Wynn Las Vegas

Wynn Las Vegas
Location	Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
Address	3131 South Las Vegas Boulevard
Opening date	April 28, 2005 (April 28, 2005)
Theme	Imperfect Dreams Life Imitating Art
No. of rooms	2,716
Total gaming space	111,000 sq ft (10,300 m2)
Permanent shows	Le Rêve
Signature attractions	Ferrari / Maserati dealership Lake of Dreams Tryst Nightclub Wynn Golf Club
Notable restaurants	Allegro Andrea's Costa di Mare Lakeside by David Walzog Mizumi Okada SW Tableau Wing Lei
Owner	Wynn Resorts
Architect	Marnell Corrao Associates
Renovated in	2008 (villas) 2010 (Resort and Tower Suite Rooms)
Coordinates	36°07′43″N 115°9′59″W / 36.12861°N 115.16639°W / 36.12861; -115.16639
Website	wynnlasvegas.com

Wynn Las Vegas, often simply referred to as Wynn, is a luxury resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The US$2.7-billion resort is named after casino developer Steve Wynn and is the flagship property of Wynn Resorts. The resort covers 215 acres (87 ha). It is located at the northeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sands Avenue, directly across The Strip from the Fashion Show Mall.

The 614-foot (187 m)-high hotel has 49 floors, with the 2,716 rooms ranging in size from 640 sq ft (59 m²) to villas at 7,000 sq ft (650 m²). The complex also includes a 111,000 sq ft (10,300 m²) casino, a convention center with 223,000 sq ft (20,700 m²) of space and 76,000 sq ft (7,100 m²) of retail space. Together with the adjacent Encore, the entire Wynn resort complex has a total of 4,750 rooms, making it the world's seventh-largest hotel.

The resort has earned AAA five diamond, Mobil five-star, Forbes five-star, Michelin five star, and Zagat Survey Top U.S. Hotel^[1] ratings, as well as one Michelin star for its restaurant Wing Lei.^[2] It is considered to be one of the finest hotels in the world. Wynn Las Vegas and its sister property Encore Las Vegas collectively hold more Forbes five-star awards than any other resort and casino in the world. Wynn Las Vegas also made Forbes Award history by earning five-star ratings in every category—Hotel, Restaurant, and Spa—for two consecutive years.^[3] It has held the distinction of winning the award in the hotel sector every year since 2007. The building is the first high-rise to be cleaned by an automatic window washing system.^[4] The resort is named to the Condé Nast Traveller Gold List as one of the "Top Hotels in the World".^[5]

History

Steve Wynn first revealed plans of a 49-story, 2,455-room, and 514-foot resort and four-acre lake in August 2001. The project did not have a formal name and would be built on the site of the Desert Inn. The project's name was revealed on October 19, 2001, as "Le Rêve", meaning "the dream" in French.

To make way for the resort, the Desert Inn's main tower was imploded on October 23, 2001. The rest of the Desert Inn was imploded on November 17, 2004. The project included the redesigning of the historic Desert Inn golf course, which was renamed the Wynn Golf Club. The remainder of the property was acquired by purchasing private residences that were generally located along Paradise Avenue. While some owners sold early on, others held out. This resulted in numerous legal actions between the various parties. In the end, the site acquired totaled 215 acres (87 ha).

In June 2002, Steve Wynn filed for an IPO to help fund the project. Wynn hired Marnell Corrao Associates to design and build the resort. The resort was built at a cost of $2.7 billion, which made it the largest privately funded construction project in the nation. The name of the resort was changed from "Le Rêve" to "Wynn Las Vegas" on June 23, 2003.

Wynn Las Vegas opened on April 28, 2005, the same day as Steve Wynn's wife, Elaine Wynn's birthday, the 55th anniversary of the original Desert Inn opening, and five years from the day Wynn purchased the Desert Inn site. Early advertising for the resort featured exterior images of the hotel tower, with Wynn standing on the roof, just above his signature logo. The initial commercial aired in local markets during the 2005 Super Bowl, eventually being nationally broadcast as opening drew near. A "teaser" website for the resort included both the commercial and a "making-of" video.

