When Was The Wynn Built In Las Vegas
Open since 2005, the Wynn is one of Las Vegas’ finest jewels. Built by Steve Wynn, the same man who built the Bellagio and the Mirage, the Wynn has the most upscale aura in town and it feels as much like a mansion as a casino.
The main theme of Wynn casino is that it is simply gorgeous, using red as its primary color. Red is the color of the walls, slot chairs, tables and many of the staff uniforms. On top of the decor, the Wynn features numerous views of gardens, lakes, and waterfalls both inside and outside the casino.
Wynn Las Vegas Hotel-Casino Several older hotels were imploded in the late 1990's to make room for new mega-resorts catering to the big spender. The Dunes became the Bellagio; the Sands became the Venetian, the Hacienda became the Mandalay Bay and the Desert Inn became the new Wynn Las Vegas mega-resort. Wynn Las Vegas, or simply the Wynn, is a 2,716-room mega-resort, hotel and casino located on 3131 South Las Vegas Boulevard on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The resort was built by businessman Steve Wynn and opened on April 25, 2005.
The Wynn draws in a ton of tourists that are either staying here or just want to see what the hype is all about. Given all the party options there are at Wynn, it can get pretty rowdy at night. It’s also one of the most preferred casinos for high limit gamblers, and because everything about the Wynn is top notch, plenty of locals hang out there too.
The Wynn is located on the Northern side of Las Vegas Blvd just across from Palazzo. As you go further north, it’s a bit of a walk till you reach the next casino. By the time you do, you’ll have passed a great spot to get some late night inexpensive chow in Tacos El Gordo, along with some souvenir stores and other local shopping. However, this area of town is a bit seedy. The areas to avoid in Las Vegas are the edges of the strip, and that’s kind of what this is because of the large gap between casinos.
The general rule is the further you go north the more seedy Las Vegas gets, and the Wynn is essentially the cutoff point to where the North begins. So, its location isn’t the best because even if you walk south towards the central part of the strip, while it’s only a short a while to get there it still requires that extra effort.
This is important to consider because the hotel, while it’s affordable, it is not exactly cheap. If your plan is to explore the strip and not spend much time in the room, then we advise staying at one of the many hotels smack in the middle of the action because several of them are relatively inexpensive. If you want to stay mainly in one fantastic casino with a majestic room then you can do no better than the Wynn.
Self-parking is accessed off the strip and valet is one block east of the strip on Sands Avenue. Each service charges based on how long you stay, but if you’ve gambled or played enough poker in the last year either or both services could be free. If you are new to the Wynn but are planning to gamble a lot, you can inquire about getting your parking validated.
Casino at Wynn
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The gaming floor is a massive 189,000 square feet in which there are multiple pits. Smoke is controlled very well, and the floor is totally wide open and visible which is nice because some casino floors have all kinds of twists and turns. This can potentially cause you to finally stumble on the table you wanted after you thought you’d already seen them all.
As it is the standard for a top tier casino, most of the table minimum bets are at least $15 and they do not do you any favors with the payouts and odds.
Baccarat
You’ll have no problem finding a baccarat game as this game has its own large, dedicated section. Minimums were $100 for its Commission-Free game. This seemed a little high, but we were told $50 tables open at 8 PM.
Blackjack
Blackjack pays 6-5 for its $15 tables, but you can get 3-2 on its $100, $50, and $25 tables. The dealer must hit on soft 17 at all tables.
The 6-5 and 3-2 tables are separated in different pits, but we noticed something strange. We saw a $25 table in the 3-2 pit, and we also saw one in the 6-5 pit. The 3-2 allowed a $10,000 max and the 6-5 allowed only $5,000 but it still didn’t make any sense, so we asked. Normally that $25 table is a $15 table, hence the 6-5 payout. They moved the minimum up to $25 that particular day because all of its players sat down with $25 chips. So those players were unknowingly getting ripped off on the blackjack payout.
