NOBU HOTEL EXECS GATHER FOR LAST-MINUTE PLANNING

Top executives, including Nobu Matsuhisa, far left, huddle at Nobu restaurant on Friday at Caesars Palace to go over last-minute plans before Saturday's opening of the first Nobu Hotel. The group included lead designer David Rockwell, general manager Gigi Vega, Hollywood film producer Mier Teper, a principal owner; chief executive Trevor Horwell and COO Struan McKenzie.  Nobu and corporate executive chef of Nobu, Thomas Buckley, explained the breaking menu to a large media gathering. The ribbon cutting is at 4 p.m. Saturday, with film legend and a core principal of the group, expected to speak. (Norm Clarke photo)

Star chef Nobu Matsuhisa checking out the sushi bar at his restaurant on Friday, a day before the opening his first Nobu Hotel. (Norm Clarke photo)

Nobu Hotel lead designer David Rockwell, who has designed 24 of Nobu's 26 restaurants since 1994, explains what makes the hotel rooms "an oasis of Japanese warmth" during a media tour on Friday. The brush strokes on the wall are a nod to Japanese calligraphy. Nobu food is available 24 hours a day in the room. Rockwell's projects include W hotels in five cities, The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas and set designs for the 2009 and 2010 Academy Awards. (Norm Clarke photo)

THE BAR AT NOBU HOTEL
Patrons at the David Rockwell-designed Nobu Hotel are greeted by a bar and lounge that fronts the largest Nobu restaurant in the world. Located near Cleopatra's Barge inside Caesars Palace, the restaurant has 327 seats and a private dining room. LED screens flash promotional visual including a quote from Madonna that reads: "You can tell how much fun a city is going to be if Nobu is in it." Offering 181 rooms, including 18 suites, Nobu Hotel is located in the Centurion Tower, which opened in 1970. (Norm Clarke photo)