainment City and one of the few designed for actual lap swimming rather than vanity lounging. Nobu Restaurant, Manila The on-property Nobu Manila is, of course, the dining anchor. The restaurant is the Manila outpost of the Nobu group's global signature — the same menu DNA that runs through Nobu Malibu, Nobu Tokyo, Nobu London. Black cod miso. Yellowtail jalapeño. Tiradito. New-style sashimi. Wagyu tobanyaki. For first-time guests, the omakase counter is the booking to make. For repeat guests, the lounge area is where the regulars sit on Friday nights when the bar program is at its best. The Spa Nobu Spa offers the brand's signature treatments — a global Nobu Spa menu adapted with local elements — alongside authentic Asian therapies. The treatment rooms are spacious; the steam and sauna facilities are above the Manila luxury norm. A signature 90-minute Nobu Ritual combines a body scrub, a deep-tissue massage, and a hydrating finish. The City of Dreams Context Nobu shares the City of Dreams compound with two other hotels — Hyatt Regency and Nüwa Manila — plus the casino, the DreamPlay family entertainment center, and a constellation of dining and retail. The boutique scale of Nobu (321 rooms vs Hyatt's 364 in two towers) means it operates with a different rhythm: fewer guests in the lobby, faster check-in, more private feel. For affluent travelers using the City of Dreams compound, Nobu is the room booking for the calm; Hyatt for the family activity; Nüwa for the casino-adjacent gaming convenience. When to Stay Nobu's all-indoor design makes it a year-round hotel. The pool is at its best in the cool months (December–February). The dining room is at its best on Thursday–Sunday nights when the kitchen is fully staffed and the bar program is in motion. For city staycations, the property is one of the highest-rated Manila luxury rooms on third-party booking platforms — frequently ranking among the city's top three on TripAdvisor and Tablet Hotels' Manila lists. Getting There NAIA Terminal 1 → 15–20 minutes by car NAIA Terminal 3 → 25–35 minutes via Skyway Makati → 25–40 minutes via Skyway or Roxas Boulevard BGC → 30–45 minutes via Skyway Mall of Asia → 10–15 minutes by car or shuttle Related — All Properties Under Metro Manila Hotels: Luxurious Makati CBD The Peninsula Manila (Makati): The Lobby & Manila Luxury Hotel Standard Raffles Makati: All-Suite Ultra-Luxury & Butler Service Fairmont Makati: Spectrum Brunch & Premium 5-Star Dusit Thani Manila (Makati): Thai 5-Star & Recently Renovated Discovery Primea Makati: Boutique Luxury & Contemporary Design Mandarin Oriental Makati (Upcoming Dec 2026): Ayala Triangle Luxury Tower Return BGC / Bonifacio Global City Shangri-La The Fort Manila (BGC): BGC Anchor 5-Star Grand Hyatt Manila (BGC): Hyatt Premium Flagship & BGC 5-Star Ortigas Center / Mandaluyong Edsa Shangri-La Manila (Ortigas): Ortigas 5-Star & Shangri-La Plaza Connection Marco Polo Ortigas Manila: Premium 5-Star & Ortigas Cluster The Westin Manila (Ortigas): Wellness 5-Star & Mandaluyong CBD Newport (NAIA-Adjacent) Hotel Okura Manila (Newport): Japanese 5-Star Hospitality & Newport Cluster Hilton Manila (Newport): Hilton 5-Star & NAIA Convenience Manila Marriott Hotel (Newport): Newport World Resorts 5-Star & NAIA-Adjacent Entertainment City Hyatt Regency Manila City of Dreams: Family-Friendly 5-Star & Entertainment City Pasay Bay Area Conrad Manila (Pasay): Hilton Ultra-Luxury & MOA Bayfront Lanson Place Mall of Asia (Pasay): Premium Serviced Suites & MOA Bayfront Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila (Pasay) [Closed 2024] Ermita (Heritage) The Manila Hotel (Ermita): The 1912 Historical Icon & MacArthur Suite Parent thread: Metro Manila Hotels: Luxurious Other Threads of Interest City of Dreams Manila: Nobu Hotel & Casino — the full integrated resort context Okada Manila (Entertainment City): The Fountain & Cove Manila — the Entertainment City rival Solaire Resort Manila: Sky Tower Hotel & Casino — the other Entertainment City five-star Your turn. Nobu Manila omakase reports, Pool Suite reviews, Nobu Spa rituals, weekday-vs-weekend room rates, and whether the boutique scale beats the larger Entertainment City peers — share your stays. — Bizman Quote Link to comment
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