Nobu Ryokan — Malibu, USA

This is turning out to be quite a banner year for Nobuyuki Matsuhisa. Almost at the same time as the celebrity chef and latterly hotelier opens Nobu Hotel Shoreditch in London, he is launching Nobu Ryokan Malibu across the pond.
Considerably smaller in scale and ambition, the two-storey Malibu property features just 16 rooms that are anchored by a 37ft long outdoor lap pool and an ipe wood deck that overlooks Malibu Pier and the Pacific Ocean.
Each room is furnished and modelled after the traditional Japanese inn, though it’s hard to imagine any ryokan boasting ocean views like this. Studio PCH and Montalba Architects have converted a 1950s landmark, the former Casa Malibu beach motel, into a serene sanctuary that interior designers led by TAL Studio have swathed with handmade teak soaking tubs and bronze and limestone detailing, alongside tatami mats, shoji screens, George Nakashima furniture and linen yukatas.
After such a quintessentially Japanese setting, it’s almost a shock to emerge into the bright Californian sunshine and take in the storied sweep of Carbon Beach and its bristling armada of bronzed surfers. A couple of doors down the Pacific Coast Highway is Nobu Malibu restaurant where executive chef Gregorio Stephenson serves up surf and turf by way of yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño, and ribeye with truffle butter sauce and crisp Maui onions.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
22752 Pacific Coast Highway
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Byredo introduces its first fine jewellery collection
Byredo fine jewellery launches with the ‘Virasaat’ collection, meaning ‘inheritance’, influenced by founder Ben Gorham’s Indian heritage
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
True to Type is a new Korean furniture brand for future generations
Seoul-based Jinsik Kim launches True to Type to explore craftsmanship and aesthetic purity through furniture and objects
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
2023 Doolan Best Building award goes to Cuddymoss by Ann Nisbet Studio
The 2023 Doolan Best Building award is given to Cuddymoss, a ruin in north Ayrshire transformed into Scotland's finest building of the year
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Yonder Escalante reinvents glamping in the Utah Desert
Yonder Escalante is the ultimate eight-hectare hospitality experience, leaving no stone (or cactus) unturned
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Raffles Boston inaugurates The Long Bar, offering design and memories to last a lifetime
Raffles Boston's Long Bar, designed by Studio Paolo Ferrari, is a must-visit for all-day dining
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Jialun Xiong’s design of Sichuan Impression is a sophisticated take on family-style dining
Jialun Xiong imbues the Alhambra, Los Angeles restaurant with clean lines and nods to traditional Chinese architecture
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Talea Beer’s West Village taproom is a haven for women and LGBTQ+ communities
Introducing Talea Beer's first taproom in Manhattan, featuring a vibrant design by Alda Ly Architecture
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
‘Hotel Kitsch’ uncovers the whimsical world of adults-only fantasy getaways
‘Hotel Kitsch’ is an A-to-Z guide to sleazy and hopelessly romantic American vacations
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Peek inside Martin Brudnizki’s Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York
The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York, designed by Martin Brudnizki, is revealed ahead of an October 2023 grand opening
By Daven Wu Published
-
Holiday cabins across the USA to plan your next escape
From Shelter Island to Phoenix, a slew of new hotels around the country take the form of charming holiday cabins and cottages
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
The Paramour Estate is a true Hollywood star
Paramour is a 1920s Silver Lake mansion making an elegant escape from one’s fans in Los Angeles
By Pei-Ru Keh Published