Wikipedia

Encore Las Vegas

Encore Las Vegas(also calledEncore at Wynn Las Vegasor simplyEncore) is a luxuryresort,casinoand hotel located on theLas Vegas StripinParadise,Nevada.The resort is connected to its sister resort,Wynn Las Vegas,located directly south. Both are owned byWynn Resortsand located on the former site of theDesert Innresort, whichSteve Wynnpurchased and closed in 2000. Encore took the place of two Desert Inn hotel structures, the Palms and St. Andrews towers, both demolished in 2004. Construction of Encore began on April 28, 2006, the first anniversary of Wynn Las Vegas' opening. The Encore project, built byTutor Saliba,cost $2.3 billion. It opened on December 22, 2008.

Encore Las Vegas
Encore Las Vegas is located in Las Vegas Strip
Encore Las Vegas
Encore Las Vegas is located in Nevada
Encore Las Vegas
LocationParadise, Nevada,U.S.
Address3121 SouthLas Vegas Boulevard
Opening dateDecember 22, 2008;15 years ago(December 22, 2008)
No.of rooms2,034
Total gaming space72,000 sq ft (6,700 m2)
Signature attractionsEncore Beach Club
XS nightclub
Notable restaurantsSinatra
Wazuzu
OwnerWynn Resorts
ArchitectWimberly Allison Tong & Goo,[1]Michael Hong[2]
Renovated in2010, 2015
Coordinates36°07′39″N115°09′58″W/ 36.1274003°N 115.166211°W/36.1274003; -115.166211

The 48-story hotel tower includes 2,034 rooms, and the resort also offers 72,000 sq ft (6,700 m2) of gaming space, as well as the Encore Esplanade retail area. In addition, it has several restaurants, including one dedicated to singerFrank Sinatra.The resort has also had several clubs, two of which were added in 2010, marking the completion of the Wynn resort complex. The property includes the Encore Theater, originally built for Wynn Las Vegas and now located in between the two resorts. Encore has received numerous accolades, including theAAA Five Diamond Awardand the Five Star award fromForbes Travel Guide.

History

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Encore is a sister property toWynn Las Vegas,[3]which consists of a single hotel tower. By February 2004, ownerSteve Wynnhad decided to build a second tower with 1,300 rooms, for an approximate total of 4,000. This would help make the Wynn complex more competitive among other expanding resorts on theLas Vegas Strip.[4][5]

Construction of Encore's hotel tower, December 2007

The Wynn complex was built on the former site of theDesert Innresort, which was purchased and closed by Steve Wynn in 2000. The last remaining hotel structures of the Desert Inn – the Palms and St. Andrews towers – were imploded in November 2004, making way for Encore.[6][7]It was originally planned only as a hotel tower with a boutique casino, although the strength of the economy prompted Wynn to expand the project,[8][9][10]adding restaurants and convention space, among other features.[11]Encore would be targeted at a higher-end clientele compared with that of Wynn Las Vegas.[8]

Wynn Resortssold $400 million in stock to help finance Encore,[12]which cost a total of $2.3 billion.[13]Groundbreaking took place on April 28, 2006, the first anniversary of Wynn Las Vegas' opening.[14][15]Tutor Saliba,based in California, served as the general contractor.[10]A nine-story Desert Inn parking garage, the last remainder of the resort's structures, was imploded on March 6, 2007, as construction progressed on Encore.[16]

Encore was expected to employ more than 5,000 people,[17][18]with approximately 1,400 relocating from Wynn Las Vegas.[19]As with the original resort, Steve Wynn starred in a commercial for Encore featuring him on the roof of the new hotel's tower. The commercial was directed byBrett Ratner.[20][21][22]

Encore opened at 8:00 p.m. on December 22, 2008.[13][23]More than 1,000 people attended the opening.[24]Due to the period'seconomic downturn,the opening was designed to be more subdued compared with that of previous resorts.[25]At the opening, Steve Wynn gavehigh rollersa few million dollars to make the initial bets and initiated the action by declaring over a microphone, "Let the games begin!"; the start of gambling was accompanied by a recording ofFrank Sinatra's "Luck Be a Lady Tonight".[26]

The resort opened with one nightclub, and two other clubs were added in May 2010, replacing the resort's existing porte-cochere at a cost of $68 million.[27][28]The project included a new pedestrian entrance and landscaping, both along the Strip. With these additions finished, Wynn declared that the $5.2 billion Wynn complex was now complete.[29]

A fight involving 15 to 20 people broke out at Encore in September 2020, prompting Wynn Resorts to file a lawsuit.[30]The resort subsequently increased its security and added temporary metal detectors on weekends.[31]

Features

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A suite at Encore
Table games

During the design phase, Wynn Resorts consulted withForbes Travel Guidein hopes of attaining its five-star rating.[32]Encore was designed to attract an upper-class clientele,[26]competing with other upcoming luxury resort projects such asCityCenterandCosmopolitan.[32]DeRuyter Butler was the chief architect.[33]Jerry Beale, senior vice president of design, described Encore as "the flirty younger sister" of Wynn Las Vegas.[13]The interior design was handled by Roger Thomas,[34]who is a butterfly enthusiast.[35]Flower and butterfly designs are prominent throughout the resort.[19][34]Thomas's passion for butterflies intrigued Wynn, prompting their inclusion in the design.[35]

The Encore hotel tower is nearly identical to the one at Wynn Las Vegas, both using bronze glass.[34]The Encore tower is 48 stories,[36]although its top floor is labeled "63". Due to bad-luck superstitions among gamblers, the tower skips the 13th floor (triskaidekaphobia) and those containing the number 4 (tetraphobia).[26][37]Encore opened with 2,034 hotel rooms.[38][13][19]The rooms were remodeled in 2015,[39]and a $200 million hotel renovation project was announced for both Wynn and Encore in 2021.[40]

