Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog

damn! that blows venetian bellagio and palazo out of the water! BY ALOT!!

I'm guessing the current site is a last ditch effort to get *something* up before the commercial airs and curiosity spawns.

Mike E commented on another thread:
"Encore is essentially its own property,..."

That's what I don't understand. Diners from Encore will still want to walk down the corridor to Alex or Wing Lei, and Wynn guests will walk the other direction to Sinatra or other restaurants. Other than differences in rooms, it seems to me to be one larger resort with one golf course, one car dealership, etc. Same with the casino, players will frequent the one they're most comfortable in regardless of decor, amenities or what building it's in.

I'm glad you guys are so excited and pumped about the launch of this new website. All I got here, is the same old site?????????????

I'm looking forward to the "Sinatra" restaurant, which is supposedly will be the most stunning in the USA. Bring it on!!

Can't wait to hear the VegasGang comment on this. I'm sure most of them will be at the opening.

Encore's opening will be a topic on the show for sure.

In addition, I'm teaming up with Chuckmonster for a tag team approach to opening coverage. We're going to try to blanket you guys with more coverage than you'd ever want.

I can't say I know much more than you guys. Only that more trees have been transplanted from the golf course to hide the podium and that the theatre hallway is now a full sized shopping hall. And you still can't get pictures.

Off in the distance, you can still see black walls that need decorating, white columns rising up past the point of visibility and a whole heck of a lot of natural light out there. It's impressive, but requires more work before I'd say it's anything mind blowing.

The marquee going up is facing the Riviera and, eh, two poles and a few panels and what seems to be a popular trellis-like pattern. Nothing wrong, but so far it doesn't look like it'll steal much attention from the hydraulic monster yards away.

I wondered if they were adding a new sign for Encore. Seems like there is still much left to do, for a hotel that's opening in less than 4 weeks. I am very excited to see it all in person.

I was joking earlier that I would need a spy camera to get Encore hallway shots before it opens but maybe I really will need to get one.

Perhaps one of the reasons Wynn held off launching the site until this week was that it wouldn't have been cricket (contractually or otherwise) to be taking reservations for Danny F. Gans while he was still playing out the string at The Mirage.

Wynn's Encore commercial is now on the Encore Website, which includes a message from Steve Wynn.

Not that a commercial is going to sway me one way or another at this point but that is a very good commercial, I really didn't know what they were gonna do but it works, as for Steve's message, that leaves something to be desired, 4 or 5 restaurants? common pal we all know you know the exact answer stop being so vague.

Exciting to see! As someone who will be staying at Wynn for the very first time in February, this has me very anxious to see Encore.

Anybody know if he was really on the roof or if it was a studio trick? You couldn't pay me to dangle my legs off of a 60 story building. Yikes.

Posted by Hunter

It was real... Both commercials actually required him to be up on the roof, though he was fully strapped in - an accidental fall would be very unlikely.

You can see the reflection of the helicopter filming in both commercials.

What markets will this be shown in? Does anyone know? I remember the first commercial was only shown in the Southwest.

I saw the Encore commercial twice this week on CNBC. I don't know if it was a national ad buy or a regional one for South Florida.

Of course the casino is one of the things that I'm going to be looking at, specifically the number of table games vice slots. It just seemed like Bellagio has always had a table-game predominance, while the number of slots are very noticeable at Wynn. I'm expecting Encore to be table-game heavy, but who knows. The descriptions comparing the casino to that of Wynn Macau seem quite promising.

As I said on Twitter, I saw the commercial on Bloomberg. I guess they're going after the investor crowd, which doesn't seem to be a crowd loaded with much cash right now.

The first commercial was legit and there was amateur photography looking up the building of the helicopter and other stuff at work but this one screams CG to me, especially since it hard cuts to him sitting there and with all the adjusting and the legs dangling, and I so far haven't seen any photos to the contrary. Then again, he looks much more visibly shaken in this ad then the last one.

I'm not sure why they didn't do something different, Steve thought the WLV was really clever but most people didn't see it, since the only real TV time they tried for was rejected as part of the NFL's vendetta against gambling. Most people I know saw it in a reel of rejected Super Bowl ads.

hail2skins, Bellagio only seems that way because of the tables lined along the walkways, so everybody walking through sees them. Walk along the east wall by the restaurants or around the buffet area and see how things change.

Also, I believe Wynn has more VP than Bellagio, which is why you may feel that there's machines everywhere. This is a fairly common thing with MGM Mirage, VP is light in all hotels except Treasure Island and MGM Grand, and maybe Monte Carlo.

Mike - I was thinking the same thing when I read that - the only aisle people just walking through Bellagio see is the main aisle, which is completely covered with table games (Blackjack pits, Pai Gow, 3 card, let it ride, etc. pit, craps pit). However, Wynn's main aisles (up the middle and the rear walkway) are also covered with table games. The side aisles by the sportsbook or Blush are where Wynn feels slot heavy, because at those points, it's possible to see no table games at all, while at Bellagio, the casino is more narrow, so you're typically closer to a table pit.

