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NuStar Resort and Casino Cebu: The Star on Kawit Island
The biggest gaming floor outside Metro Manila, four restaurants worth the trip, and a blue-hour view across the channel to CCLEX.
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NuStar Resort and Casino is Cebu’s bet on big-league luxury. The Gokongwei-owned integrated resort on Kawit Island opened its doors in 2022 with the largest gaming floor in the country outside Metro Manila: 21,000 square meters of playable area, 1,500 slot machines, and 500 gaming tables, wrapped in chandeliers and framed by the Mactan Channel.
The verdict: even if you never touch a slot machine, NuStar earns an evening. Come at blue hour, when the resort lights up over the water and the view runs from the channel to CCLEX, then eat your way through the restaurant floor.
What NuStar Cebu is
An integrated resort by Universal Hotels and Resorts, designed by HKS Architects with interiors by HBA Design Consultants, and named after the brightest star in the night sky. The master plan calls for three hotel towers, one ultra-premium, one five-star, and one built for the MICE market, adding up to more than 1,000 rooms at full build-out. Inside, the grand lobby sets the tone: chandeliers, marble, and the Libra angel statue presiding over the casino entrance.
The casino floor
The numbers tell it plainly: 21,000 square meters of gross playable area, the biggest outside Metro Manila, with 1,500 slots and 500 tables. It is a scale Cebu simply did not have before NuStar arrived.
Where to eat inside NuStar
The dining floor covers the map: Peri-Peri Chicken for flame and spice, Yeon-Hwa for Korean, Il Primo for Italian, and Xin Tian Di for Chinese fine dining. The list keeps growing, and Il Corso Lifestyle Mall is a walk away when you want the casual end of the spectrum.
Getting there
NuStar sits on Kawit Island along the South Road Properties, the same grounds where Sinulog stages its grand celebration, minutes from downtown Cebu City by car. The views across the water take in the Mactan Channel and the CCLEX span.
Quick answers
Who owns NuStar Resort and Casino?
Universal Hotels and Resorts, Inc., part of the Gokongwei group.
How big is the NuStar casino?
21,000 square meters of gross playable area, with 1,500 slot machines and 500 gaming tables, the largest gaming floor outside Metro Manila.
Where is NuStar located?
Kawit Island, South Road Properties, Cebu City, walking distance from Il Corso Lifestyle Mall.
