Inside the outrageously luxurious Nobu Hotel Toronto

When Nobu opened its Toronto restaurant last August—just ahead of TIFF—the timing couldn’t have been better. The city was crawling with A-listers, and Nobu quickly became a beacon for both the legitimately famous (Drake, Selena Gomez, a few Raptors) and the Toronto crowd who aspire to look like they just left an after-party.

Now, almost a year later, the long-promised hotel quietly opened earlier this month, and it’s the yin to the restaurant’s sake-soaked yang. Where the dining room pulses with bass and lychee-martini toasts, the hotel is all hush. Think urban ryokan: 36 rooms, a private lobby and a daytime restaurant reserved exclusively for guests.

“The hotel is fully private and closed to the public—only hotel guests have access,” says Alex Marconi, Nobu’s global marketing lead. “It’s meant to be a true respite from the city.”

The private lobby, tucked off Mercer Street, is a portal to stillness, perfumed with the brand’s signature yuzu-ginger scent. There’s no front desk or lobby loitering. Instead, check-in comes in the form of a staff member who hand-delivers a warm oshibori towel, a cup of seasonal Ikarian tea, and an iPad with your itinerary and pre-programmed room key.

Studio Munge, the acclaimed Toronto firm behind Bisha and the Park Hyatt, designed the space, which features white oak, pale limestone and creamy low-slung furniture. But it’s not spa-plain. This is dramatic minimalism: a ten-foot-tall, ink-black glass bamboo sculpture by Toronto artist David Thai and a curved charcoal-stained wood screen—a nod to kumiko latticework—add theatre.

In a city where hotels typically get the short end of the skyscraper, Nobu flipped the blueprint, giving hotel guests pride of place between floors 41 and 45. The result: sweeping cinematic views of the CN Tower and Lake Ontario and bragging rights to the highest luxury hotel rooms in the city.

Nobu Hotel’s three dozen rooms range in size from 400 to 1,300 square feet. But they’re all cut from the same serene cloth, with pale oak panelling, wooly textures and sculptural furnishings in sand, slate and lake-water blue. “Basic” rooms start at $595 a night and come with the Nobu-standard essentials: heated marble floors, blackout shades, soaker tubs and floor-to-ceiling views. Scaled-up suites come with corner banquettes, fireplaces, and full living and dining areas facing either the skyline or the lake.

The most ostentatious suite, the Nobu Villa, is set to open in August. It comes with a private elevator, a self-playing Edelweiss piano, a ceiling-integrated flip-down TV, multiple entertaining spaces and 2,300 square feet to play with. It’s perfect for one-percenters who could probably hire Nobu himself to cater an in-suite dinner.

Hinoki tubs are a Nobu Hotel signature. They’re made from specially treated Japanese cypress and get an upgrade from a yuzu-and-ginger bath sachet by local brand Bathorium. Many tubs come with floor-to-ceiling views—great for city-watching or exhibitionism, depending on your vibe. Other in-room perks include a Dyson hairdryer and straightener, heated Toto toilets, two robe options (terry cloth and yukata), and a pillow menu for picky sleepers.

The minibar caters to both indulgence and recovery, with curated snacks that lean healthy-ish (truffle popcorn, functional chocolate). The booze selection skews high-end and includes Barolo, Veuve and barrel-aged Japanese whisky. There’s also a selection of complimentary non-alcoholic beverages, plus wellness freebies like marine collagen sachets and sea algae eye masks—perfect for guests looking to regain a little virtue after a martini-soaked night. Every room also comes stocked with an Alo yoga mat and block. And while there’s no spa on-site, Nobu has partnered with King West’s Trove for in-room wellness treatments—IV drips, massages, reiki—delivered straight to your door.

As for food: yes, you can order gold-flecked sushi and miso black cod to your room. Sakura Lounge, which is exclusive to hotel guests, also serves à la carte breakfast (included in all bookings) and light bites until 5 p.m. The space, decked out entirely in white oak, is a riff on a traditional Japanese teahouse.

After hours, guests can slip into the Nobu restaurant through a discreet door in the lobby.

The 24-hour gym is compact but well outfitted with Technogym gear, Peloton bikes, a Frame reformer and a Forme mirror. Eucalyptus towels, energy bars and ginger shots are standard issue.

Guests exploring the city can skip Uber: for rides within 10 kilometres, there’s a chauffeur with a brand-new electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class house car.