Madrid continues its expansion to definitively become a luxury destination in Europe. The highly anticipated Nobu Hotel, backed by renowned Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro, and film producer Meir Teper, opens its doors on Tuesday, September 1st in the heart of the city. Located halfway between the Galería Canalejas and the Edificio Metrópolis, its opening coincides - not by chance - with the debut of the Formula 1 in the capital, a major sporting event that will attract thousands of premium tourists to the city.
The hotel chain has chosen to debut in Madrid at 26 Calle Alcalá, where a modernist building from the 1960s, originally the headquarters of Banco Popular, is located. There, they have brought the concept of subtle, relaxed, and contemporary luxury that inspires each of their projects. With just 50 rooms, they aim to carve out a niche with a different concept.
"The luxury hotels that exist are much larger, and the boutique ones are in more classic, more historical buildings. We are going to bring the luxury experience to a boutique, and that is something new in Madrid," said the Marketing Director of some of the chain's hotels in Spain, Lorna Turnbull, to GRAN MADRID on Monday. "We come to add," added the executive before explaining the main distinctive feature of this hotel among so many offerings: gastronomy. "It is the center of what we do, our DNA."
And indeed, the history of Nobu began in a restaurant. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa opened a restaurant in Los Angeles in the late 80s that captivated Hollywood's palate, including that of his friend and partner Robert De Niro, with his modernized Japanese cuisine infused with flavors from Peru and Alaska. Alongside the actor and Meir Teper, in 1994, they opened a restaurant in New York that evolved in 2013 into a chain of hotels that now has branches around the world.
After years of searching for the ideal location to settle in Madrid, Nobu chose the property at Alcalá 26, designed by architects César Ortiz-Echagüe, Rafael Echaide, and Javier Cotelo, which, after being a bank headquarters and later housing the Mutualidad de la Abogacía, is owned by the socimi Millenium Hospitality.
The architecture studio led by Diego Gronda, who designed the hotel chain, has adapted the building using subtle Japanese references alongside Tomás Alía (Gold Medal for Fine Arts Merit 2022), responsible for the interior design of the rooms.
"The design is discreet, as Nobu intends with its food. What we have created in Madrid is that level of energy, almost New York-like, that is felt in the restaurant," detailed Diego Gronda to EL MUNDO, for whom preserving some of the building's elements, semi-protected, such as the bank's vault, transformed into a restroom, or the triple floor that houses the dining area and is unique in the world, has been a challenge.
"Nobu offers five-star services, but is more intimate, closer. The restaurant was the first Michelin-starred restaurant without tablecloths, and that concept, based on the chef's experiences that anyone who eats at my table or stays in my house is part of my family, is what we have brought to the hotels," added Lorna Turnbull.
Thus, combining hospitality, design, and gastronomy, the establishment includes a suite of over 100 square meters with a private terrace on the top floor of the building, a wellness area with an indoor pool and gym. It also houses multiple gastro spaces, architecturally connected, which are the heart of the hotel: the Lobby Lounge, evolving throughout the day from specialty coffee (with dairy from Madrid farmers) to cocktails; the Bar Nobu, with spirits, music, and a selection of bites; and the Nobu Restaurant, a space with an open kitchen and views of Alcalá; in addition to the rooftop, which includes lounge areas, intimate meeting spaces, and a cocktail bar with live DJ.
On the menu, open not only to guests but also to the public, there will be iconic dishes from Nobu's gastronomy present in all the chain's hotels, such as the Black Cod from Alaska, along with nods to Madrid's culinary scene. Leading the culinary team will be Executive Chef Héctor Mirón, who has been with the company for years and has worked in the chain's restaurants in London, Warsaw, or Singapore. Although the legendary Nobu Matsuhisa, at 77 years old, spends 10 months a year traveling to meet all his restaurant teams, will also be present. After reviewing the project in the development phase, it is expected that the chef will travel to Madrid next year for the official inauguration alongside the rest of his partners.
The opening in Madrid of this international luxury icon, the fifth in Spain (with locations in Marbella, Ibiza, Barcelona, and San Sebastián), coincides with the imminent debut of the Formula 1 in the capital, a circumstance that is not coincidental. In fact, Nobu is present in many cities where major races are held, and in some of them, it is almost a tradition for the drivers to visit their restaurants.