Starlight, Nustar bright
How do you out-luxe a 5-star luxury hotel? For Nustar Resort & Casino Cebu, which celebrates its third anniversary all this month, you start by opening the grand Nustar Hotel with 233 rooms situated on its sprawling 22-acre property (that’s adjacent to the 5-star Fili hotel which opened May 2022, and the Grand Summit hotel set to open end of 2027).
Then you include private yacht service, which had us climbing aboard the resort’s 22-meter Crucero for a sunset cruise sponsored by Tiffany and Co.
Oh, yes. Then you add private butler service.
Private butlers have become an almost essential addition to luxury hotel offerings, and Nustar has a squadron of them (mine was Owen) specially trained by world-class Hellbron Hospitality to provide seamless and intuitive service — whether it’s bringing up some special cocktails, pressing a jacket or pants, setting up dining reservations, offering transport services, or fulfilling most any whim (within reason) you can imagine while staying at Nustar.
That’s not even the end. Nustar Resort Cebu general manager Roel Constantino teases that the three Nustar Villas topping the 26-level hotel (which were already occupied during the soft opening) include a private sea-facing pool, a garden balcony, and butler service that is “enhanced.”
Wait. Does that mean even the butlers… have butlers?
We don’t know yet. But it’s just one of the ways that Nustar Hotel, the first ultra-luxury hotel in Cebu, and the property of Nustar Resort & Casino Cebu — a pioneer leisure destination in Visayas and Mindanao that’s fully Filipino, owned and operated by the Universal Hotels and Resorts, Inc. (UHRI), a subsidiary of JG Summit Holdings, Inc. — is pushing the boundaries of service and recreational luxury.
Luxe life
Speaking of luxury, there is the Premiere room in which we stayed, which offers a calming haven with push-button curtains revealing full-length windows, showcasing a 180-degree vista of the city and surrounding bay. The bathrooms are outfitted with supple marble floors and walls, Guerlain hair and skin products, intelligent comfort facilities and even a chandelier above the deep-soak tub.
The hotel’s exclusive Executive Lounge (not yet open, but we sampled the one at Fili’s 23rd floor) offers an expansive view of Cebu Bay, as well as a designated chef to whip up something special by request on the spot.
Throughout Nustar Hotel, the maritime theme of Cebu is celebrated in breathtaking art. As you enter the main lobby, there’s the “Coral Reverie” hand-blown glass sculpture by Czech artist Petra Soš?áková, while the lounge offers a striking blue onyx wall behind the bar (echoing the blue of the Cebu sea), the chandeliers convey the undulating motion of the local “sardine runs” of Moalboal, and the surrounding custom-designed Ferruccio Laviani lamps add modern glamour. Local art is spread throughout Nustar Resort and Casino, including a massive Katrina Cuenca triptych at the VIP casino entrance. The resort is an artful visual feast.
And that feast extends to the incredible meals we had at Nustar, including Il Primo, with its braised Angus beef cheek with saffron risotto and prize-winning tiramisu; and the coveted Mott 32 invite that offered a special menu of traditional Iberico Pork Shanghainese, Apple-wood Roasted 42 Days Peking Duck, and a fine pomelo, grapefruit and honeycomb coconut ice cream for dessert. A touch of refined Hong Kong, right there in Cebu.
The Mall offers many other culinary favorites, like local brand Koshima by Nonki, where you can sample an hour-long omakase meal of specially prepared sushi bowls and slices at the demo bar. Everywhere you go, there are hints of Cebuano food love, and Nustar is proudly represented at the annual Taste Cebu competitions here.
Since May is their third anniversary, Nustar offers unique culinary experiences across the property at discounts this month. At Fili Café, guests can enjoy an “Anniversary Treat” with 30% off on daily dinner and weekend lunch. Xin Tian Di offers “Dim Sum Three Sum,” where ordering any three of Chicken Feet, Har Gao or Wasabi Shrimp Roll earns you one siomai for free, available 24/7 on weekdays.
And to celebrate the month, Nustar Hotel offers up to 25 savings on room rates from May 8 to July 31. After-discount rates come with butler service and breakfast and club lounge privileges during your stay.
When the first Fili hotel was put up in 2022, The Mall just had a few high-end merchants. We toured the strip that now includes brand-new Boss, Burberry, Bulgari, Dior, Ferragamo, Gucci, Hermès, Kenzo, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Montblanc (the most recent), plus a dozen other stores including an expansive Rustan’s Beauty Source, which is like roaming the perfume level of the Makati store.
Local outlets like Diagold — a Cebu institution for your celebration, wedding, anniversary or proposal needs — enhance the connection with the Cebuano market, and even Gucci has got in the act of providing “exclusive” offerings, like its pair of summer raffia bags (with monogram) that are only offered at The Mall in Nustar Resort and Casino.
Now that all four levels of The Mall are open, expect the completion soon of a 3,200 sqm spa area, as well as a bonus play area for kids on Level 4 (there’s currently a Timezone on Level 3 with plenty of activities for kiddies).
The Nustar Rewards Program is another way to feel special starting this month.
“We aim to deliver a distinctive guest experience that brings the Nustar brand to life, blending world-class gaming with premium accommodation, creative dining concepts and the renowned Cebuano flair for being natural hosts,” says Knights, and the Rewards Program offers world-renowned brands with exclusive perks for its valued members.
This May, Nustar Rewards members have a chance to take home a brand-new 7-seater Hyundai Stargazer or a share of nearly P2 million in prizes. Members earn one raffle entry for every 250 Nustar Rewards points accumulated from March 1 to May 11, 2025. In celebration of Mother’s Day, all female Nustar Rewards Members will receive one free entry as a special treat. The Grand Draw will be on May 11, 2025, 9:30 p.m.
The “Power of Three” anniversary event led to a gala night dinner where Rewards members and media joined a raffle to win hundreds of thousands in casino credits. All capped off by performances by National Artist Ryan Cayabyab at the piano and Basil Valdez on the mic.
Good things can come in threes. When all three hotels are complete, the capstone for this P28 billion integrated resort project will be a 1,700-seat “full-on, high-tech” performing arts theater, the first for Cebu and the region, extending Nustar’s push to present the best international stage shows, art, food and culture that Cebu has to offer to a much bigger market.
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For more information about Nustar’s opening rates and anniversary offerings, visit the website https://nustar.ph/hotels/, email contactus@nustar.com.ph or call (032) 888-8282.