Anyways, for something on topic - I'm looking forward to Encore, though I think they're being way to secretive about it. The comment about 4 or 5 restaurants? Come on, Steve's not standing there a month before opening wondering whether a space is going to be a restaurant or something else. Also, the whole not being able to take pictures is a little rediculous. Isn't it just a hallway?

Posted by Hunter

Wynn Resorts stated that the commercial was done live, just as the other one was.

It isn't ridiculous, it's Wynn Resorts. I mean, we all know that Wynn doesn't want his resorts seen until opening. Although, I have to say that I think he's gone a bit overboard with Encore--we haven't even been able to see a property map...

Posted by mike_ch

It is a little ridiculous, but it's not that they don't want attention. I asked guys at both hallways if I could stand and gawk, both didn't mind, and one I even had a short conversation with. I asked if the main resort areas were more like the theatre hall (red, butterflies) or the convention area (creme, gold) and he said it wouldn't look like either of those, but who knows if he knew or was misleading me or what.

There's a map of the convention area visible from that hallway, but that's it. It's basically an L-shape.

Like you guys, I want the property map, because my biggest question with Encore is just how independent from Wynn is it? The Wynn buffet is popular but overcrowded, so will Encore have one too, or will people in Encore who ask for the buffet be directed to Wynn?

Treasure Island was another "At ________" sort of annex/expansion style design like this, and it was only about 75% of the resort Mirage was. I imagine Encore will have probably about 85-90% of the facilities, though I strongly suspect they're going to throw out the shopping element, considering that the Wynn Esplanade has had it's successes (Rolexes, Vertu store seems kind of popular) but has also had trouble keeping afloat a few stores.

Posted by Hunter

From what Wynn PR told me a few weeks back:

* No buffet. The restaurant line up is already announced. Sinatra, Switch, Botero Steak, Society Cafe Encore, and Wazuzu.

* The convention map is on the Encore site if you click on 'Meetings'. Not much to see there.

Also, independently I have learned:

* There is some retail but not as much as at WLV. For instance, there will be a new Chanel boutique, Luxe, Hermes, and Rock & Republic as well.

Layout wise, I have been recently told the original drawings I posted almost two years ago now are 'close' but not quite. The biggest change is that the 'garden space' is not as big as included here - most of that is casino space. Basically the front entry is bigger with trees, etc... in there but that's it as far as 'garden' space. Sorta like walking through a very small Conservatory on the way into the casino. That's what I've been told. We'll see soon!

As many times as they say Encore is it's own resort, it could not really be free-standing. They share quite a bit.

Here's that original image, from June 2006:
http://www.ratevegas.com/extras/encore_drawing.jpg

Don't expect a buffet at Encore but they will have some high end stores. They actually have taken down the wall between Wynn and Encore near the theaters so you can take a peak into the shopping esplanade.

yeah. this very weird but here's what I kinda think of it- it's like Mirage is wynn (both set the standard for vegas hotels) treasure island is encore (both extension of mirage/ wynn) and bellagio is the golf coarse redevelopment (the biggest, greatest project)

PS: forgot to mention that Wynn Macau is like Beau Rivage in Mississippi ((both different locations other than vegas.

Please try to respond. I don't care if you guys think it's stupid it's just something that I discoverd

Joe, pretty good observation. I expect, if it plays out as you describe, Mr. Wynn will avoid the overextension that led to him losing Mirage Resorts.

Posted by mike_ch

Keep in mind stock price had a lot to do with it. Mirage sunk to something like $14 when Bellagio opened, and when all the stocks fall Mirage fell too. Kerkorian bought the company for less money than it would have cost to buy the actual hotels.

Wynn Resorts was built differently so that Steve wouldn't lose control because of financing issues. Of course, part of that requires that he not overindulge to the extent that he did at Bellagio. I'm pretty sure that even Aria with it's budget of something like $4b won't be as wasteful as Bellagio was when it comes to things like using genuine Italian marble with gold leaf trimmings in the janitor's broom closet. ;D

I imagine in these times of hard lending, Wynn has an easier go of it as well. Who would you rather lend money to, Wynn or the guys who began building a tower and then once they got started had to leave it? Or the guy who began the Cosmopolitan and went under before the glass panels were applied? Or the goofs who bought themselves out four ways from Sunday and are now over-leveraged? Who is more likely to pay you back?

Also I have one more comment- is anyone on this blog going to stay at the bellagio anytime soon? I want to see those detailed trip report of it. I just got done reading your previous one for like the 8th time!;)

No, we only stay at Wynn now, its SO much better. :)

Gotta love how the sun seems to emanate from Steve himself when the helicopter pans down the building. Although, from that perspective it also seems like a photon torpedo fired out his butt....

(Ah, it's late. Must sleep....)

Hey Brian, et al, here's an ad Expedia was running earlier this year. The people are all actors but every time I see/hear this, I just want to be there....

Also captured with "Flash Video Downloader" but the original is here:

http://media.expedia.com/media/content/expus/flash/partners/hotel/080423_ms_WynnJP_video2.swf

Got the music from this, and some Wynn email offers (using Audio Hijack Pro), which I'd love to make into ringtones if there's a way.

Making of Encore commercial video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqRgrjkr-dU

Thanks Brian!