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70-635: Wynn Las Vegas , often simply referred to as Wynn , is a luxury resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada , United States. It is owned and operated by Wynn Resorts , and was built on the former site of the Desert Inn resort, which opened in 1950. Casino developer Steve Wynn purchased and closed the Desert Inn during 2000, with plans to build a new resort on

140-498: A $ 200 million renovation of the two hotel towers was announced. During the following October, the 2022 Las Vegas Strip stabbing spree occurred in front of the resort. In 2023, a tunnel was drilled to the resort for a future station of the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop , an underground car shuttle service. A few months after opening, the resort signed an unprecedented 10-year union agreement with

210-511: A half years. Natural light is emphasized throughout the casino and restaurant areas, as well as an indoor garden atrium , similar to the Bellagio's conservatory . The atrium features live trees and plants, as well as flowers that are changed regularly. Red, a lucky color among Asian gamblers, is also used throughout the resort, along with an abundance of flower designs. The hotel tower's exterior consists of bronze reflective glass. Architects had

280-549: A hotel and small casino overlooking a lagoon, where guests could take part in various water activities. It would also include a white sand beach and boardwalk. Wynn found the site too valuable to leave undeveloped. The golf course closed in December 2017, to make way for construction of Paradise Park. Several months later, Matt Maddox took over as CEO of Wynn Resorts, following Steve Wynn's resignation. Commenting on Paradise Park, Maddox said, "We weren't really interested in building

350-458: A hotel tower with 1,100 rooms, as well as a 28,000 sq ft (2,600 m) casino and 85,000 sq ft (7,900 m) of convention space. Unlike most Strip resorts, Wynn Las Vegas does not have a theme. Wynn said: "Our resort will become famous and people will copy us. We're not trying to copy Rome or Italy or New York. It's about the beauty of our desert. It's time for Las Vegas to have its own hotel, its own architecture". He described

420-554: A hotel-within-a-hotel. As of 2008, Wynn Las Vegas was the only hotel-casino in the world to have a five-star rating from Mobil Travel Guide , receiving the accolade for its Tower Suites. The property also offered villas on the golf course fairway for its high rollers , a target demographic. As of 2008, the resort had the largest vehicle fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantom limousines in North America. The 10 custom-made vehicles were used for high rollers and celebrity guests. In 2016,

490-606: A large public swimming pool for the Las Vegas Strip". Plans for the project were scrapped at the end of 2018, after construction costs had risen to $ 3 billion. A convention facility was the only aspect of the project to proceed, being built on a portion of the golf course. Fazio and his son Logan were hired to revamp the remaining golf course acreage. The redesign included 10 revamped holes and 8 new ones. The course reopened in October 2019, serving as an additional amenity for

560-611: A lawsuit against the resort challenging the policy, but were eventually dismissed by a judge. Two other dealers filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and also filed lawsuits against Wynn, alleging that he went on a tirade during a meeting with dealers. In 2007, the Nevada Legislature attempted and failed to pass a bill which would have ended the resort's tip-sharing policy. Later that year, dealers voted to unionize through

630-600: A major investment to build a casino in Entertainment City in Manila. Okada proceeded alone with the investment, forming a local company, Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, Inc., to handle the development of the Manila property. In July 2016, the property was unveiled as the Okada Manila , a $ 2.4 billion integrated hotel, resort and casino that represents Okada’s biggest investment to date. In 2017, Okada

700-485: A major renovation in 2017, which included the addition of a video wall measuring 137 feet (42 m) by 11 feet (3.4 m). The Wynn complex, including Encore, covers 215 acres (87 ha). In total, the complex has 4,748 hotel rooms, and 188,786 sq ft (17,538.8 m) of gaming space. The Desert Inn golf course was retained, receiving a new layout and landscaping to become the Wynn Golf Club. It

