Inside Encore
Photo Courtesy of Wynn Resort Holdings LLC
Renovations on Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Wynn Las Vegas’s Four-Star Encore and Five-Star Encore Tower Suites that began this summer are expected to be ready for a fall unveiling. The project includes updated furnishings, floor coverings, technological enhancements, aesthetic updates and custom bed linens. While the rooms are at the heart of the renovations, changes to dining and nightlife at the property have already begun to take hold, too. Put it all together and you have six great reasons to have Vegas’ Encore on fall’s must-stay list.
A Subtle Yet Significant Rooms Reno
Dropping your bags at the door, you might not notice the custom manufactured 507-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets — a $9-million investment. And it might not be until you get home and try Molton Brown’s coco- and tonka bean-fragranced toiletries that you discover the four-decades-old London brand created its first bespoke hotel collection just for Wynn Resorts guests. And that’s just the start: Look for upgraded 55-inch televisions, conveniently placed USB ports and outlets, environmental controls within reach of the bed, granite countertops and custom-woven floor coverings. All this luxury comes courtesy of Architectural Digest Top 100 designer Roger Thomas and the team at Wynn Design & Development. Oh, and those one-of-a-kind bed linens can be yours by picking up a set at the resort shop in the Wynn Esplanade or at Homestore in the Encore Esplanade.
Sake Sommelier Melissa Nguyen, Photo Courtesy of Karl Larson
The Many Joys of Sake
Someone else who’s taken her career to the next level is Four-Star Andrea’s sake sommelier, Melissa Nguyen, one of only 180 Level II sake specialists in the world. Nguyen’s certification, presented by the Sake Education Council, signifies a substantially higher level of understanding of all things sake, ranging from production methods to variations. To fully experience what it means to be in the hands of such an expert, allow Nguyen to guide you through the sake ordering experience and offer helpful tips about sake service. Nguyen will then pair the restaurant’s selections with the full-range of Asian flavors executive chef Joseph Elevado delivers with his dishes.
Where to Dress for XS
Speaking of shopping, the new Wynn Collection boutique is now open in the Fairway Esplanade across from La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway. The shop features a large selection of designer women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, accessories, makeup and fragrances. Textured cream walls and gold accents highlight exquisite handbags by Judith Leiber, Analeena and VBH, as well as a variety of classic-contemporary Philip Treacy hats exclusive to Wynn Collection. Got a last-minute invite to Four-Star Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare or XS Nightclub? Pick up a gown by Indian-American Naeem Khan, whose designs have been worn by the likes of Beyoncé, Carrie Underwood and First Lady Michelle Obama, or grab something by Alaia, Valentino, Jason Wu or Prada. Men can suit up in John Varvatos, Bugatchi and Ermenegildo Zegna. Louboutin, Valentino and Charlotte Olympia footwear can complete the look. Now you’re ready to hit the clubs!
There’s Never Too Much Tech
Pretty and smart — that’s nightclub XS now that the nightclub has completed its $10-million redesign featuring cutting-edge technology and top-of-the-line production elements. Look for flames that soar above the roof of the pool deck; 14,000 LED lights and moveable video screens surrounding the DJ booth; a double kabuki drop with projection-mapped, state-of-the-art video content that allows for dramatic headliner entrances; enhanced outdoor lighting for a seamless indoor-outdoor transition; and marquee-style string lights that form a pixel-mapped detail over the pool. You won’t be able to see so much as you will experience four new full-color crowd scanning lasers and a unique video screen design over the DJ booth, incorporating a three-dimensional cubic layout.
Botero, Photo Courtesy of Wynn Resort Holdings LLC
Resto Revision
Get your final fix of filet with chimichurri sauce: Botero Restaurant will close on November 1, to make way for a new concept in the space next to XS. In a sort of game of leapfrog, Botero’s former executive chef, Mark LoRusso, recently decamped to take over Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare from departing chef Paul Bartolotta. (That restaurant’s name will change to just Ristorante di Mare.) Replacing LoRusso at Botero is Joseph Zanelli, who was part of the opening Wynn culinary team, at one time serving as executive chef of in-room dining under chef David Walzog, chef de cuisine at Lakeside and as executive chef at Four-Star The Country Club. There is no official word yet as to what will replace Botero, but rumors point toward something other than another trendy steakhouse.
Spin Your Wheels
Rounding out a decadent stay — literally — is the newest over-the-top bottle-service presentation from the clearly creative and not-encumbered-by-convention team at Encore Beach Club. The Star of the Show VIP package really gets rolling when a 10-foot mechanical Ferris wheel full of bikini-clad cocktail servers showers you and your party with 20 bottles of bubbly from their revolving perches. Accompanying music, cryo fog and confetti cannons complete the effect while you make like Santa and hand out glasses of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé from a six-liter Methuselah. And the cost of such a show? Well, if you have to ask…
