West Loop’s delayed Nobu Hotel gets October opening date, fresh renderings

The West Loop’s long-awaited Nobu-branded hotel and restaurant will finally open its doors in October, Eater Chicago reported this week. If all goes to plan, the 12-story project at 854 W. Randolph Street will open more than three years after a highly publicized groundbreaking ceremony attended by Hollywood actor and Nobu investor Robert De Niro.

While bringing a trendy celebrity-backed brand to Chicago’s “Restaurant Row” seems like a relative no-brainer, Nobu Chicago faced several costly delays including a slow start, a construction stoppage, and a midstream change in developers. For comparison, the nearby Hoxton Hotel broke ground roughly a year after the Nobu and welcomed its first guests and diners in April.

In addition to the grand opening news, fresh interior renderings of the project appeared on Nobu Chicago’s website. Designed by Modif Architecture and featuring interiors by local West Loop firm Studio K, the building sports 115 guest rooms and suites that combine “old world Japanese art and new world utilitarian, with a sense of accessible sophistication,” according to the online description.

The development also calls for over 3,200 square feet of event space including private dining rooms and a pair of adjoining 10th-floor ballrooms, a mezzanine-level restaurant from Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, a ground-floor sushi bar, and a rooftop lounge with indoor and outdoor seating.