The bid to be top dog in Las Vegas’ glam hotel scene is a fierce competition. One property however, Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace, seems to be clearly coming out on top, thanks to some celebrity devotees. P. Diddy parked himself at the ultra-luxe, $35,000-per-night Nobu Villa for the Mayweather–Pacquiao fight, and threw an after-party in the lavishly-appointed 10,300-square-foot space as well. Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus have also called the villa, part of Caesars' eye-popping Anthology Suites & Villas offerings, home on visits to Sin City.
The residence features a gym and massage room, media and game room featuring a bespoke cherry blossom print billiard table, an Omakase sushi bar where a Nobu chef can prepare and serve meals, and a stone-base fireplace positioned at the top of the steps leading to the living room. In the dining area, a 10-person round table sits under a custom chopstick-inspired chandelier, and the master bedroom comes with an oversized platform bed with a tall black oak and white ceruse headboard. The massive terrace overlooks the Las Vegas Strip and has a robatayaki grill, zen garden and Japanese-inspired onsen pool on its deck.
Also during the historic boxing match, actor and producer Bradley Cooper stayed in one of Caesar’s’ Octavius Tower Garden Villas. His pal Leonardo DiCaprio visited and the pair dined on delectable Japanese cuisine from the famed Nobu restaurant at Caesar’s. The lavish four-bedroom villa features a thematic Greek and Egyptian-inspired design as well as an intimate outdoor garden with a private pool / whirlpool spa. The Anthology Suites & Villas feature a number of other over-the-top accommodations, all of which have access to Nobu cuisine.
And last but not least, Captain America himself, Chris Evans, stayed in one of the two Nobu Penthouse suites over fight weekend as well. The bi-level Nobu Penthouses range in size from 2,200-4,350 square feet and feature a large spacious main room with dining and billiard tables and a 90-inch flat-screen television. While in Las Vegas, Evans and his entourage also dined at Nobu and the iconic Italian eatery Rao’s, visited the hotel’s new OMNIA Nightclub, relaxed at the Garden of the Gods pool oasis and teed-off at Cascata Golf.
In addition to the suites, the standard rooms at Nobu Hotel pack plenty of appeal. Both star Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and partner Robert DeNiro had a hand in the design of the hotel-within-a-hotel, along with architect David Rockwell who designed the original Nobu restaurant in New York. Of course Nobu Hotel guests get priority access to the restaurant downstairs, a coveted perk indeed. No matter how you fare at the roulette table its easy to feel like a winner from a privileged perch in one of Nobu’s leather-upholstered banquettes.
Overall, the Nobu Hotel offers a more tasteful, elegant and discreet experience than the usual showy Vegas casino-cum-hotel. From the private lobby to the private concierge upstairs, it’s also a VIP experience with an added overtone of Zen calm. Ascending in the private elevators padded with luxe shagreen (stingray skin), you immediately leave your cares behind. In the rooms themselves you’ll find custom art by up-and-coming Japanese artists featuring a mix of traditional prints and expressionist designs and a feature wall displaying custom shodo style calligraphy.
The bathrooms have teak fittings, stone tile and sleek modern fixtures along with over-sized walk-in showers made with traditional black Umi tiles fitted with multiple showerheads and a teak bathing stool in homage to traditional Japanese bathhouses. Bath amenities are from Natura Bisse, with a blended rosemary and white tea scent created exclusively for the hotel. The in-room minibar includes organic Wild Poppy blood orange chili juice, chocolate-dipped Pocky pretzels, Japanese beer and Nobu's signature brands of chilled sake and Genmai-Cha brown rice green tea.
Nobu Hotel guests also have access to the private fitness center and business lounge at no additional cost. They can also order from the exclusive Nobu in-room dining menu. Down off the main lobby, Ceasars Palace unfolds with the very best Vegas has to offer. Be sure to check out Absinthe, located in a tent on the Caesars' grounds, hailed as the “most inventive and daring show” ever to open on the Strip. It is a provocative mix of risqué comedy and impressive feats of dancing, gymnastics and other elaborate parlor tricks, taking place mere feet away from the audience. And of course there’s a full bar that never closes.
Another must is Fizz, Las Vegas’ most glamorous Champagne bar, designed by Elton John’s husband David Furnish and decorated with items from the couple’s extensive collection of celebrity and fashion photography. And don’t be surprised if Elton John himself pops in. He’s now performing his Las Vegas show The Million Dollar Piano, exclusively at The Colosseum inside Caesars Palace, right around the corner. The piano features more than 68 LED Yamaha video screens and weighs over 3,000 pounds (as much as a car).
