Regina Troy Barrios

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NUSTAR Cebu

The <a href="https://guide.michelin.com/en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michelin Guide</a> is beginning to sketch a new map of the Philippines—and Cebu, with its deep cultural roots and fast-rising skyline, just earned a bold new pin. <a href="https://guide.michelin.com/en/hotels-stays/cebu/nustar-hotel-cebu-15098?hotelId=15098&amp;q=Philippines&amp;arr=2025-07-25&amp;dep=2025-07-26&amp;nA=1&amp;nC=0&amp;nR=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NUSTAR Hotel Cebu has been officially added to the Michelin Guide’s growing hotel selection</a>, joining a prestigious list of eleven Philippine properties recognized for offering exceptional stays. It is the second hotel in Cebu—after <a href="https://www.instagram.com/crimson_mactan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Crimson Resort &amp; Spa Mactan</a>—to receive the accolade, and the latest signal that the Queen City of the South is evolving into a design and culinary capital in its own right.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751017194726Workbench Thumbnail.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Cebu luxury meets modern design in NUSTAR’s stunning lobby | Photo: NUSTAR Resort </div>So why did Michelin take notice? In its first year of Philippine selections, Michelin has emphasized five pillars for recognition: remarkable architecture and design, a strong sense of personality, consistently attentive service, a balance of value and excellence, and a meaningful connection to place. NUSTAR excels across all five, with a confidence that feels rooted in its island setting and elevated by its forward-thinking ambition.Located on Kawit Island at the southern edge of Cebu City, NUSTAR offers panoramic sea views, a serene horizon pool, and oversized suites with soft wood details, stone accents, and warm woven textures that nod to local craft. But this isn’t a resort that leans only on aesthetics. What sets NUSTAR apart is how it weaves culinary, cultural, and experiential storytelling into every corner of the stay.<div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17510173192572.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Endless sea views at Cebu’s newest luxury escape | Photo: NUSTAR Resorts</div><h2>A Dining Destination, Not Just a Hotel</h2>Step into the lobby and you’ll notice it immediately: this is a place where meals matter. NUSTAR’s lineup of restaurants reads like a curated anthology, each with a story to tell, each with a different flavor of luxury.At the top of that list is Mott 32, the internationally acclaimed Chinese fine dining restaurant from Hong Kong. Its arrival in Cebu was a statement in itself. It is the first and only <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mott32cebu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mott 32</a> in the country, and already drawing jet-setting gourmands for signature dishes like Applewood-roasted Peking Duck and truffle siu mai served under clouds of dry ice. Inside, jade-green banquettes and carved screens recall old Shanghai elegance, reimagined through a contemporary lens.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751017399316Mott 32.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The only Mott 32 in the Philippines, exclusively at NUSTAR | Photo: Mott 32 Cebu</div>Then there’s Fina, NUSTAR’s proudly Filipino restaurant, where heirloom recipes are reinterpreted with regional sensitivity and modern technique. Here, kinilaw is bright with calamansi and tabon-tabon, kare-kare is refined but soulful, and desserts like cassava cake are plated with painterly restraint. It’s a celebration of Filipino cuisine not as nostalgia, but as narrative that’s living, evolving, and worthy of the fine dining spotlight.<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ilprimonustarcebu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Il Primo</a>, the resort’s signature steakhouse, leans into old-world glamor with aged cuts, a leather-and-linen aesthetic, and a wine list curated to rival major metropolitan cellars. It’s the kind of place where long lunches stretch into sundown, where storytelling happens tableside over bone-in ribeyes and hand-poured Bordeaux.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751017522114Il Primo.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>World-class steaks and polished service at Il Primo | Il Primo NUSTAR Cebu</div>It’s obvious that the hotel doesn’t just serve food. It positions food as cultural identity, and honors the Philippines as a place where hospitality is inseparable from the table.<h2>A New Standard for Filipino Luxury</h2>NUSTAR is part of a larger integrated resort complex, complete with a casino, shopping promenade, spa, and the upcoming Grand Summit Hotel. But it feels distinctly standalone in its character. While other hotels chase global sameness, NUSTAR  chooses to celebrate what makes Cebu unique, from its sea-inspired interiors to locally sourced art. The service is warm and sincere, with just the right touch of polish.Every part of the guest experience is thoughtfully designed.Spa treatments feature local ingredients, and welcome rituals highlight Filipino flavors. More than just showcasing Cebu, the hotel turns it into a story guests can truly experience.With NUSTAR now on the list, the Philippines boasts 13 hotels recognized by the Michelin Guide for their outstanding design, service, and sense of place. These include Manila standouts like The Peninsula Manila, Raffles Makati, Fairmont Makati, Solaire Resort Entertainment City, Shangri-La The Fort, Admiral Hotel, Hotel Okura, and Manila Marriott.Island escapes like Amanpulo in Palawan and Nay Palad Hideaway in Siargao, and Cebu’s Crimson Resort &amp; Spa Mactan complete the list. “The NUSTAR Hotel&#x27;s presence in the prestigious Michelin Guide is a proud and significant milestone not just for NUSTAR Hotel, but for Cebu and the entire Philippine hospitality industry,” said Sean Knights, Chief Operating Officer of NUSTAR Resort and Casino Cebu. “This recognition affirms our unwavering commitment to delivering an exceptional hotel product, allowing us to promote world-class experiences that celebrate Filipino culture, elevate service excellence and redefine the boundaries of luxury in the region.”Its recognition adds another strong voice to a growing chorus  that proves Filipino hospitality is not only world-class, but ready to lead with pride, personality, and a true sense of home.

With panoramic sea views, destination dining, and Filipino hospitality on full display, this newcomer is redefining luxury in the Philippines.

With panoramic sea views, destination dining, and Filipino hospitality on full display, this newcomer is redefining luxury in the Philippines.

NUSTAR Hotel Cebu Just Landed On The Michelin Guide—Here’s Why It Matters

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NUSTAR Hotel Cebu Just Landed On The Michelin Guide—Here’s Why It Matters

Metro.Style Team

Published Jun 27, 2025 05:47 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 27, 2025 05:55 PM PHT

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