Seeing all this just goes to show how little casinos might care about its customers since they so willingly allowed these players to short themselves. The players certainly could have asked about a 3-2 payout, so it also speaks volumes as to how little some gamblers, know, care, or pay attention to what they are doing.
Nevertheless, if you are gambling you might as well get the biggest payout you are entitled to. And since this casino isn’t willing to tell you anything beneficial unless you ask, we advise you be careful.
Craps
We were happy to see craps could be played with $10 or $15 minimums but it only pays double odds, and this is the worst payout in town. The standard odds are 3-4-5, but you must play the $25 table to get them.
Roulette
Standard double zero roulette can be played for $15 or $25 minimums. There is also a virtual roulette game with a live wheel for $5 near the slots but know that it’s all in Chinese.
At nighttime the Wynn will also spin a triple zero roulette wheel for $15. The difference in adding the third zero is simple: The house has an even bigger edge. This begs the question then why offer triple zero roulette? For the same reason they raised limits on the 6-5 tables for the aforementioned blackjack players. To see if they’ll notice they’re scamming themselves.
In the case of roulette, there is nothing about the casino to criticize since triple zero roulette is a far newer concept than 6-5 blackjack. But players really should notice this difference and realize they’re needlessly burning extra money, but once again they either don’t know or don’t care. It’s really amazing that this is how it is, and that this freeroll experiment actually worked out for the house, but the Wynn is not the only casino to attempt this.
The only reason one should ever play triple zero roulette is if they want to bet the zeros which pays 11-1 (actual odds are 13-1). Otherwise it’s the definition of wasting money.
Other Wynn Table Games
– Casino War ($15 minimum)
– Three Card Poker ($15 minimum)
– Ultimate Texas Hold’em Progressive ($15, $25 or $100 minimum)
– Crazy 4 Poker Progressive ($25 minimum)
– Let It Ride ($10 minimum)
– High Card Flush ($15 minimum)
– Fortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive ($25 minimum)
– Pai Gow Tiles ($50 minimum)
– Big Wheel ($5 minimum**)
**The Big Wheel tables at Wynn have the highest minimum in town, you can usually find this for $1 or $2)
This is a solid mixed game selection, although none of them are challenging to find elsewhere except for War. Given how large the space is, there are always plenty of tables open.
High Limit Table Games Room at Wynn
The Wynn cares about its big gamblers, so it has a very large, quiet, and secluded room to accommodate them. There are many baccarat tables which start at $300 minimums. 6-deck blackjack has a $100 minimum in which the dealer must stand on all soft 17. There are two single zero roulette wheels for $100, and there is even a craps table but it is only available upon request.
How Much Did It Cost To Build Wynn Las Vegas
Slots at Wynn
We don’t know the exact number of slots, but we estimate there are at least 2,000 machines. They begin at a penny slots and limits are available in all the standard denominations including $1, $2, $5, $10, $25, $100 and even higher. Their slot game selection is wide and include many of the most games along with some distinct ones. Some of there most popular titles include Top Dollar, Buffalo Gold, Cleopatra, Willy Wonka, Wheel of Fortune, Megabucks, Monopoly, Lock it Link and The Walking Dead.
High Limit Slots Room at Wynn
High limit slots players have a large quiet area that allows some light to shine in from the beautiful garden located right outside. By that window there is also a section to lounge around in with a big screen TV. There is a mix of new video slots along with the traditional machines like Cleopatra and Wheel of Fortune. Limits start at $5 and rise to $10, $25, $50, $100, $200, $500, and $1,000 a pull, but the highest limits are only offered on the traditional slot.
A view of the high limit slots room from our last visit:
While the high limit section is mostly slots, video poker players will still find a wide enough selection of games and limits of $1, $2, $5, $10, $25, $50, and $100.
