I’ve never had any desire to visit Las Vegas, only knowing the city as an adult’s playground. I wasn’t turned off by the idea but it wasn’t a place I would pick for a vacation destination either. Imagine my surprise when I was invited out to experience The Wynn Las Vegas for three days. A combination of excitement and apprehension sat in my stomach the days leading up to the trip. I was either going to have the time of my life or it was going to be every movie about Vegas I’d ever seen.
I was swept off my feet upon arrival to the airport by an iconic Wynn Rolls Royce. I don’t know if they realized I go ga-ga over classic cars or not, but well played Mr. Wynn, well played. After arriving at the Encore Resort, check-in was a breeze. The Wynn Las Vegas is divided into two sections sharing the same building: Wynn and Encore Resort. Each section offers their own distinct style and offer a combined 2034 total rooms, including 1767 Encore Resort Rooms.
Staying in a traditional 745 square foot Encore Resort Suite, the room featured a King sized pillow-top Wynn Dream Bed, a 42in LCD HDTV, a desk, closet, and a sitting area featuring floor to ceiling panoramic windows with views of the Las Vegas strip. Everything was plush and inviting with an old Las Vegas luxury feel, like the kind of Vegas Reuben Tishkoff wistfully pines for in Ocean’s Thirteen. Okay, so maybe this trip would be a little of the Vegas movies I had seen.
The bathroom featured a large tub and separate shower with Wynn line of luxury products that covered just about everything you could possibly forget at home – as I often do. Small touches like turn down service each night (with chocolates!), a bedside panel to control everything from lighting to in-room dining, and terrycloth robes make the space feel luxurious. It’s an ideal space to recover from a night spent in the hustle and bustle of Vegas.
I spent my first afternoon exploring the Wynn Las Vegas property and was amazed by the size. Winner of the most Forbes Five Star awards in the world, the resort boasts two casinos, a “strip” of designer shops, multiple show rooms, pools, nightclubs, lounges and numerous restaurants, the well thought out layout makes it easy to traverse with the majority of amenities taking center stage with wings of hotel rooms on either side. Throughout its corridors and numerous restaurants, one can find beautiful works of art inspired from decades past.
Shopping
The Esplanade at Encore hosts 10 luxury boutiques that feature everything from runway fashion and evening wear to fine jewelry and timepieces. This 20,000 square foot shopping area includes retailers like Chanel, Swim, Nicholas Kirkwood, Hermes and more.
Restaurants
At Wynn there are no shortage of places to grab some food. Being a total foodie, I’m more inclined to recommend the Fine Dining establishments where award winning chefs are given the reigns to create delicous menus catering to a variety of taste. Consider yourself a bonafide Carnivore? Botero Steakhouse. Prefer a sampling of fresh fish, adore some good sushi or tuna tartare? Lakeside‘s menu is inspired by Hawaii and all the delicious cuisine it offers, while The Country Club offers a bit of everything with its New Orleans inspire dishes. One thing is for certain, be prepared to blissfully gain at least 10 pounds during your stay. Don’t even try to diet, it’s not worth it, the food is too good.
Gaming
When I imagined gaming in Las Vegas, I pictured rows and rows of slot machines, rooms of tables with dealers and a lot of noise, which is why it surprised me to walk across a relatively quiet gaming floor. No rows of slot machines here. Instead, it was like walking into a gaming parlor. It wasn’t quaint by any means with 9 gaming pavilions and 66 tables, but it was intimate with expansive windows overlooking gardens and pools. The main casino offers table games, slots, island gaming and high-limit games too.
Night Life and Entertainment
Wynn offers numerous options for Nightlife and Entertainment including 3 nightclubs, with their most famous being XS. XS is inspired by the sexy curves of the human body and recently underwent a $10 Million production redesign featuring cutting-edge technology and top-of-the-line production elements. As I experienced first hand, this 40,000 square foot club is large in size but comfortable in atmosphere. It has both an indoor and outdoor space, private booths and a packed dance floor.
The club comes complete with some of the best electronic artists in the world, with the likes of deadmau5, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Afrojack, Tiësto and more all calling the booth at XS their home in Las Vegas. No wonder it has been named the top grossing nightclub in the country based on annual revenue by Nightclub & Bar’s Top 100 list in both 2010 and 2011. It was also deemed 2010 New Club of the Year and Mega-Club of the Year by Nightclub & Bar.
But if you’re looking for a more relaxed environment, you should pay a visit to vocalist Michael Monge at the Eastside Lounge. I was so inspired by him during my stay. Monge covers hits from Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin among others, and takes a classic approach on contemporary songs of today from John Legend, John Mayer and more.
“There is something special about performing in a lounge,” said Monge. “There are no barriers or stage to separate you from the audience. It becomes one shared experience where you see the smiles, shake people’s hands and dance together. That’s a connection that only happens at a place like Eastside Lounge.”
As I watched him frequently mingling with guest between sets, step on the dance floor to serenade the dancing couples and flash his charismatic smile, I really had no choice but to be entranced. It’s the perfect place to finish off a romantic evening after dining at one Wynn’s fine dining establishments.
My travel, stay and some images were provided by Wynn Las Vegas for the purpose of this review, all opinions remain my own.
Wow! The Wynn is the definition of luxury. It is no wonder it won the Forbes Five Star award.
My husband always loved Vegas. You know where we found an amazing steak house? Circus Circus of all places. No joke. Top of the line, hard to beat… try it if you haven’t. :)