770-514: A mixed opinion of Wynn Las Vegas' design. New York architect Ronnette Riley compared the hotel tower to "a big UPS truck" and was critical of its use of reflective glass, which she considered long outdated. Others found the design mature and sophisticated. According to David G. Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV , "Wynn invested his very legacy in the new resort, and history will likely vindicate him. Substance over style will be

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840-530: A new casino resort, Wynn West, to complement the existing properties. It would include between 2,000 and 3,000 rooms. However, CEO Steve Wynn resigned from the company shortly after the land purchase, following sexual misconduct allegations against him. Matt Maddox took over as CEO, and plans for Wynn West were shelved. In 2024, the county extended permits for the site, giving Wynn until April 2026 to commence construction on an unnamed resort expansion. The project, to be built on 34.6 acres (14.0 ha), would include

910-592: A platform that moves up and down across the screen as an "eraser", presenting new images with each movement. The hotel tower is 45 stories, although its top floor is labeled "60". The tower skips multiple floors, including those containing the number 4, which Chinese gamblers view as unlucky . The tower has a height of 613 feet (187 m). At the time of completion, it was the tallest building in Nevada . The hotel opened with 2,716 rooms, including 1,800 sq ft (170 m) suites. The resort includes Tower Suites,

980-761: A statement released in September 2018, Okada said "[t]hese trumped-up charges were merely meant to harass me and justify my illegal ouster. Far from being valid cases, their baseless accusations only serve to demonstrate the grand conspiracy perpetrated by my detractors who betrayed my trust", and vows to continue fighting for reinstatement as director, chairman and chief executive officer of the company. In 2019, Parañaque court issued warrant of arrest against Japanese tycoon Kazuo Okada in connection with three cases filed against him over his receipt of $ 3.1 million alleged unauthorized compensation as CEO of Tiger Resort Leisure & Entertainment, operator of Okada Manila. In 2021,

1050-559: A variety of settings from major cities to remote locations. Since the 1800s, the traditional concept full-service conference and resort hotels have been based upon a venue which is typically remote and has a natural feature as its attraction. For example, the Kviknes Hotel in Norway is a difficult to reach remote location which provides visitors access to the scenic fjord at Balestrand or The Brando Resort on Tetiaroa which

1120-492: Is only accessible by a private plane from Tahiti . Historically there were certain built-in amenities such as gourmet cuisine , music recitals , and shoreline trails ; however, the amenities of modern (post-1980) destination hotels dwarf the scale of these earlier models. Many of the Las Vegas and Caribbean resort hotels have complete shopping malls , conference centers and large entertainment halls on site; thus,

1190-473: Is present in neon lettering along the top of the hotel tower. The logo ends with a period punctuation mark. According to longtime local reporter Steve Friess, the resort "screamed Wynn Period as if to say, ' This is the Wynn. Period.' Wynn once told me as much, explaining it was a subtle way of saying that this is the definition of his embodiment as a resort, the ultimate". In a 2005 commercial, Wynn himself promoted

1260-594: Is the only course on the Strip. The 70-par, 18-hole course measures 6,722 yards, and covers 128 acres (52 ha). In 2000, Wynn's company, Valvino Lamore LLC, acquired 41 residential homes at Desert Inn Estates, part of the former resort's country club. The company spent $ 270 million to buy the golf course and another $ 50 million for the houses. A dozen remaining homeowners declined to sell and filed suit against Wynn to prevent his redevelopment plans, and he sued them in response. In 2003, Wynn sought to remove state oversight of

1330-615: The AAA Five Diamond Award and the Five Star award from Forbes Travel Guide . The accolades also extend to its restaurants, including Alex , a French eatery by chef Alex Stratta which eventually closed in 2011. Another restaurant, Wing Lei, is the only Chinese restaurant in the U.S. to receive a Michelin Star . Other popular restaurants include The Buffet at Wynn. The resort's main show was Le Rêve , which opened with