Video Poker at Wynn
Along with the video poker games at bars which you can play for comped drinks, there are many sections of video poker all around the casino. You’ll find whatever game you want and limits often stay between a quarter and $1, but there are also many $2 and $5 machines along with some $10 and $25. Limits go as low as a nickel and many of the games give you the choice of 3-5 betting limits which you can change at any time, but other games may be exclusively for $5. Most bar video poker games are capped at $1 or $5, but some of the B Bar games allow you to bet up to $25.
Sportsbook at Wynn
One of its finest attractions, the newly renovated Wynn sportsbook is the very best on the strip. It will always be active and is guaranteed to fill up for big games. Unless you are sitting in the very back, it is away from casino noise, and the back is also the only area where you are allowed to smoke. There is a full video poker bar behind the sportsbook, and right behind that is Charlie’s Bar & Grill which also has a ton of TVs and will deliver food to the sportsbook.
Seating is comprised of dozens of premium red leather swivel chairs along with plenty of desk space seats that have granite countertops and their own TV. VIP seating is also available for either big bettors or those who will buy the one or two drink minimum. The VIP seats are in the back. They have their own roped off space made up of spacious chairs couches.
The sound quality is loud and clear and the picture quality for the many TVs, giant screen and small are great. Horse players are accommodated just as much as sports bettors, and the betting board is large and easy to read.
A view of the Wynn Sportsbook from our last visit:
Obtaining free drinks isn’t exactly cheap, but you can do a lot worse than the Wynn; you must wager at least $150 for sports or $20 for horses to receive a drink ticket. These hefty amounts reduce drinks to a mere throw-in, but this is now the norm.
If you’re going to be late or don’t have time to drop in on the sportsbook, you can open an account right inside the sportsbook for free and download the Wynn sports betting app. Here you’ve got access to all the lines, however, if you want to bet horse racing you need to create a separate account. Betting on games after they have started, known as live betting is still not available.
Hotel at Wynn
This magnificent 5-star hotel is sure to satisfy. There are over 2,700 rooms with its standard room starting at 640 square feet. Larger rooms with panoramic views of Las Vegas are also available as well as Bed & Breakfast. During the week these rooms start at $170 and get over $200, and they can double on the weekends. Sizable discounts are offered if you become a Wynn Insider.
When Was The Wynn Built In Las Vegas Nm
In addition to the room rate is the tax inclusive $44.22 nightly and mandatory resort fee. This is the highest fee on the strip and doesn’t include anything worth talking about beyond Internet, fitness center, and pool access.
If you want a suite, they begin at over 900 square feet and get up to more than double that size. The price jumps are huge considering the space is only 2-4x larger, but that’s just the Wynn once again seeing how far it can stretch its boundaries. You still have to pay the resort fee, but the good news is you get $25 off each night and up to $250 for your trip.
If you are trying to stay in the palace like villas which are the size of large houses, prepare to spend in the thousands. Even if you are willing to do this, availability cannot be guaranteed as these are held in place for VIPs. If you are used to receiving comped rooms, this is not going to be an especially easy task at Wynn. You will certainly have to gamble a considerable amount, so make sure you make contact with a casino host before you begin.
Spa and Fitness Center
The first spa in Vegas to receive a Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Award is open daily from 7 AM to 8 PM, with its salon opening at 9 AM. Day passes are $40 for hotel guests and drop-ins pay $75. This huge facility offers a huge menu with every massage, body treatment, facial, and any other service a spa goer could possibly think of.
The state-of-the-art fitness center opens at 5:30 AM and closes at 8 PM. In addition to its start of the art cardio and weight equipment are a wide variety of classes. They are all $30 or $100 if you want a private class. All classes must be made by appointment.
Restaurants at Wynn
It’s hard to find a cheap meal at the Wynn, but that is to be expected from any prestige casino. The café is open 24 hours, the buffet is one of the best in the world, and every restaurant has selections for vegetarians and vegans.
