On stage at the press conference for the official grand opening of the Nobu Hotel at City of Dreams Manila are, from left to right: Hollywood film producer and Nobu partner, Meir Teper; Melco Crown Entertainment co-chairman, James Packer; chef Nobu Matsuhisa; Melco Crown Entertainment co-chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho; multi Academy Award-winning actor and Nobu partner, Robert de Niro; and chief executive of Nobu Hospitality, Trevor Horwell. Credit: Nobu Hospitality
ACTOR-CUM-HOTELIER Robert de Niro and business partners, chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Hollywood producer Meir Teper, yesterday launched Asia’s first Nobu Hotel in the City of Dreams Manila, where they also outlined a “selective expansion” strategy for the brand.
Speaking to media at the event, Nobu Hospitality CEO, Trevor Horwell, said the hotel has seen over 80 per cent occupancy since February’s soft opening and Nobu Restaurant is also doing well, buoyed by the local market. While gaming business is currently subdued in Asia-Pacific, he expects an upsurge over time with marketing efforts by the integrated resort and the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Nobu Hospitality will continue to grow the brand outside of Asia in a form different to their first prototypes of hotels within casino complexes as in Manila and Las Vegas.
The focus instead will shift to stand-alone “city hotels in gateway cities…and maybe a resort at some point”, said Horwell, though he does not preclude partnering Melco Group again.
The company is on task to open nine Nobu hotels across three continents in the next 24 months. This year it will launch hotels in Miami, Malibu and Riyadh; London, Chicago and a yet undisclosed destination next year; in 2017, Cabo in Mexico, and another one whose location has not been revealed.
Nobu Hospitality is understood to be looking for opportunities in Asia-Pacific as well.
It was also revealed at the same event that de Niro is no longer involved in the development of a five-star hotel and restaurants in major hospitality, dining, and cultural destination, Project 179 at The Bund in Shanghai, due to disagreements.
“It would have been a great project,” he said, comparing the development to Tribeca, the New York neighbourhood where he first started his restaurant businesses.
