Nobu Hospitality partners Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro, and Meir Teper have revealed design details of their first hotel project, Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace, opening in late 2012. David Rockwell and his firm Rockwell Group are designing the property with a nod toward the Japanese aesthetic, complete with elements of cherry blossoms, Zen gardens, artwork, and fixtures inspired by origami. “We have created a distinctly Japanese experience in the heart of Las Vegas with the first Nobu Hotel, but with a playful interpretation of Nobu’s style and the Vegas bravado,” says Rockwell. “Using the grand canvas of a hotel, we were able to elaborate on the use of hand-crafted, curated materials that create a luxurious effect and provide a world-class Nobu experience.”
The arrival experience will include personalized service with in-room iPad registration and a traditional hot tea welcome amenity. Custom art by up-and-coming Japanese artists will feature a mix of traditional prints and expressionist designs, speaking to the link between traditional Japanese and modern art. Technology plays a big role, too, with Schindler PORT elevator technology efficiently transporting hotel guests using sleek touch screens and a powerful traffic management algorithm resulting in fewer stops, less wasted energy, and greater handling capacity.
The hotel’s 181 guestrooms, including 18 suites, will embrace natural materials and textures counter-balanced with outsized elements to reveal a touch of Vegas flair. Neutral tones will set the palette, while hints of purple and aqua adorn multiple accent pieces, decorative pillows, and artwork. Patterned beige-colored carpets will feature a strong, unconventional graphic designed to invoke sentiments of landforms, seascapes, and active movements. The furniture will reflect the influence of designers whose forms come directly from nature, and 100 percent Egyptian cotton Anichini percale linens and ultra-soft Down Dreams pillows will adorn custom-made Simmons mattresses.
The main focal point of the room will be the feature wall that displays a custom calligraphy. Designed to represent the traditional form of Japanese ink painting Hitsuzendo, which translates as “the way of the brush,” this Zen-inspired art is consistent throughout the design, starting with the name Nobu. Bathrooms will feature rich teak fittings, stone tiles, and modern fixtures. An oversized walk-in shower made of traditional black Umi tiles will offer multiple showerheads and a teak bathing stool, a commodity seen in traditional Japanese bathhouses. Toto toilets and sinks that showcase custom freestanding concrete bowls set on wood plinth are designed to evoke a garden fountain.
Guests will also have private access to the adjacent 11,200-square-foot restaurant and lounge with priority seating and 24-hour access to Nobu cuisine through an in-room dining menu.