Some of what the Wynn considers casual dining would fall under fine dining at other casinos. Nevertheless, some of its diverse choices are Allegro which opens late afternoon and stays open all night. The Terrace Point Café is outdoors and open for breakfast and lunch, and Asian goers can go to Red 8 for lunch or dinner.
Fine Dining
Including what is at its connecting neighbor The Encore, the Wynn has eight choices for fine dining. You’ll have to ante up but from the SW Steakhouse to its seafood, to its Chinese, Japanese, America, and Italian options the Wynn will make you anything you want and pour you your favorite wine. Some of them, like Mizumi and SW are set within a stellar ambience of waterfalls and gardens, making the culinary experience memorably aesthetic.
One eating strategy you might want to consider is selecting mainly from the wide variety of appetizers and sides because in our experience, these tend to be a better value than the entrees.
Bars at Wynn
There are multiple 24 hour bars spread around the Wynn that tailor to the video poker player. Though at night it can get pretty noisy, these bars are small enough that serious video poker players should not be disturbed.
Of the several other bars and lounges, two of its noteworthy choices are Parasol Up and Parasol Down. Parasol Up is a cocktail lounge right near the Esplanade and overlooks the 40 foot waterfall for the Lake of Dreams. Parasol Down is downstairs right outside SW. Here you can also get cocktails, small plates, and enjoy the view of the Lake of Dreams from the bottom.
Nightclubs at Wynn
Nightlife is one of the Wynn’s specialties beginning with XS which has been ranked #1 in the U.S. for the last five years. There are bars and hangouts indoors and outdoors, and nightswims during the warmer months. The club is open Friday-Sundays with some of its popular music guests being The Chainsmokers, Skrillex, and David Guetta. You can get VIP table and bottle service on either the inside or at one of the cabanas surrounding the Encore pool if you would rather have some distance from the loudness.
Since this is the most successful club in Vegas, it is a pretty penny to enter and drink. The cover charge varies, but it will be no less than $59 for men and $39 for women, and that breakdown can get up to $141/$87 depending on what time of year you go, who the DJ is, or if it’s during a nightswim.
Wynn’s other nightclub is called Intrigue. It’s a lot smaller but is nothing to sneeze at. Its cover also varies but is no less than $55/$33 for men and women. VIP service is also available, and there is an outdoor patio with a closeup view of the waterfall and pyrotechnics.
The History Of Las Vegas And Its Attractions
In 1931 the state of Nevada legalized almost all forms of gambling as a way to increase revenue for the state. Since gambling was legal in Nevada, Las Vegas became an attractive location for crime lords and mobsters to invest in the city and that caused the town to grow rapidly during the 1950s, making it the epicenter of gambling in America. In the 1960s legitimate businessmen, entrepreneurs, and corporations started to buy the hotels and casinos in Vegas, which reduced the city's organized crime connections. From this point, Vegas would grow into the thriving tourist destination of the present times, a place of entertainment, partying, risk-taking, allure, fun, elegance, vulgar, brash and grand.
The Five Tallest Buildings in Las Vegas
Encore at Wynn Las Vegas
The Encore at Wynn Las Vegas is the fifth tallest building in Las Vegas, standing at 631 feet (192.3 meters) tall. In 2006, an announcement was made that a second hotel tower would be built next to the one- year old Wynn Las Vegas hotel. This hotel tower ended up as the full-scale resort that today is the Encore hotel which opened on December 22, 2008. The luxury resort, hotel, and casino has a life imitating art theme and is currently owned by the Wynn Resorts Limited Corporation. Besides being a giant 2,034 room hotel, the Encore hotel houses a casino, convention space, retail space, a spa and salon, a nightclub, a theater, 7 bars and 5 restaurants. The Encore's theaters and nightclubs have hosted many famous artists and DJs like Beyonce, Garth Brooks, Ne-Yo and Calvin Harris.
