It’s said that still waters run deep, and the adage holds true at the newly opened Nobu Hotel in Toronto, a haven of quiet sophistication in the city’s thrumming Entertainment District. With interiors designed by local firm Studio Munge, the luxury hotel is laid out in a refined, natural palette of wood and stone inspired by Japanese minimalism. Beneath this subdued surface, however, an energetic undercurrent powered by intelligent, thoughtful details surges into every curve and corner.
Nobu Hotel Toronto is the first Canadian outpost for the world-renowned luxury hotel and restaurant group, founded in 1994 by chef Nobu Matsuhisa in collaboration with Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro and Hollywood producer Meir Teper. The hospitality brand marked its inaugural venture into Canada by debuting its concept of an integrated hotel, restaurant, and residence.
Two glass, 45-storey residential towers slice into the sky above the 19th-century red-brick edifice of the former Pilkington Glass Factory on Mercer Street. Occupying the factory’s original 10,000-square-foot footprint, Nobu restaurant opened to wide acclaim in August 2024, just in time for September’s Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF headquarters are located just one block away from Nobu, and proximity to events is sure to lure in industry types during the annual festival—but the hotel’s stalwart reputation for privacy is decidedly among its chief draws. Around-the-clock personalized concierge service for each guest means that no crazed fans or prying paparazzi will be able to sneakily infiltrate.
Once guests step inside one of the hotel’s 36 suites, which float vertiginously within the west tower’s top four floors, however, they might not want to leave. Nobu’s airy, white-oak panelled rooms are touted as the largest in the city—its top-floor Nobu Villa spans 2,350 square feet—and with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the cityscape or lakefront, it can feel like viewing Toronto from the vantage point of a cloud.
Plush furniture in neutral tones and carpets patterned with indigo ripples add to the tranquil ambience, and anything a guest might need to relax and recharge has been anticipated and accounted for. Inside black, charred-wood cabinetry, mini-bars are stocked with complimentary goodies sourced from premium Canadian providers, such as to-go sachets of WithinUs marine collagen and slim slabs of Joyà mushroom-infused chocolate. There’s even everything you might need for an impromptu Japanese tea ceremony.
From the healthy menu at its guest-only Sakura Lounge to its on-site fitness and wellness facilities furnished with Peloton bikes, Frame Pilates reformer, and Technogym equipment, the hotel is optimized for a top-tier wellness experience. Stone-clad bathrooms act as in-room spas with heated floors and soft yukata robes. Guests can bend their bodies into origami shapes following Earth+Sky digital classes on their 60-inch smart TVs with in-room Alo Yoga equipment, then unfold into a deep wooden bathtub for a soak with Byredo amenities—or just tackle the most essential areas by playing around with the control panel next to the Toto toilet.
Across Nobu Hotel Toronto’s tripartite offering, references to water appear in abundance. In the Nobu restaurant, a two-storey bronze chain-mail Lasvit chandelier cascades like a waterfall mimicking a kimono; in the sake bar, an undulating plaster corridor crests like Hokusai’s ocean waves; and in the dining room, of course, tabletops are festooned with delicacies sourced from the sea. More than a tribute to Toronto’s historical past as a city built around its waterfront, this clever design motif reveals Nobu as the perfect respite from the city’s glitz and grime: an invigorating, refreshing oasis of calm.
For reservations and more information on Nobu Hotel Toronto visit here.
Photographed by Marc Santos, courtesy of Nobu Hotel Toronto.
