Nobu Hotels Has Announced Its 30th Luxury Property — Here's More of What's to Come From the Brand

Thanks to the upcoming Nobu Hotel Tulum in Mexico, Nobu Hospitality is celebrating a big milestone: its 30th global hotel. The company reached this marker in just nine years, and has much more planned for the future.

Here, Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, offers insight into how the brand continues to honor its roots and core beliefs, while expanding its operations even further across the globe.

What can travelers expect at the new Nobu Hotel Tulum?

This is a significant milestone for Nobu Hospitality and marks the sixth hotel and fourth residential project between Nobu Hospitality and RCD Hotels. Tucked away in the charming Riviera Maya, Nobu Hotel Tulum will feature 200 guestrooms and suites (including 12 villas), a beachfront Nobu restaurant, expansive meeting space with stunning outdoor venues for weddings and special events, a state-of-the-art fitness center and spa and 50 stylish beachside residences. We are extremely proud to have achieved our 30th hotel milestone in just nine years, as well as honored to share the vision of our hotel-owning partners and thankful for the passion of our Nobu colleagues around the world. 

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Are any other new Nobu properties in the works?

We have some exciting projects in the pipeline and what should be a very positive few years ahead. We are excited to be expanding our European footprint in 2022 with the opening of Nobu Hotel and Restaurant Roma — our first Italian hotel and restaurant — which will debut later this year, along with hotels in Santorini, Greece, and San Sebastian, Spain. We just announced our expansion in the Asia/Pacific region with the launch of Nobu Hotel, Restaurant and Residences Danang, Vietnam, as well as the first phase of our Thailand-wide expansion agreement with the announcement of Nobu Hotel and Residences Bangkok and the Nobu restaurant at Empire Tower [also in Bangkok]. 

What are the brand’s priorities as it expands? What does the company aim to offer travelers, and how does it accomplish those goals?

We’ve never moved away from what we set out to do: create memorable experiences around food. [Staying with] Nobu Hotels means heartfelt service and innovative design, but incredible food is, and always will be, at the foundation. We believe in the seamless integration of hotels and restaurants, and continue to create vibrant hospitality on a foundation of high-end dining; this concept is at the heart of every Nobu Hotel.

With our roots in Japan, we embrace the concept of kokoro — the connection between emotions, spirit and soul. This is the heartbeat of Nobu Hotels, and our aim is to deliver authentic and inspired moments across the portfolio that promote the kokoro in all of us. That is why our customers return to Nobu. They know we provide more than just a place to stay, but a platform for new experiences and memories.

What goes into choosing the location for a new Nobu hotel? What are some of the things you are looking for? 

First and foremost, we look for a destination that Nobu restaurant customers will thrive in. We like to drive local business to our hotels; so, a neighborhood where the locals will enjoy the restaurant. Then, it’s about the partners. We go into a hotel partnership thinking long term, and we are not interested in short-term relationships. The brand, reputation and trust we have built is what hotel owners look for to stand out from the crowd.

What are Nobu Hospitality’s goals for the future?

We are expanding into real estate with the launch and development of Nobu Residences; our aim is to embody the Nobu spirit in both design and attitude, offering an exclusive curated lifestyle. Our first residences launched in Toronto and sold out in just three months. Looking ahead, we are exploring the ways in which our hotels can elevate transformative experiences that offer a greater sense of purpose and value for guests.