The hotel runs a monthly magazine, called "WYNN", and is available in all guest rooms at both Wynn and Encore, as well as online.

On May 12 and 13, 2007, Wynn dealers voted 444–149 in favor of representation by the Transportation Workers Union. The vote is a result of controversial policy changes made by Wynn to share tips with floor staff.^[6]

Film history

Since the Wynn's completion, the resort and other hotels on the Strip has been shown in many films and television shows based on Las Vegas.

The resort is notably featured in the 2009 film 2012, where the film's main characters flee a destroyed Las Vegas by narrowly flying a plane similar to the Antonov An-225 between the crumbling Wynn and Encore towers as they collapse onto one another.

In addition, the Encore Theater was home to Beyoncé's sold-out I Am... Tour, which was featured in I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas, filmed from July 30 to August 2, 2009.

An action comedy film Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 starring Kevin James was entirely filmed at the casino. It is the first film ever shot on the property of Steve Wynn by his permission.^[7]

Features

In contrast to previous hotels built by Wynn, including Bellagio, The Mirage, and Treasure Island, there is no Las Vegas Strip attraction to draw in passers-by. At its opening, the Wynn was the tallest hotel building on the strip (a record which lasted two years). It was the first Vegas casino to feature a car dealership (Ferrari-Maserati).^[8] Other firsts:

• Combination of the room key and the casino frequent-player card into a single card.
• The world's largest distribution of HDTV into hotel rooms, using high-speed Cat-6 Ethernet cables.
• The largest installation of voice over IP technology for hotel phones.
• The first Las Vegas casino to install RFID tags inside chips to better detect counterfeiting.^[9]

Attractions

Penske-Wynn Ferrari-Maserati dealership

Wynn Las Vegas was the first resort to include a luxury car dealership. New cars include the Ferrari and Maserati brands. Used cars are sold "as-is" and include other luxury car brands, with some cars on display ranging in price from little more than $100,000 to $1.6 million. The dealership also includes parts and other car-wares.

Non-buying guests of the resort can go into the dealership to take a look around. When the resort opened, there was no fee to enter, but the dealership became so crowded that management began charging $10 for admission;^[10] registered Ferrari-Maserati owners are exempted from this fee, as well as children accompanying paying adults. The Penske-Wynn is one of the few casino car exhibits in the Las Vegas Valley. Other exhibits can be found at The Palazzo, Imperial Palace and Caesars Palace. However, the Penske-Wynn Ferrari-Maserati dealership along with Lamborghini Las Vegas showroom and dealership at The Palazzo are the only two casino/dealerships in the Las Vegas area.

The dealership is placed near the valet parking of the resort, so that people can look at the model cars while waiting for their own cars to arrive.

The dealership exhibit is set to close on Wednesday, October 14, 2015.

Lake of Dreams

In a departure from the trend established by The Mirage, which opened sidewalk attractions to draw in customers, Wynn Las Vegas is constructed so that visitors enter the building to view the attractions. The main attraction is a large, curtain waterfall behind a mountain that faces the strip. The waterfall falls into a 3 acres (1.2 ha) lake.

Wynn Paradise Park

The Wynn Paradise Park has been announced for 2020.^[11]

Shows

Le Rêve

The first production show to open was Le Rêve. Le Rêve is set in a 1 million gallon water-oriented theater where no seat is more than 40 ft (12 m) from the stage. The production was created by Franco Dragone.

Le Rêve was the working name of the resort before it was changed to Wynn Las Vegas. "Le Rêve" means "The Dream" in French, and the name of the centerpiece painting that Steve Wynn owned, Le Rêve by Picasso.

Most recently, Wynn Las Vegas bought the rights to the show from Dragone to make some changes, including the logo. Wynn now owns all rights to the show, with Dragone still in the label.

Avenue Q

Avenue Q, a Tony Award-winning puppet and people musical which enjoyed considerable success on Broadway, was the second production show to open at Wynn. It debuted on September 8, 2005, in the 1,200-seat Broadway Theatre and closed on May 28, 2006.