1400-494: The Culinary Workers Union . Previous agreements at other resorts had only gone up to five years. The Wynn contract covered 4,000 workers; the resort's 600 table game dealers were among those not covered. In August 2006, Wynn Las Vegas announced a tip-sharing policy requiring its dealers to share tips with their managers. Wynn dealers made up to $ 100,000 per year, making this among the most profitable positions in

1470-733: The Financial Times , Okada claimed that "vacuum tubes are so much fun." In 1969, Okada founded Universal Lease , which manufactured coin-operated arcade games for children. In late 1969, Okada's first visit to Las Vegas led to his decision to enter the business of slot machine manufacturing. He invented the "near-miss" feature in his slot machines, an innovation that helped expand the Japanese market of "pachislot" (a hybrid of Japan’s pachinko and Las Vegas slot machines) and also made Okada's slot machines popular in Las Vegas. Throughout

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1540-583: The Las Vegas Strip are most typically thought of as mega-resorts owing to their immense size and complexity. Kirk Kerkorian is credited for building the first mega-resort in 1969 earning him the nickname "father of the mega-resort". Two projects in Las Vegas in 1969 and 1973 by architect Martin Stern, Jr. and entrepreneur Kirk Kerkorian , the International Hotel and the MGM Grand, set

1610-532: The Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), hoping to put an end to the policy. A couple of dealers were fired allegedly over their pro-union stance. An agreement on a final union contract was slow-moving. Meanwhile, litigation regarding the tip-sharing policy continued for several years. In 2010, the state labor commissioner ruled it legal. Later that year, dealers voted to approve a 10-year union contract with TWU. Wynn officials were happy with

1680-581: The Walt Disney Parks and Resorts feature multiple hotels, multiple theme parks, a shopping complex , and other features. Other mega-resorts exist with no specific centerpiece, having many features that are considered prominent, such as Atlantis Paradise Island and its upcoming sister park in Dubai . Kazuo Okada Kazuo Okada ( 岡田 和生 , Okada Kazuo , born 3 October 1942) is a Japanese billionaire businessman, and art collector. Okada

1750-551: The 1990s, Universal served as a major supplier of machines to the bustling Japanese pachinko industry. In 2000 Okada was introduced to Las Vegas-based casino magnate Steve Wynn , eventually investing $ 380 million in Wynn’s then-new company, Wynn Resorts . Wynn Resorts opened its first casino in 2005 in Las Vegas and a second one in 2006 in Macau . In 2008, Steve Wynn declined to join Okada in

1820-492: The IPO, selling one-third of its shares; the remainder would be held by Wynn himself and Aruze. Ahead of the IPO launch, Wynn traveled around the U.S. to pitch his plans, spending three weeks on the road. Investors were apprehensive about the project because of the lengthy construction schedule ahead. In response, Wynn Resorts reduced the share price to attract investors. Marnell Corrao Associates , which built Wynn's previous resorts,

1890-486: The Mirage before scrapping the idea. The mountain at Wynn Las Vegas was designed by Don Brinkerhoff and designed by his landscape architectural company, Lifescapes International, which worked on Wynn's previous resorts. The mountain rises more than 100 feet (30 m). It is made up of terraced walls, with soil compacted into place. The mountain cost $ 130 million to build, and includes 1,500 trees, many of them relocated from

1960-475: The Mirage, pirate shows at Treasure Island , and the Fountains of Bellagio . In a departure, Wynn Las Vegas obscures its attractions to outside pedestrians by way of an artificial mountain, meant to evoke curiosity and lure people into the resort. It also serves to hide vehicle traffic from guests. The mountain idea was conceived by Steve and Elaine Wynn; the former had previously planned a mountain attraction at

2030-450: The Wynn does not feature a theme. In a break from Wynn's previous resorts, it also lacks a free attraction for pedestrians. Instead, an artificial mountain obscures most of the attractions, meant to evoke curiosity and lure people into the resort. A 3-acre (1.2 ha) lake is surrounded by the mountain and several restaurants, and is the site of a show called Lake of Dreams , which features singing animatronics. The Desert Inn's golf course

