“There’s nothing like it,” they said, in terms of a luxury mall of this scale and level of opulence in the Visayas and Mindanao. I don’t see how that can be disputed. But truth to tell, taken in its entirety, I daresay not even in Manila is there anything that can quite come close to this at the moment. I’m talking about The Mall | NUSTAR within the Gokongwei’s Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc. (UHRI)’s flagship project, the 5-star premier integrated NUSTAR resort in Cebu.

Spanning 9.7 hectares on Kawit Point, South Road Properties, with a view of Cebu’s east coast, the integrated waterfront luxury resort is the first of its kind outside Metro Manila.

Its name inspired by the North Star (Polaris) — the brightest, most visible star in the night sky — NUSTAR, from all apparent angles, is a virtual masterpiece, the result of collaborative work by a design team that includes some of the most exemplary in their field of specialization: HKS Architects, Hirsch Bedner Associates, PIA Interior Co. Ltd., ASYA Design.

Today, this sprawling showpiece of a property, with its remarkable stand-out architecture, is the new star of iconic landmarks in Cebu, and currently, the newest among the country’s — nay, Asia’s — premier luxury leisure destinations. 

And among its most luminescent of features is the just completed The Mall | NUSTAR: four levels totaling some 20,000 square meters in which are assembled some of the world’s most prestigious luxury fashion houses including Dior, Givenchy, Gucci, Celine, Ferragamo, Kenzo, Loewe, Bulgari, Saint Lauren, Versace, Montblanc, Off-White, Tory Burch, Burberry, Lacoste, BOSS and Porsche Design. 

Louis Vuitton’s 490-sqm store here is inspired by its Place Vendôme Maison in Paris, melding high-class fashion with choice art pieces by noted Cebuano artists like Vito Selma and Daniela Riva whose gorgeous “Navir” adorns a wall of the boutique’s exclusive VIC (Very Important Customer) room.

Blue wall

Tiffany & Co. occupies floor space totaling 225 sqm, the biggest of its three stores in the country. Inside, a blue wall softly glitters with glass gems inspired by Tiffany & Co.’s major French jewelry designer, Jean Schlumberger, one of the 20th century’s leading artisans in his craft. Above one section of the store hangs a Lobmeyr chandelier custom-fitted with glittering Tiffany Blue crystals.

H&F Retail Concepts founder Jappy Gonzalez has likewise brought his multi-brand Univers to The Mall | NUSTAR. His store’s dazzling interior is the work of two internationally acclaimed design geniuses, renowned architect Ed Calma and multi-awarded Cebuano industrial designer and manufacturer Kenneth Cobonpue. 

Undulating woven rattan sensuously drapes the 283-sqm store’s walls and ceilings while pinpoint lights from the ceiling cast a mellow glow on the store’s well-curated high-end RTW collection of brands including 3.1 Phillip Lim, Helmut Lang, PLAY by Commes de Garcons, Alexander Wang, Vega, Y-3, Victoria Beckham, Thom Browne, Maison Kitsune, Common Projects, Fred Perry, Fiorucci and Moreau Paris, among others. Also on offer is a selection of specialty goods such as Monocle books, Heeley perfumes, Astier de Villate candles and colognes, Trudon candles and the like. 

Said The Mall | NUSTAR general manager May Adolfo, “When we started engaging with these luxury brands, several of them were already in the process of looking for opportunities in Cebu as a prospective market gateway to the Visayas and Mindanao regions.” 

She also said that Cebu’s cosmopolites and tastemakers have been clamoring for more retail options catering to their tastes. “By bringing together these new-to-market top-quality brands, we are able to offer a different luxury retail experience. We thank our partners for their support and confidence in the NUSTAR vision. We’re glad they recognize and embrace the possibilities in Cebu.”

Beyond retail

Beyond retail, The Mall | NUSTAR offers superb culinary dining headlined by Mott 32, one of the world’s most awarded Chinese restaurants, with its 42-day Apple Wood Roasted Peking Duck -- regarded the unrivaled best in Hong Kong -- in the NUSTAR menu.

Other select restaurants offering must-try prime dining in NUSTAR are Koshima by Nonki, Yeonwha The Premium by Kaya, the Italian restaurant and steakhouse Il Primo, Kazuwa Prime, Barcino and Good Luck Hotpot for a truly majestic culinary and entertainment experience. For a sampling of local cuisine, seek out Jason Hyatt’s Abaca Bakery Co.’s brunch menu, Cebu’s Original Lechon Belly and delicious local fare by Café Laguna. 

More dining options can be had at Fili Hotel’s restaurants, including Fili Cafe, Fili Lobby Lounge, Xin Tian Di, Huangdi and the Executive Lounge where guests are pampered with personalized services while taking in a sweeping view of Mactan Channel.

If you’re into gaming, the NUSTAR Casino has, at 21,000 sqm, the largest two-level gaming floors outside Metro Manila. There are over 1,500 gaming machines and 250 tables situated on the main floor and VIP rooms with exclusive perks like gourmet dishes and fine libations for high-rollers to indulge in as they play in private. 

When we visited, our group of lifestyle media editors and writers were billeted at NUSTAR’s Fili Hotel, the first wholly Filipino five-star hotel in the country, with sizeable deluxe rooms affording guests unobstructed sea views and all the necessary amenities needed to enhance our stay.

Fili is the first of NUSTAR’s three hotel towers which, when all are built will offer a total of 1,000 room keys to luxe accommodations. Next to open within the year will be the ultra-luxurious, all-suite NUSTAR Hotel to be followed later by the Grand Summit designed primarily for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) market. The latter’s construction is ongoing, but already in operation is NUSTAR’s 2,000-capacity, Convention Center which, with a total area of 2,449 sqm, is the largest outside Metro Manila. 

NUSTAR Premier Cinemas are also now screening movies on Level 2 of The Mall | NUSTAR, with state-of-the-art Dolby Digital sound systems, larger-than-life screens and fully reclining leader seats in the VIP Cinema. 

A plethora of things to see

There’s a plethora of things to see, do and discover in this multi-featured resort. NUSTAR’s Wharf is likewise now ready for guests departing by seacraft and those coming into the property from the sea and onto NUSTAR’s 35-meter long private deck. Enveloping the sprawling NUSTAR property is the Marina Boardwalk; stretching 248 meters, the latter can be used as venue for corporate, social, or private events for as much as 750 guests.

There is the Skydeck, an open platform standing over 116 meters above water with a 180-degree view of Mactan and Cebu City’s skylines. 

NUSTAR will also soon open the doors to the 1,300-seat The Stage, an ultramodern theater designed to for musicals, concerts, live show productions and a venue certain to become a popular gathering spot for music-and-the-arts-loving Cebuanos and their friends, 

Said Adolfo as she walked us through The Mall | NUSTAR, “The completion of the Mall is a milestone for NUSTAR and Cebu. Our grand vision from the start, as we laid out our masterplan in 2018, was to bring Cebu to the world, and the world to Cebu. With this as goal, we set out to build this integrated leisure and entertainment hub designed to rival the world’s bests while remaining uniquely Cebuano.” 

Spending a day and a half in NUSTAR, indulging our senses in the lap of luxury leaves little, if any, doubt that here, indeed, is a splendid landmark for Cebuanos to take pride in, and visitors to Cebu to marvel at.