by FFE PH News Staff

Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro is in the country right now not to promote a movie but to open a hotel.

De Niro is co-founder and investor in internationally-acclaimed Nobu Hospitality based in Las Vegas. Its Southeast Asian debut is soon to rise in Manila: Nobu Hotel, a 321-room luxury hotel to be built inside City of Dreams Manila, which is part of PAGCOR’s Entertainment City in Manila Bay.

Nobu Hotel is an integrated casino-resort inspired by Japanese culinary icon chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa or ‘Chef Nobu.’ De Niro was instrumental in bringing Chef Nobu to the global spotlight and in giving direction for Nobu restaurants and hotels.

Nobu Hospitality chief executive Trevor Horwell said bringing Nobu Hotels to the Philippines was ‘very opportunistic.’ He said their group was also impressed with the $1.3b City of Dreams Manila project developed by Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corporation and business tycoon Henry Sy’s SM Group.

Horwell said the Philippines had a ‘great service culture’ and added ‘Our GM (general manager) in Vegas is a Filipino. Plus it (Philippines) is a growing tourist economy and we feel that Nobu will do very well here.’

De Niro met with Melco Crown (Macau) investors billionaire James Packer of Australia and gaming tycoon Lawrence Ho of Macau during the announcement launch Nobu Hospitality yesterday at the National Museum in Manila.