Yet another leading name from the global tourism industry is arriving on Greece’s shores; Nobu Hospitality has announced the commencement of operations of its first hotel in the country, located on the island of Santorini. The noted hotel and restaurant chain, founded by Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro and Meir Teper, will open Nobu Hotel and Restaurant Santorini in Imerovigli on Santorini sometime this spring.

The hotel will have its own Nobu restaurant, a spa, a gym, a two-level infinity pool and five villas with private pools, each with views of the famed caldera.

 “Santorini is one of the most highly regarded destinations in the world with its rare beauty, … its distinctive cuisine, whitewashed architecture set against a backdrop of steep cliffs, and dramatic sunsets lighting the sea and sky. We look forward to inviting locals and international travelers alike to experience the Nobu lifestyle in this special destination,” said Nobu Hospitality’s CEO Trevor Horwell.

The new hotel will be the 26th in the Nobu chain of hotels and the 10th in Europe.

Other names are at it, too

It’s worth noting that Greece has been attracting the leading names in the hotel industry recently, as it consolidates its position as a popular vacation destination. According to the Travelers’ Choice Awards 2022 list of most desirable destinations compiled by Tripadvisor and released to the media yesterday, the island of Crete ranks second in Europe and fifth in the world!

A few days ago, W Hotels Worldwide announced their entry into the Greek market with the country’s first W expected to open in Costa Navarino in Messinia in the summer of 2022; the W Costa Navarino will be the newest addition to the W Escapes chain in Europe, following the establishment of hotels in Spain, Switzerland and Portugal.

What’s more, Conrad and Waldorf Astoria, the leading luxury brands of Hilton Worldwide, are coming to Greece through a strategic agreement with Ionian Hotel Enterprises, in which the owners of Costa Navarino, TEMES, have a majority holding, for the operation of the historic hotel previously known as the Athens Hilton and the private residences that will be developed in the hotel complex, thus creating a new integrated international destination.

How a Japanese chef and a Hollywood actor built a hospitality empire

Long before Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa made Japanese cuisine famous around the world, he ran a small restaurant in Beverly Hills and was trying to repay debts owed for a series of previous business enterprises. That is, until one day, Robert De Niro sat down at one of his tables.

“He liked my food and invited me to go to New York to open a restaurant,” recalled the famous chef. ‘It’s still too early for me,’ I told him, asking him to wait.” A year later, the acclaimed actor repeated his proposal, and was told no yet again. Time passed, and Matsuhisa’s restaurant in Beverly Hills began to become famous. Magazines wrote about it and tables were booked long in advance. And then the chef’s phone rang again. “Maybe it’s time to come to New York,” De Niro told him, and Matsuhisa agreed.

In 1994, the actor and the chef opened Nobu New York together, and the eatery immediately took off. The lifestyle brand Nobu Hospitality was founded in 2009.

This article was previously published in Greek at moneyreview.gr.