Canada’s first Nobu Hotel has some growing pains despite its great location and incredible views | Canada Voices

I love a fancy hotel. They’re one of the great indulgences of my life. I’ve planned entire vacations around rooftop pools. My phone has a notes app list of properties I’d visit if I ever win big on a scratch ticket. I adore the architecture. The ambiance. The robes.

When I was asked to review Nobu Hotel Toronto – part of the famed sushi restaurant’s increasing expansion into luxury properties – for a two-day staycation, it seemed like a dream assignment. I imagined taking up residence in the massive Mizu Lake View Suite, a hotel room bigger than my entire apartment. I’d kick back in the soaking tub and bask in the stunning views of the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre and the Toronto Islands. Maybe there’d be an indulgent room service order of Nobu’s signature miso black cod.

After checking in and touring the living space, however, one of the first things I noticed was a couch cushion covered in tiny black hairs. A lot of tiny black hairs. It took three requests for someone to clean things up. That experience set the tone for the rest of my visit. With just 36 rooms across the property, a reputation as a five-star brand and a price point to match, attention to detail and attentive service should be the bare minimum. But relying on the strength of its restaurant and the popularity of its name, the hotel under-delivered on almost every aspect of my stay.

Why you should visit

Blending Japanese, Peruvian and Western influences, Nobu has developed its reputation partly because of an excellent menu and partly as a status symbol. The first incarnation of the restaurant – named after chef Nobu Matsuhisa – opened in early-nineties Manhattan with backing from actor Robert De Niro. It quickly became a favourite among celebrities and socialites, arguably one of the spots that helped popularize sushi as a luxury in New York. Nowadays, Nobu boasts more than 50 locations across the globe, its signature backlit sign found everywhere from Bangkok to Barcelona. Banking on the brand’s cachet, Nobu began its own hotel chain in 2013, with the Toronto outpost opening earlier this year.

While the restaurant’s six-course omakase menu – which runs guests through Nobu’s greatest hits – ranged from good to great, a nice meal is something you can get without staying the night. The chic vibe of the restaurant and lounge extend to the hotel’s tiny lobby, but much not past it.

Room for improvement

Promising a design-forward atmosphere, rooted in Japanese wellness and hospitality practices, with influences from the multicultural population of Toronto, my expectations for Nobu Hotel were sky-high.

But the in-room Japanese influences were limited to the aforementioned soaking tub, Kimono-esque robes in the bathroom and a futuristic toilet – which announced its presence every 20 minutes by raising its lid and greeting me with a singsong chime.

Local decor amounted to a maple leaf painting and some abstract mixed media, all left unsigned by the artists. Opportunities to incorporate Canadian or Japanese toiletries were passed up in favour of stocking bathrooms with soap from the Swedish brand Byredo, in a scent called “Gypsy Water.” It seemed odd to highlight a European brand, let alone feature toiletries named after a slur.

Despite a luxury price point, the hotel lacks its own spa or a pool. While the hotel gym is well-equipped with kettlebells, a Pilates reformer and Peloton bikes, the communal space for guests is limited to a non-descript breakfast lounge lacking ambiance or a view.

During my visit, the hotel was still constructing additional rooms on the floor above the Mizu Suite. That resulted in a continually flashing light from the room’s fire alarm starting at 8 a.m. and continuing past noon. When the fire alarm light stopped, the hammering noises started. When I texted with the front desk about the issue, they apologized for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, they couldn’t say exactly when the noise would end, but expected it to be wrapped by at least 11 p.m.

Frustrated by the noise, I couldn’t tell if I started looking for problems or just became more aware of them. There were paint specks on the hotel windows; scratches on the floors and decor, despite the room being less than six months old; missed turndown service and house cleaning; a living room TV where the display kept cutting out. There were claims about a mini-bar, complimentary, save for the alcohol, being restocked twice daily. That didn’t happen either. Any one of these things is easily overlooked if guests are having a great time, but added together, it is both annoying and disappointing.

Since you’re in the neighbourhood

The hotel is located in Toronto’s entertainment district, a hotbed with a variety of options to explore outside the building. A plus, as there’s not much to do inside the hotel.

Nobu is practically next door to the TIFF Lightbox, the city’s premier destination for cinephiles and the centre of the Toronto International Film Festival. If live theatre is your thing, the Princess of Wales and Royal Alexandra theatres are five minutes away, offering professional productions of touring musicals and occasional homegrown favourites. The Rogers Centre – home of the Toronto Blue Jays – is also within walking distance.

The take-away

At a price point comparable to some of Toronto’s most expensive accommodations, Nobu Hotel Toronto fails to live up to its luxury namesake. While shortcomings in service could be excused as the growing pains of an inexperienced staff, the lack of amenities and generic design choices were surprising. With any luck, things will improve by the time the celebrities arrive in September for TIFF. Come for dinner, but based on my experience, there wasn’t much reason to stay the night.

• Nobu Hotel Toronto, 33 Mercer Street; rooms start at around $600 a night. nobuhotels.com/toronto

The writer was a guest of the hotel. It did not review or approve the story before publication.