Monty Python's Spamalot

Spamalot, a Tony Award-winning comedic musical based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, opened for previews on March 8, 2007, at Grail Theater (formerly, The Broadway Theatre). The official run began on March 31, 2007, and starred John O'Hurley as King Arthur through September 26, 2007. The show closed on July 13, 2008.

Danny Gans

On April 17, 2008, Wynn Resorts announced that Mirage headliner Danny Gans would move to the resort in February 2009.^[12] Gans moved into the theater formerly used by both Avenue Q and Spamalot, which was renamed Encore Theater and is marketed as part of the Encore expansion. Gans performed there until his death on May 1, 2009.

Nightclubs

Tryst

Tryst was the main club located in Wynn Las Vegas, famous for having a 90 foot (27 m) waterfall and lagoon in the middle of the club. The nightclub closed its doors after a successful ten-year run on November 7, 2015. A new nightclub, Intrigue, took its place on April 29, 2016.^[13]

Blush Boutique Nightclub

Blush was a boutique lounge that opened on Labor Day 2007. Blush closed in 2011.

Restaurants

Shops and boutiques

Wynn Esplanade Shoppes

In Wynn Las Vegas

Amenities

Wynn Golf and Country Club

The Wynn Golf Course is the only golf course on the Las Vegas Strip, built on the site of the former Desert Inn course. It was designed by Steve Wynn and Tom Fazio, who previously worked together on the Shadow Creek Golf Club, in an exclusive neighborhood in nearby North Las Vegas.^[15]

Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas

The Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas consists of all suites in the separated southernmost section of the main tower. These 296 rooms, all suites have a private driveway with Rolls-Royce house cars and chauffeurs, as well as a private entrance with koi pond, a separate check-in area and elevators, and a private pool area. The hotel has since become popular among celebrities and the very wealthy. In 2006, The Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas was evaluated independently from the rest of the property by Mobil Travel Guide for their 2007 ratings. It was awarded the first ever Mobil Five-Star rating awarded to a hotel in Las Vegas and has since received numerous other five-star awards, making the Tower Suites one of the finest boutique hotels worldwide.^[16]

Encore

On April 28, 2006, Wynn celebrated its first anniversary by beginning construction of a second hotel tower.^[17] Called Encore, the tower was a $2.3 billion, 2,034-room hotel project adjacent to the existing resort and on the remaining frontage of Las Vegas Boulevard. Encore opened on December 22, 2008.

Future development

Golf course redevelopment

Wynn Resorts are developing a long-range master plan for the 142-acre (57 ha) golf course that will include a large mixed-use hotel, casino entertainment resort complex. The complex may include multiple waterfront hotels built around a lake offering water sports and other entertainment. The complex also may include multiple restaurants, retail offerings and entertainment venues. Wynn Resorts have not yet developed specific plans for such a complex, and there can be no assurance that such plans will be developed. Wynn Resorts cannot predict the cost of such a development or whether Wynn Resorts will be able to obtain the necessary financing for the development on suitable terms, if at all. It is not expected that any construction on the golf course land would begin before 2009.^[18]

Additional villas

In February 2007, Wynn Las Vegas submitted a request for approval to construct four additional villas on the South side of the property, which would bring the total number of villas to ten. The description of the new villas closely matches that of the six existing villas on the property.^[19]

Suite renovation

Wynn Las Vegas underwent significant renovation from August 2010 through April 2011, with close to 2,700 of the hotel's rooms and suites renovated. The total cost of the renovations, which also included a revamp of the Baccarat (card game) section in preparation for the winter holidays, cost US$99 million.

Wynn Paradise Park

Steve Wynn announced in April 2016 the development of a new $1.5 billion expansion project, currently called Wynn Paradise Park, which will include an additional hotel property holding 1,000 rooms and a lagoon that is over 35 acres which will include water skiing and other water sport activities. It is expected to open in 2020.^[20]

See also

• List of casinos in Nevada
• List of tallest buildings in Las Vegas

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wynn hotel (Las Vegas).

• Official website