A Steve Wynn Masterpiece – The Encore

STEVE WYNN did it again, and again, and again!  This guy even outdoes himself.  The new ENCORE is exceptionally beautiful, and its amenities astounding.  You enter to a horticultural living floral experience that has become Steve Wynn’s trademark.  There is an enormous amount of red (the Chinese culture signifies the color red is good luck). Gorgeous Red chandeliers are everywhere in the spacious casino that has columned pavilions, canopies and draperies that partition the gaming areas into private chambers. The flooring is a masterpiece of mosaic butterflies and marble. The Esplanade Walkway of eleven new boutiques that feature designer names catch your eyes as they display their beautiful storefront wares. 

Media was treated to experience ENCORE and in rating the experience from 1-10, it was an 11. Encore has a total of 2034 rooms.  I was fortunate to stay in an exquisite Tower suite where a flat large screen television rotates from the bedroom to a large sitting room. The Tower suites are not only attractive, but the mattresses were specially designed for Steve Wynn and the sheets are of Egyptian cotton with 310 thread count. This gives one the feeling of sleeping on cloud nine.

Each restaurant has its own special appeal and the food was superb and served as if you were royalty. My only complaint is that the prices are high and the menu is all ala carte. However, these are all very upscale restaurants, and that goes along with the territory of dining upscale. 

Dining in SWITCH restaurant has an excitement of its own in addition to the delicious food.  Every 20 minutes, guests are treated to seeing the spectacular changing of the restaurants surroundings right before their eyes.

Wynn’s designer Roger Thomas created BOTERO restaurant.  BOTERO has an elegant sophisticated round shaped setting that overlooks the pool, where guest can experience both indoor or outdoor dining. BOTERO, named for Columbian artist Fernando Botero, showcases two of the artist’s sculptures as well as three paintings from his 2007 Circus series.

SOCIETY CAFE may be the so-called coffee shop, but, oh, so much more with an ambiance that is chic.  

SINATRA restaurant is a culinary salute to Ol’ Blue Eyes.  Outdoor patio dining is also available.

WAZUZU restaurant showcases Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Singaporean and Thai cuisines.

For a light bite, glass of wine or cocktails, there is the stylish LOBBY BAR and CAFE with ultra-plush sofas and low slung seating. A sculpted interpretation of the goddess, Daphne with her arms as out-stretched branches forms the centerpiece.  The entire piece is gilded and accompanied by a laurel tree representative of the laurel leaf Apollo wore in his hair as a display of his love and affection for Daphne.

Many bars and lounges and niteclubs span the ENCORE. However, XS: THE NIGHTCLUB that surrounds the ENCORE’s magnificent pool is one of the most sophisticated nightclubs in the world. XS is a follow-up to the collaboration between Steve Wynn and Victor Drai, who together crated TRYST at WYNN.

What can I say about the SPA, SALON AND FITNESS CENTER at ENCORE. I have been to many beautiful spas, but this one far surpasses any that I have seen. The entire floor encompasses this gorgeous facility that emphasizes the ultimate in personal indulgence. I usually get massages and manicures and pedicures, but the 80 minute aromatherapy massage and the custom manicure and pedicure I received, was the best ever. 

Media experienced full days of events: Receptions, back of the house tours, retail tours, teaching us gaming 101, a blackjack tournament, resort tours of floral and horticulture, The Le Reve show and backstage tour, design architecture round table and design tour, and niteclub tours. It was an ultimate introduction to a magnificent new Las Vegas Hotel/Casino Resort.

Kudos to Steve Wynn for envisioning and even thinking of opening a new resort at this time, but he did so, and certainly not sparingly.  Best of luck and thank you for bringing this new highlight to Las Vegas.