Encore Las Vegas

About

Wynn is where Las Vegas puts on its best suit. When the resort opened in 2005 on the site of the legendary Desert Inn, Steve Wynn set out to build a luxury hotel that felt different from the themed fantasy worlds surrounding it. No pyramids. No canals. No Roman emperors. Just polished marble, bronze glass, fresh flowers, and an almost obsessive attention to detail. The first impression is undeniably strong. The curved tower remains one of the most elegant buildings on the Strip. Inside, sunlight pours through vast windows onto floral displays that are replaced throughout the year by an in house team. Outside, waterfalls tumble down a man made mountain surrounded by mature trees. Maintaining a landscape like this in the Mojave Desert is almost as extravagant as building the hotel itself. Yet the most interesting thing about Wynn is not the luxury. It is the ambition behind it. The resort sits on some of the most valuable land in America. Behind the hotel lies a golf course occupying acreage that could have generated far greater profits as additional hotel towers. In classic American fashion, the answer was simply to build both a luxury resort and a golf course. Why choose? Wynn also rewards people who enjoy observing rather than gambling. At breakfast, you might spot a poker professional finishing his day while a family starts theirs. A convention executive walks past someone carrying shopping bags large enough to furnish a small apartment. Few places offer such a curious cross section of America. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, though the real sweet spot is Encore. The atmosphere is calmer, the suites feel more residential, and returning there after an evening on the Strip is surprisingly satisfying. Wynn has the better gardens, restaurants, and public spaces. Encore is where you sleep. What Wynn Encore delivers better than almost anywhere else in Las Vegas is comfort. What it does not deliver is a strong sense of Nevada or any particular connection to local culture. This is not a hotel that tells you where you are. It is a hotel that tells you what America can build when imagination, confidence, and a very large budget come together.