Exploring the Design Evolution of the Wynn Las Vegas

I am not a gambler or a late-night party gal, but the bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada have always called to me. I wanted to see all the marvels I’d heard about: faux Venetian canals (with gondolas), a mini Manhattan at New York, New York Hotel & Casino, and the fountains that dance to music in front of the Bellagio. After hopping a direct flight from Texas, I arrived in the so-called “Entertainment Capitol of the World” for a weekend of exploring interior design, fine food, and pampering fit for a high roller. My destination was the Wynn Las Vegas, the largest Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star resort in the world, and according to my Uber driver from the airport, the “classiest place in town.” The Wynn has just unveiled an extensive renovation to the tower’s 2,674 guest rooms, suites, elevator lobbies, and resort tower corridors, and I was ready to see every luxurious detail.

We approached the resort front door, parking next to a Rolls Royce. Two men in dark, well-tailored suits rushed to grab my bags and escort me inside the gold doors of the Wynn Tower Suites. The entrance was jaw-dropping, featuring enormous spaces with glittering chandeliers, a koi pond, and lush indoor gardens. The Wynn, which anchors one end of the “Las Vegas Strip,” offers not only luxury lodging but award-winning restaurants, entertainment, and nightlife (Beyonce’s last show was in residence here); two award-winning spas; salons; an 111,000-square-foot casino; and luxury shopping–including my teen son’s favorite store, Off-White, where I tried on but did not purchase a thousand-dollar, bright blue, mohair hoodie. You could truly spend an entire vacation without leaving the resort and believe me, I considered it.

The Suite Life

As the desert sun beat down outside, my newly-redesigned Wynn Tower Suite felt like a cool oasis, hushed and calming. At its heart, the new guest room design intends to give travelers a sense of escapism that feels instantly comfortable and familiar. Todd-Avery Lenahan, President and Chief Creative Officer of Wynn Design and Development, explains, “Our redesigned rooms are equal parts warm and dramatic, intimate and sophisticated. The guest rooms are meant to be your personal space while we are hosting you and are designed to be a respite, an exhale at the end of your day.”

After the slot-machine-filled airport, it was wonderful to take a break in my Wynn suite. Each room is highlighted by wood accent walls, a range of functional and atmospheric illumination, luxurious textiles and linens, and accents of natural stone, decorative metal, and original artwork. The rooms have new furniture, lighting design created to enhance the ambient experience both day and night, and polychromatic palettes of soft hues and layers of pattern and texture. I took a long nap in a dramatic, four-poster canopy bed.

A reconfiguration to the washroom has introduced separate vanities and doubled the storage space, and I readied for dinner in an expanded dressing area with mirrored walls and upgraded closets. (They are certainly upgraded from my closet at home!)

Wynn’s Inner World (and Newest Restaurant)

Back on the lobby floor, I passed blackjack and poker tables, intimate, velvet-roped rooms, and inviting bars and restaurants, enjoying the resort’s signature style ethos of elegance, artfulness, and comfort. I peered into the brand-new supper club, Delilah at Wynn Las Vegas, a lavish cinematic masterwork hailed by Forbes as “the evolution of Vegas’ future” and a spot where celebrities like The Weeknd, Doja Cat, 50 Cent, and John Fogerty have appeared onstage unannounced.

I browsed the Cocktail Collection overlooking the Lake of Dreams, which at night transforms into a multimedia experience that combines music, puppetry, and 5,500 LED lights with a 90-foot performance waterfall. You can watch the show from Overlook Lounge, Aperitifs & Spirits, Bar Parasol, and the Aft Cocktail Deck.

I headed hungry to the resort’s newest restaurant for dinner. Casa Playa is an energetic confluence of coastal Mexican architecture and timeless cultural iconography. (I also heard tell that it was the light-night hangout of superstars in town for performances.) The menu, created by chef Sarah Thompson, is eclectic and delicious: I started with West Coast oysters, a quesadilla “machete” with salsa, and the best guacamole I’ve ever tasted (and I live in Texas, so I know guacamole). Then, ordering what I suspect the stars order, I savored the Casa Playa Surf & Turf with Wagyu carne asada, lobster, chorizo, jumbo shrimp, and short rib suadero with fresh tortillas and all the fixings. I have always claimed Matt’s El Rancho as my favorite Tex-Mex in the world, but Casa Playa sure comes close.

After dinner, I roamed the strip and saw everything I wanted to see and then some, including more bachelorette parties than Austin’s Sixth Street. I was happy to return “home” to my elegant, calming Wynn suite and its deep soaking tub.

The next day, I visited luxury stores and spent the afternoon relaxing on a yellow-and-white-striped towel by the Wynn’s sprawling outdoor pool, which offers cocktails and light bites delivered right to your ultra-luxe chaise lounge.

Final Thoughts

Despite being located in the center of a wild and thrilling city, my Las Vegas weekend felt, in many ways, like a resort escape. And with flights from Texas on sale for $39 one-way (yes — $39!), Formula One planned for 2023, and upcoming entertainment like Adele, Diana Ross, Bryan Adams, and ongoing favorites like Criss Angel, iLUMINATE, and Penn and Teller, I might head back to that wonderful Wynn Towers suite very soon.