Nobu to Open 'Barefoot Luxury' Resort in Caribbean
Nobu Hospitality has unveiled plans for the Nobu Beach Inn, a resort focused on "barefoot luxury." The property, set to open in the Caribbean in late 2026, will emphasize low-density exclusivity and include residential offerings for elite clients.
- The resort is located on the island of Barbuda, spanning 400 acres with two miles of beachfront on the southwest coast. It is an expansion of the Nobu Barbuda restaurant that opened on Princess Diana Beach in 2020. - This is a personal project for co-founder Robert De Niro, who first discovered the location more than 30 years ago on a boat trip from Antigua and has been pursuing the development for over a decade. - The development is a partnership between Nobu Hospitality, co-founded by De Niro, and investors James Packer and Daniel Shamoon. - The property will feature a very low density of rooms, with just 36 bedrooms spread across 17 individual, single-story villas. - In addition to the inn, the project includes 25 private beachfront residences for sale, with four- or five-bedroom bungalows starting at $12 million. Owners can place their homes in the resort's rental program. - Amenities are extensive, including a beach club, an oceanfront pool, an indoor-outdoor spa, an outdoor cinema, and courts for tennis and padel. Dining will feature a signature Nobu restaurant, an oceanfront grill with local catch, and an omakase sushi bar. - The concept of "barefoot luxury" emphasizes a connection to nature and sustainability, using natural materials and offering experiences that are elegant yet unpretentious. - Accessibility to the remote island was recently enhanced by the October 2024 opening of Barbuda's Burton Nibbs International Airport, which accommodates private jets and offers a ten-minute helicopter transfer from Antigua.
