Nobu Villa
Photo Courtesy of Caesars Entertainment
Unless you’re throwing down CEO paychecks per hand at the tables in Las Vegas, you will probably never be comped a stay in the ultra-luxurious Nobu Villa at Nobu Hotel in Caesars Palace. But it can still be yours (for $35,000 per night) through the Anthology Program, which allows non-gaming guests to book suites usually reserved for high rollers. So if you have the ducats, and you want to spend them all in one place, this is where to do it.
Nobu Hotel is a sanctuary of Zen in a chaotic city, a boutique property within a behemoth resort. There are just 182 rooms, including 18 suites and the September-opened villa. Merely cross the threshold from the casino into the hotel’s reception area to enter a serene, yuzu-and-ginger-scented world created by renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa, legendary actor and restaurateur Robert De Niro, and realized by designer David Rockwell. Later this month, another Nobu Hotel opens in Manila, then Riyadh and Miami in 2015, and Chicago and London in 2016. But for now there’s only one Nobu Villa, and we’ve got your virtual tour.
The First Impression
The lobby features card-restricted “smart” elevators as well as a second entrance to Nobu Restaurant, where Nobu Hotel guests have priority reservation privileges. Located on the 13th floor — though staff calls it the 83rd floor, so as not to duplicate an existing Caesars floor and room number — Nobu Villa guests arrive at a dedicated sky lobby that’s austere in comparison to the rest of the suite. Fabric window shades inspired by origami, bronze sculptures by Alexander Lamont and a bench made from a single piece of wood marry natural and man-made objects, a theme which carries through the rest of the 10,500-square-foot villa and 4,700-square-foot terrace.
The Villa Terrace, Photo Courtesy of Caesars Entertainment
Once you venture beyond the villa’s massive double doors, your eyes will be drawn to even more stunning moments. A central hallway is lined with lamps reminiscent of Japanese paper lamps and cedar wood carvings by artist Jill Hotchkiss that depict Japan’s four seasons. From here, nearly all of the villa’s common areas are visible: entertainment/play room, family dining room, formal dining room, living room and terrace. Bedrooms all branch off from this hallway as well.
The Communal Spaces
With more Lamont on the wall — a shield of leaves — the entertainment area features a casual couch grouping, TV and media center, sushi bar with stools (and 24/7 access to chefs) and a grand pool table with a custom felt cherry blossom design and leather pockets. While the entire villa is hooked up to Wi-Fi, PlayStation and AirPlay, this is the place for karaoke and cutting loose.
There is no shortage of places in which to dine and entertain at the villa, but a round table for 10 is most reminiscent of the tables found downstairs in Nobu Restaurant. A lazy Susan at the center makes sharing a cinch, while a nearby gueridon is outfitted with either cigars, booze or board games. In addition to being the first Nobu Hospitality property, the hotel offers 24-hour room service, the world’s only with a Matsuhisa menu, that includes everything you would expect from the world-class chef, from bento boxes, sushi and traditional Japanese breakfast goods (hello, congee) to the Nobu burger and the restorative “New Man” ramen.
The largest indoor spaces and the heart of the villa are the living room and formal dining room, flanked on one side by a fireplace, the other by windows and doors to the terrace. In the living room, a 70-inch TV sits before an L-shaped couch and alabaster coffee table. From a hidden pantry, on-call Nobu butlers whip up Nespresso and provide exotic snacks and rare Asian fruits such as Japanese pears. Between the spaces, a stunning work by Takashi Murakami creates an artistic focal point; more Murakami can be found on the second floor in the sky lobby and media center where all guests check in and out.
When you make your way outdoors, you’ll find a multilevel wood deck that affords views of the Strip, the High Roller observation wheel and many other sights. Two covered dining areas offer a formal table setting or conversation grouping, with chaises for sun worshippers — in all, there’s room inside and out for up to 120 invited guests. The deck is furnished in a soothing, subtle palette but gets a pop of color and movement from water features and ornamental trees similar to cherry blossoms. Shaded by wooden beams, a pro kitchen is stocked with a traditional grill, flat-top griddle, rotisserie and a gas-powered kamado oven with a steel grill and stone plate for robata, yakitori or even pizza.
The Bedrooms
Accessible from the main hallway as well as the terrace, the master suite boasts a private deck with a live Japanese maple tree and onsen (“hot spring”) Jacuzzi for up to six that is partially screened from Caesars’ Augustus Tower by a bamboo screen. Inside, a custom bed (8 feet by 8 feet — larger than even a California king!) necessitated custom Fili D’oro Italian linens in 450-thread count, of course. Another 70-inch TV opposes the bed, writing desk and couch with coffee table. Just off the bedroom, the walk-in spa nook has an adjustable massage table, and is staffed upon request by Qua Baths & Spa for in-room services and beauty treatments. The master’s en suite also features a wet and dry saunas, his- and- her sinks and an onsen tub, this one seating two. The vanity chair is made from the same stingray leather as that which lines the elevators.
A double queen room with hand-painted gold wallpaper has a massive shower that could double as an office. The third room, this one with a California king, has a similar wall motif in silver and provides a deep-soaking Jacuzzi tub. Like the master, the two guest bedrooms feature high-efficiency Neorest 700H commodes. Thoughtful amenities by Natura Bissé include makeup remover (lauded by supermodel Tyra Banks in the hotel’s guestbook), a wooden toothbrush and detoxifying body balm with rosemary and white tea. Additional amenities — right down to the yuzu-ginger candles that are the signature scent of the entire hotel — are available for purchase.
