Emperor Augustus Caesar and chef Nobu Matsuhisa may not seem obvious bedfellows, but that’s what they became when the celebrated restaurateur (and partner Robert DeNiro) opened the flagship Nobu Hotel at Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas. Tucked off the main casino floor, twin gold-glowing pillars mark the entrance to the hotel-within-a-hotel’s private tower. Check-in is done via iPad, one of many high-tech touches in the 181-room retreat. And we do mean retreat—the David Rockwell-designed rooms are serenely minimalist, with copious use of wood and stone. Teak bathing stools in the oversized showers recall Japanese bathhouses, and dramatic brushstroke murals above the bed represent the Zen art of Hitsuzendo.
In-room dining reaches a new level here. Morning brings delicate green tea pancakes or “Bagel and Lox,” with the base a crispy-chewy rice cake and a tasty tofu crème standing in for crème fraiche. We love the events menu, where dishes from edamame and tuna tataki to a live sushi station are served ensuite for groups of 6 or more. Anything from the eponymous restaurant downstairs can be enjoyed in your room, should you want to forgo the priority reservations and VIP seating that are included.
Equally tasty is the Nobu treatment menu at QUA Baths & Spa. The Scrub Bar offers exfoliation in three scents, while the 80-minute Nagomi ritual seamlessly incorporates a floral foot bath, aroma- therapy massage and fizzy Carboxitherapy facial. Spa director Kristin Carpenter draws on her extensive knowledge of Japan for inspiration, especially the focus of pleasing all five senses at once, a tenet that also guides Nobu’s overall philosophy. nobucaesarspalace.com
—Susan Moynihan