Thanks for the pics, guys! Brian, while most people request a room away from construction, I'll bet you specifically wanted a room overlooking Encore, didn't you? :-)

It's nice to see some palm trees in the mix. Wynn hasn't used palms since Treasure Island unless I haven't looked close enough at Bellagio. Maybe I'm looking too deeply into these things, but that's clue enough that Encore's shooting for a hipper crowd.

The yellow structures near the parking garage facing west: are those the poolside villas?

Brian Fey recently commented "I wonder if Perini is doing the work on MC?"
Belfor USA is doing the repair work now. I don't know when MGM will have them hand the project off to someone else. Belfor was a big presence on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina and is big in Florida after every hurricane.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/news/2008/jan/29/monte-carlo-fire-update/

Hunter, how do these recent photos correlate to the sketches you've provided in the past? Any significant differences you notice? Is the area without the roof (behind the existing Wynn self-park garage) entirely going to be the pool area? If so, how do you think it compares size-wise to WLV's existing pool area?

Yeah I do. I think Wynn has a note in my file to give me any room I ask for! :) Maybe naming my kid after him, scored me some points!

http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/show/6085?gallery_id=78

Those small rooms in the corner on the right, that back up to the new ballroom, must be the cabanas.

Mike E, Damb, You have a better eyes than I do. I didn't even notice the palm trees or poolside villa/cabanas! Thank's for pointing them out.

I can't wait for Brian's Palazzo report!

But Brian (or anyone else), what about that two-story structure against
the new parking garage further north from that picture you posted?
Restaurant space or some kind of ultra accomodations I'll never see?

That area is for the pool and other outdoor amenities - dining, etc... That's a big focus of the Encore experience.

As far as changes - things have changed quite a bit since I first saw documents almost two years ago. I'm most curious to see the latest changes to the interiors.

My podcast went into the feed last night. It has some audio mastering issues but I know people wanted to hear that content.

Actually, then entire area you see around the pool area is not all pool area. If you look closely you can see what looks to be another elevator shaft. I think there is still a large section to be built. But this area has not been built, because they need this space to work and move things into and out of the pool section. The last section looks like it will be built along the back of the original self park garage, and connect the LeReve theater hallway on one end, and the Encore casino on the other. This elevtor shaft would fall into this section.

From what I've seen, it's an indoor/outdoor breezeway spot and the shaft is for access to back of house stuff underneath, not for a large structure built on top, though I'm not sure that's what you meant.

But yeah, that's where the buildings are going to connect - with a thoroughfare that runs through that corridor.

Is the new spa an extension of the original? Or an entirely separate space?

The new spa will be a stand alone product. They will be ran seperatly from the Wynn LV spa.

According to the Sun, Monte Carlo re-opens next Friday the 15th.