Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa to open boutique London hotel in 2016
Expected to open in Q1 2016, the 156-room Nobu Hotel Shoreditch will be located at 10-50 Willow Street and open under a management contract between Nobu Hospitality and the hotel’s owner Willow Corp Sarl.
Matsuhisa will develop an exclusive food and drink menu for the hotel, which will join the group’s existing restaurants in the Capital, Nobu London and Nobu Berkeley ST.
Designed by Ben Adams Architects and Studio PCH, the hotel will reflect both its surroundings and Nobu Hospitality’s signature ‘east-meets-west philosophy’, with an exterior featuring angular concrete slabs, cantilevered corten steel beams and printed, layered glass.
A landscaped garden on the eastern edge of the site will be divided into terraces, seating and planting, providing natural and access to the hotel’s triple height restaurant and bar space. The hotel will also feature banqueting and meeting rooms and a fitness centre.
London-based developer Meir Abutbul is leading the development project.
"The Nobu Hotel Shoreditch is a critical and valuable chapter in the ongoing evolutionary tale of London. For an area conceived through, and shaped by, contemporary culture and creativity, our architectural design is the obvious gesture,” he said.
“The demonstration of beauty, drama and instinctive elegance has found a perfect home with the Nobu Hotel Shoreditch."
Expansion plans
Nobu Hospitality, which is owned by Matsuhia, Robert de Niro and Meir Teper, is currently pursuing an aggressive expansion programme, and plans to open hotels in Miami, Manila, Chicago and Riyadh alongside the London property.
"The Nobu Hotel Shoreditch in London is our first European hotel joining our growing portfolio collection of hotels covering select locations in the Americas, Middle East and Asia," said Trevor Horwell, chief executive officer of Nobu Hospitality.
"Our proven business algorithm for hotel owners is our tactical and competitive advantage, focusing our effort on maximizing return per square foot. We are as such continuing to expand our global hotel footprint with a robust development pipeline working with the best strategic partners."
