WEST LOOP — The long-awaited and much delayed 11-story Nobu Hotel is finally set to make its debut next week in West Loop.
The luxury hotel chain — co-owned by actor Robert De Niro — is set to open July 1. It was initially scheduled to open last summer before being pushed back once again.
The Japanese boutique hotel and restaurant at 854 W. Randolph St. will bring 115 new hotel rooms, a 10,000-square-foot signature Nobu restaurant and The Rooftop at Nobu.
The hotel will include meeting and event space, a fitness center, and an indoor serenity pool. The hotel and Rooftop at Nobu will open July 1, but the signature restaurant will open at a later date, officials said.
Nobu CEO Trevor Horwell said it will be the first Nobu hotel in the Midwest.
In addition to De Niro, chef Nobu Matsuhisa and film producer Meir Teper founded Nobu Hotel and Restaurant.
The opening is more than six years in the making — plans for the hotel were first announced in April 2014.
Initial plans called for 152 rooms to be developed at the vacant site. The hotel was eventually modified before it was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission in July 2015.
The project held a profile ceremonial groundbreaking with DeNiro in June 2016, but work didn’t start until months later. In December 2017, construction on the project was halted after M Development sought a $52.5 million loan to complete the project, according to a report by Crain’s.
One month later, M Development — led by Mark Hunt — sold its stake to RCD Resorts for $20 million, according to the Chicago Tribune.
When Nobu opens it will add to the burgeoning luxury hotel scene in West Loop.
West Loop is also home to the Ace Hotel, Soho House, and the Hoxton Hotel. In December, the Standard Hotel received key city approval in the neighborhood.
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