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| - I had stayed at the original Wynn tower a couple of times, and while there's a lot there to like, there were still some things I didn't care for. The casino and layout are confusing, the rooms are a little much in terms of decor, etc. But with Encore, Wynn and his team really hit their stride. Just about everything at this place works, and it's probably become my favorite Vegas hotel, just above THEhotel at Mandalay Bay.
Public areas: Red, red, red. It works in the casino and check-in area in a way it didn't in the rooms at Wynn. It's vivid and exciting; the design is a stunner... well, except for those ugly red chandeliers that look like huge upside-down spiders. Otherwise, bravo. The casino layout is the easiest to navigate in any Vegas mega-property. You can actually see all the way from one end to the other of what is basically a big rectangle, and the two long sides have natural light and outside views. There are restaurants and lounges arranged around the perimeter--no following signs around corners and meandering casino paths to find anything.
Spa/Pool: The fitness center is pretty much what you would expect--big, with plenty of machines of all types. The spa waiting area is a stunner. It looks like the living room of an Arabian prince with great taste. The interior is great as well--the plunge pool area has a huge tile wall with a copper cherry tree mosaic. Just gorgeous. There are also heated tiled lounge chairs which vibrate slightly. It would be easy to lose an afternoon dozing on one of those. There's a $30 daily use fee, which is outlandish but about the norm for Vegas. The pool is not a match for Mandalay Bay's [still the best in town], but it's nice in its own right with plenty of lounge chairs; even on a busy weekend, we were able to find a couple of chairs together with no problem. Drink service was frequent and efficient. The European [topless] pool is pretty much the same as the main pool, only with a huge center bar. Guys, sorry to say there was only one pair of assets on display the day I was there. Don't know how well this European bathing trend is catching on.
Rooms: Much calmer and more relaxing than the public areas. Mostly in the beige family, but there were plenty of accent touches to give it character. There's rough-textured houndstooth wallpaper behind the mini-bar armoire and rust colored wallpaper behind the beds and on the entry-way ceiling. The L-shaped sofa is a great touch and the sitting area is huge. Of course, everything is remote-controlled from the bedside. I might question the choice of painting over the sofa, which is basically three big white circles on a black background, but whatever. If you've stayed at THEhotel, Venetian/Palazzo, or Bellagio, then you know what to expect in the bathrooms. Very plush and spacious, but not necessarily distinctive. We had a double-bed room with a spectacular view over the Wynn tower, the pools, the golf course, and part of the strip. We were on the 57th floor and didn't hear a peep from the nightclub, which some others have complained about. Room numbers that end in even numbers are strip view.
Restaurants: A very nice selection, and we made a stop at all of them except Switch. Went to the bar at Sinatra, which has great appetizers [main course menu didn't intrigue me that much] and a polished bar staff who made fine traditional cocktails and are always ready with a suggestion. There's also a very cool huge model ship hanging over the bar. Wazuzu has the spectacular crystal dragon along one wall and a fine pan-Asian menu. Society cafe was good for breakfast and the Lobby Cafe and Bar is just off check-in if you can't even make it to the elevators before you need a drink. Best of all is steakhouse Botero, which was slam-packed the night we were there but still offered tremendous quality on every course. The bone-in NY Strip is something special, as is the salmon with Meyer lemon appetizer and the side of truffled corn pudding. Deserts are more creative than anything, so choose carefully if you're a dessert traditionalist. There's also a great bar up front here; if Kirk the bar manager is working, ask him to make you his martini with pear vodka and elderflower liqueur.
Random notes: It's a pretty easy walk to Wynn down a hallway by the theaters, past a shopping arcade where they would turn you upside down and shake the money out of your pockets. Won $165 in ten minutes at a single-deck blackjack game, but I promise I didn't let that influence my review. Nothing here is a particular bargain, but I wasn't expecting it to be, so...
Elsewhere on the Strip: You can skip the bar at the Trump tower. Dull. The wine list at Mix at THEhotel isn't as good as it used to be, but the food is. CityCenter is getting near completion on the exterior, and is just enormous. Can't say it really advances architecture on the Strip, though.
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