Something New: Wynn Las Vegas

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Wynn Las Vegas

Ever since I found out Steve Wynn wasn’t going to let the press in early to check out his new hotel, I’ve been wondering why he’d do such a thing. When movie studios won’t let reviewers see a film before it’s released, it always means one thing: the flick’s a big dud. But a new Las Vegas destination is not a movie, and its fortunes do not rest on a high box-office first weekend. A 2.7 billion-dollar baby needs a lot more than that to pay its debts. I just couldn’t believe Steve Wynn had produced an Ishtar. So why would he want to risk miffing journalists?

Fanciful mosaics

The question was still occupying my brain when I finally made my first visit to the grand new occupant of the old Desert Inn site. Steve Wynn’s not stupid, I was thinking as I pulled into a space on the top level of the self-park garage, so it must be hubris. He has, after all, compared his new project to the pyramids, and names like Michelangelo roll off his tongue when he speaks of the artwork. The gods might be less wrathful, it seems to me, if he let those words emerge from other people’s mouths.

Rising & descending parasols

The parking garage, I am happy to report, is just as nicely designed as the one at the Bellagio, and it even has electronic signs above the entrances to each level announcing how many spaces are available. The elevators to the casino also begged a Bellagio comparison, and the temptation to continue drawing such parallels continued as I entered the public area. Like the Bellagio, every surface has been finished with such creative exuberance I wished I had a swivel head. Walls are covered in everything from ripply traffeta and woven grass to metal, glass, and “what is that?” Fabulous mosaics cover the floors, along with cut marble, terrazzo, and carpet so lovely you can almost forget that it’s industrial strength. The flower arrangements are original, and the light fixtures are captivating. Even the door hinges and drape tie-backs are worth a close look. If Steve Wynn does anything well, it’s his attention to detail without losing track of the whole.

Is there a way to describe the whole in a word or two? Oddly, the word “understated” comes to mind, even though everything about Wynn Las Vegas is decidedly over the top. The mountain, the waterfalls, the instant forest of mature pine trees-it’s difficult to explain how all this can evoke a feeling of understatement. Add in the lobby full of giant “parasols” twisting, turning, rising, and falling. Tack on a Ferrari dealership, a broad interior boulevard of high-end boutiques, a dozen fancy restaurants, and a pool the Sun King would love. It will take me many more visits to figure out how it’s possible, but somehow all this excess comes together to create an ambience that is seductively personal. I’m always impressed by the Bellagio, but I’ve never had a hankering to stay there. The Wynn resort, in contrast, made me want to stay a week.

Ferraris & Maserartis & Bentleys,
oh, my!

I did stay for breakfast, which I enjoyed at the Terrace Pointe Café overlooking the swimming pool. The china was Rosenthal, the coffee was excellent, and even though I ate oatmeal, the tab was close to $20 by the time I was done. But I already knew that Wynn resorts aren’t good choices for the budget-minded.

After checking out the restrooms, which have stall doors far nicer than most confessionals, lovely marble floors, and unusual trough-like sinks made of granite, I wandered through the casino. Again, I was reminded of the Bellagio, although the color scheme is decidedly different. Where the Bellagio is peachy and pastel, the Wynn resort is lobster red and periwinkle blue. The designs in the mosaic floors, which have a meandering, undersea feel to them, are repeated on walls and ceilings. They’re happy designs. I found myself smiling.

Pool worthy of a French monarch

As I left, the question popped into my head again. Why no previews for reporters? It’s still possible that there was some hubris in Steve Wynn’s decision, but I’m convinced there was something else besides. By preventing a shotgun barrage of opening-day reviews, he’s forced a slower response. There’s some wisdom in that, because Wynn Las Vegas really is different from the theme park-style resorts of yesteryear. It deserves more than a glib word or two, and it can’t be appreciated in a single visit. Well, maybe if you stayed a week…

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