Like Wynn Las Vegas, Encore also features natural lighting in certain areas of the resort,[26][41]an uncommon trait for casinos.[37]Other notable design elements include red chandeliers above the casino floor,[34][35]which contains 72,000 sq ft (6,700 m2) of gaming space.[13]Upon opening, the casino also had five gaming salons on the hotel's top floor. The salons, reserved for high rollers, offered table games such asbaccaratand floor-to-ceiling views.[37]Arace and sports bookwas added in 2017.[42]

The resort opened with 27,000 sq ft (2,500 m2) of retail space at the Encore Esplanade,[26]featuring 11 upscale retailers such asChanel,HermesandRock and Republic.[13][43]Designed by Dan Barteluce, the Encore Esplanade consists of an indoor walkway connecting to Wynn Las Vegas, with lattice ceilings providing natural lighting.[26][43]The resort also opened with a 61,000 sq ft (5,700 m2) spa.[35]

Restaurants

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Lounge area at Andrea's

Encore opened with five restaurants, including Sinatra; it serves as a tribute to the singer, who was friends with Wynn.[13][26][44]The Italian restaurant features various personal memorabilia that once belonged to Sinatra.[44]A French restaurant, Switch, featured a rotating decor; walls would retract into the ceiling every 30 minutes, allowing for a new one to descend.[32][26]Victor Drai,a nightclub operator for the Wynn complex, also opened Botero Steak, named after artistFernando Botero.[45]Other dining establishments included Society Cafe, and the Asian restaurant Wazuzu, the latter overseen by chefJet Tila.[26]

Society Cafe closed in 2015,[46]along with Botero Steak.[47]Following a renovation, the latter reopened at the end of the year as Jardin (French for "Garden" ).[48][49]Switch operated until 2012.[50]Andrea's, an Asian restaurant and lounge named after Wynn's wife Andrea Hissom, opened in its place in 2013. The lounge area included an LED screen image of Hissom's eyes.[51][52][53]It closed in 2020 and was replaced by Elio, marking the first Mexican restaurant for the Wynn complex.[54][55]A new Mexican restaurant, Casa Playa, opened in its place the following year.[56]

Clubs

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Drai, who operated the Tryst nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas, was again recruited to run the XS nightclub at Encore.[57]XS, measuring 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2),[58]was designed as Encore's top attraction.[13][45]It included access to a pool area which had 29 cabanas,[26]as well as topless sunbathing.[58]

Encore Beach Club

Encore Beach Club, a 55,000 sq ft (5,100 m2) pool complex for adults,[59]opened in May 2010. It was joined by a new 5,000 sq ft (460 m2) nightclub known as Surrender, which connected to the beach club.[60][61][62]Both were managed bySean Christie's Las Vegas Nightlife Group, which also operated the Blush nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas.[63]XS and Surrender later became some of the top-grossing nightclubs in the United States.[64]

Later in 2010, rapperLil Jonsigned a DJ residency at Surrender.[65]Swedish DJAlessohas also performed there and at Encore Beach Club.[66]The ChainsmokersandKygoeach began ongoing residencies at XS in 2017.[67]Performing artists are managed by Jared Garcia.[68][69]Later that year the position of artist relations was taken over by David Hadden.[70][71]By 2018, Encore Beach Club had taken over the Surrender space.[72]

Shows

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Further information:Wynn Las Vegas § Other shows and entertainers

The Wynn complex has two theaters, including the Encore Theater. It was originally built as part of Wynn Las Vegas and is located between the two resorts.[73]It has 1,480 seats,[74]and has hosted numerous entertainers, includingDanny Gans,[73]Beyoncé,[75]andGarth Brooks.[76]

Accolades

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In a 2009 review forThe New York Times,Brooks Barnes wrote, "Until the economy improves, the opulent hotel will come across a bit like a boom-times relic. But there's always a market for quality, and Encore offers that in spades".[77]That year,Travel + Leisurenamed it among the 45 best new hotels. The magazine praised Encore's natural lighting and indoor plant life, stating that both features make the expansive public spaces feel "downright cozy".[78]

At the end of 2009, Encore received theAAA Five Diamond Award,[79]as well as the Five Star award fromForbes Travel Guide.The two spas at the Wynn complex were also the only ones in the state to have five-star ratings.[80]The complex has since been a repeat winner of both awards.[81]Encore is among the three largest Forbes Five-Star resorts in the world, along with Wynn Las Vegas andWynn Palacein Macau.[82]In 2017, readers ofCondé Nast Travelernamed Wynn Las Vegas and Encore as the best hotel property in the city, noting the high level of luxury.[83][84]

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  • Encore during construction, January 2008
  • Wynn and Encore on opening day as seen fromThe Palazzo
  • Encore and Wynn seen from the east, withTrump International Hotel Las Vegasin the center
  • Tower view from Las Vegas Boulevard
  • New pedestrian entrance at Encore
  • Close-up of entrance
  • Encore Beach Club, seen from the Strip at night
  • Hotel lobby
  • Encore Esplanade

See also

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References

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  1. ^Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo,Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, May 2008, Accessed January 6, 2009
  2. ^"Michael Hong Architects | Encore, Las Vegas".www.mhongarchitects.com.
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  6. ^Jones, Chris; Smith, Rod (November 17, 2004)."Another bit of yesterday blown away".Las Vegas Review-Journal.Archived fromthe originalon December 8, 2004.
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