Trump International Hotel & Tower – Tower One
The Trump International Hotel & Tower is the fourth tallest building in Las Vegas, standing 640 feet (195 meters) tall. In 2002 American businessman Phil Ruffin partnered with Donald Trump to build Trump Tower in Las Vegas. After two years of deciding and changing the scale of the project, the deal between Ruffin and Trump was signed in 2004, with the groundbreaking ceremony taking place in July of 2005, shortly after all of the condominium units in the tower had been reserved. Construction on the tower started in November of that year, and the building was topped out in May of 2007. The Trump International Hotel & Tower is a luxury hotel, timeshare, and condominium that is currently owned by Ruffin, Trump, and Hilton Grand Vacations after they brought 300 condominiums back in 2012. The Trump International Hotel & Tower has the distinction of being Las Vegas's tallest residential building and currently houses two restaurants, the DJT and a poolside restaurant called the H2(eau).
The Palazzo
Ranking third among the tallest buildings in Las Vegas is the Palazzo. It stands 642 feet (195.6 meters) tall. Construction on The Palazzo started in 2005 and by January 17, 2008, the official grand opening of the building took place. A casino resort and a luxury hotel with an Italian theme, the Palazzo is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. It forms part of a larger complex that included the Sands Convention Center and Venetian Resort and Casino, which are also owned by the Sands Corporation. The Palazzo is a very impressive building as it is the largest hotel in the world, is the largest building in America in terms of floor space and the largest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver-certified building in all of America. The Palazzo has various restaurants, including the Dal Toro restaurant which houses the Las Vegas Car Museum and is home to the Grand Canal Shoppes that is shared with The Venetian that mostly features upscale shops and boutiques.
Fontainebleau Resort Las Vegas
The Fontainebleau Resort Las Vegas is 735 feet (224 meters) tall and is second tallest building in Las Vegas, but is yet to be officially opened. The Fontainebleau was announced in 2005 and was built over over the site where the old El Rancho Casino stood. Groundbreaking on the site started in 2007, and the shell of the building was topped off in 2008. In 2009 Fontainebleau Resorts CEO, who was responsible for acquiring loans for the building left the company, and shortly afterwards, the Bank of America refused to give out more funds for construction of the building, which caused Fontainebleau Las Vegas LLC to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June of 2009. Construction on the Fontainebleau stopped at this point, even though it was almost completed. In bankruptcy court that November Carl Ichan won the bidding to gain control of the fate Fontainebleau. In 2010, Ichan auctioned off the furnishings that were to be used for the Fontainebleau and since then the building has remained unused.
Stratosphere Tower
The Stratosphere Tower ranks number one among the tallest buildings in Las Vegas, standing 1,150 feet (350.5 meters) tall. In the late 1980s, Bob Stupak (1942-2009), a casino owner, perceived the idea for the Stratosphere Tower as an addition to his already thriving Vegas World casino. After designing the building and settling to lower the proposed height due to flight safety concerns, construction started but suffered many delays after a fire broke out in 1993. During the phase of construction, the Stratosphere Corporation was established as the public company that ran the building. However, shortly after the Stratosphere opened in the April of 1996, the Stratosphere Corporation had to file for bankruptcy. After bankruptcy, Carl Icahn gained control of the Stratosphere through his American Casino & Entertainment Properties (ACEP). In 2008 Ichan sold ACEP to the Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds group, who have since been the corporation that owns the Stratosphere Tower.
Besides being the tallest building in Vegas, the Stratosphere is also the tallest building in Nevada, the tallest one in the western United States, and the tallest freestanding observation tower in America. The Stratosphere Tower is a hotel, tower and casino that has two observation decks and is home to several restaurants, including the 'Top of the World' revolving restaurant. The Stratosphere is also host to the three highest thrill rides in the world, as well as the SkyJump Las Vegas and hosts a mall called the Stratosphere Tower Shops that features Knopf Fine Art Photography Gallery and a comedy club.