Las Vegas
Nevada


The Experience

Developer Steve Wynn has had his finger in nearly every pie on the Las Vegas Strip at one time or another. His eponymous 2005 hotel was meant to change the standard of luxury, and this it does, in an unorthodox way: With rooms flooded in natural light, a pervasive botanical theme and a culinary program that serves as an incubator for ever more celebrity chefs, this casino hotel doesn't exactly encourage guests to spend their entire time at the tables. Even remembering you're on the Strip might be tough, since a 140-feet mountain covered with trees sequesters guests from the street (and hides the spaceship-shaped Fashion Show Mall from view).

The Rooms

Rooms in Las Vegas don't suffer from a space shortage, and, true to form, the smallest rooms in Wynn Las Vegas are a capacious 620 square feet, topping out at a massive 7,000 square feet in the six villas. Rooms are tricked out with flat-screen televisions, marble bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows with automatic drapery controls. The best deal is to pay a premium of $50 to $70 over a regular room for a Tower Suite in chocolate and cream, with attendant privileges, such as private check-in, a special valet entrance and access to two VIP pools.

The Service

With thousands of employees, the service at Wynn Las Vegas still manages to be smooth. Cocktail service is brisk, friendly and efficient (though true to Las Vegas form, it can be too friendly; one server offered a male friend in our party her phone number). Valets run like clockwork; the longest wait is about five minutes. An expansive check-in room with multiple lines keeps waiting time to a minimum. Still, for special dispensations such as early check-in, late check-out and concierges that truly do treat you like a VIP, reserving a Tower Suite room is worth the premium.

The Highlights

Like most casino hotels in Las Vegas, Wynn is a self-contained city -- only this city has nothing but the highest-end shopping (Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik, Cartier and Chanel are neighbors in the shopping esplanade), the only golf course on the Strip (18 holes, designed by Tom Fazio), and even a car dealership (Ferrari Maserati, naturally). Its restaurants, including the French Riviera–-style cuisine of Alessandro Stratta (Alex), Daniel Boulud Brasserie, and the French-influenced Shanghai and Szechuan food at Wing Lei, have all helped to brighten the already dazzling Vegas culinary spotlight. For a special treat, blow your winnings at Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, where chef Paul Bartolotta flies in impeccably fresh fish (acquadelle, moleche, orata) daily from the north Adriatic.

-- Andrea Bennett

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