Wellness By Design: The NOBU Hotel Collection Brings Zen To Miami Beach
By Quentin Smith
With all things health and wellness trending for many travelers, it is no surprise that some of the world’s leading hotels have responded to this trend accordingly. While many 5-star hotels provide the obligatory spa and gym combination, an elite group of luxury hotels and resorts have taken a far more holistic approach to wellness. They have done so by centering concepts of mental and physical health within the ethos of their brand identity. One new property setting the standard for integrated wellness is Nobu Hotel Miami Beach.
The recently opened, 206 room, beachfront resort is the brainchild of legendary Japanese Chef and visionary, Nobu Matsuhisa. With an eye for design that is as refined as his palate, Matsuhisa - in partnership with Academy Award-winning actor Robert DeNiro - has expanded the Nobu mark of excellence beyond his famous eponymously named restaurants and into the world of hospitality. Nobu Hotels make up a collection of sleek, design-focused properties around the world that are anchored of course by Nobu restaurants, but driven by Matsuhisa’s passion for wellness and zen focused design traditions. Holistic wellness is key to the Nobu Hotel Miami Beach experience. By indulging the mind and empowering guests to connect with their innermost selves, every facet of the hotel inspires renewal.
Much like their first hotel, which opened in 2013 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nobu Hotel Miami Beach follows Nobu’s signature hotel-within-a-hotel concept, this collaborative approach to hospitality development has allowed Matsuhisa to perfect the marks of distinction that are singularly Nobu. In Miami, the brand’s third outpost, the hotel finds itself at home inside of the famed art deco landmark resort, Eden Roc. Occupying the original Eden Roc tower designed by Morris Lapidus in 1956, the Nobu hotel perfectly pairs Eden Roc's iconic Art Deco revival architecture with Matsuhisa’s refreshingly feel-good, yet contemporary and minimalist aesthetic. Throughout the property, hotel architect David Rockwell, of the Rockwell Group, has expertly incorporated tenets of Japanese architecture and the traditions of zen design.
The entire hotel, including its spacious 203 rooms, three penthouse suites, zen suites, guest-only rooftop curvilinear pool, and art collection curated by Peter Brant of The Brant Foundation, all draw inspiration from textures and forms found in nature. Subtle details point to Japanese-inspired aesthetics. Subtle tones and natural hues are brought to life with luxurious touches such as silk screened cherry blossom accent walls, natural wood platform-style beds flanked with translucent paper lanterns. Natural materials such as stone, wood, and woven grass wallpaper complete the overall design, and details such as yoga mats in every suite, create a sense of balance which is central to the ethos of Nobu hotels. The hotel's spectacular oceanfront location serves as the main the inspiration behind Rockwell’s vision of a contemporary Japanese beach house; at peace with its surroundings, yet worlds away from them. Guests of Nobu Hotel Miami experience a true sense of serenity and calm in a city known for anything but.
When designing each of the rooms, Matsuhisa worked alongside Rockwell to ensure that the spaces would give guests an immediate sense of place and peace. This feeling extends beyond design and into the daily activities of your stay. Guests of Nobu Hotel have exclusive access to special perks, including room service by Nobu, access to the private adults-only Nobu pool, Natura Bissé bath products and special spa services at Esencia Wellness - the hotel’s on-site spa.
Nobu Hotel offers other amenities such as rooftop yoga instruction, ocean view aerobic classes, steam rooms, plunge pools, and a state-of-the-art crossfit friendly gym over looking the pool and the turquoise waters of the Atlantic ocean just beyond. It is the hotel’s relaxation room however that truly steals the show. Post-workout or spa session guests can head over to a spacious and luxurious, plant-filled, private room where the only task that awaits is to do absolutely nothing, except lounge by the whitewashed fireplace with a good book and a cup of herbal tea or infused water, while taking in views of the pool area with glimpses of the ocean.
The special combination of zen-focused design, South Beach glamour, and wellness-related amenities is an winning combination, and in Miami, there is no other place that brings it all together quite like Nobu Hotel Miami Beach.
Nobu Hotel Miami, 4525 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140
Tel: +1.305.250.2204
This article originally published in JustLuxe magazine on June 12, 2018