2100-518: The Wynn properties reopened with all amenities allowed under state health guidelines. Air travel saw a reduction in the early months of the pandemic, and the Wynn resorts relied largely on drive-in tourists from Arizona and California. However, visitation soon declined after both states endured a surge in COVID-19 cases. Wynn Resorts reduced its work force, and Encore temporarily shifted to a four-day weekly operating schedule. As revenue improved in 2021,

2170-478: The agreement, which was identical to one previously offered by the resort a year earlier. Tip-sharing continued under the union contract. The labor commissioner's ruling was appealed by the dealers and later overturned by a judge, prompting further litigation. Federal lawsuits were filed by dealers in 2013 and again in 2018, seeking to recoup lost tip wages. A $ 5.6 million settlement was reached in 2021, benefiting approximately 1,000 current and former dealers. That year,

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2240-524: The casino had a poker room, keno lounge, a baccarat salon, and a sports book with a lounge for VIP players. For hotel guests, room keycards doubled as slot cards; Wynn was the first casino to do so. The casino was also among the first in Las Vegas, along with the Hard Rock Hotel to use RFID in its gaming chips to detect counterfeiting. In 2011, the resort became the first in Las Vegas to allow wagers on non-sporting events. The sports book underwent

2310-788: The casino's heavily male demographic. The course had lost the Wynn property up to $ 15 million during its closure. At $ 550 per round of golf, it was one of the most expensive courses in the U.S. upon its reopening. In 2022, the golf course hosted the Las Vegas Concours d'Elegance automotive event. The course was the host of the inaugural Netflix Cup in November 2023 prior to the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix . Resort hotel These hotels as destinations may be characterized by distinctive architecture, upscale lodgings, ballrooms, large conference facilities, restaurants, and recreation activities such as golf or skiing. They may be located in

2380-438: The completion of the $ 5.2 billion Wynn complex. A $ 99 million renovation of the Wynn hotel was completed in 2011. In 2013, Wynn tapped Sean Christie to attract film productions to the resort. Christie, who oversaw several nightclubs on the property, put together a team and spent six months promoting the resort for film purposes. Wynn Las Vegas made its feature debut in 2015, with the release of two films: Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2

2450-417: The contemporary version of a destination often features large on-site capital investment in activities, although the access to a local natural feature is still retained by many newer destination hotels. A mega-resort is a type of destination which is of an exceptionally large size, sometimes featuring large-scale attractions ( casino , golf course , theme park , multiple accommodations ). The hotels along

2520-545: The dealers voted to join the United Autoworkers Gaming Union in a three-year deal. It protected Wynn dealers from the tip-sharing policy, which remained in effect at Encore. In a separate case, the resort's nightclub employees were also required to share tips with management. The workers, already covered by the Culinary union, filed a class-action lawsuit against the resort in 2010, alleging that

2590-431: The design process as "exquisitely uncomfortable" and "the most exciting experience" of his life. According to Wynn Resorts, the "property, rather than a theme, will be the attraction, and, therefore, will have more lasting appeal to customers". Although the resort covers more than 5 million square feet (460,000 m), Wynn sought to make it feel small and intimate, unlike other resorts. His in-house architectural team

2660-426: The former Desert Inn course. The largest trees were left in place; smaller ones were temporarily relocated to a nursery while the course was redesigned. Aside from the trees, a bridge was the only other remnant from the Desert Inn course. New streams and lakes were added to the site, along with elevation changes. The par-70 course measured 7,042 yards. By the end of 2004, Wynn had tentative plans to eventually redevelop

2730-513: The former Desert Inn golf course. The mountain also has several waterfalls, some up to 100 feet (30 m) in height. In front of the mountain, and obscured from outside pedestrians, is a 3-acre (1.2 ha) lake overlooked by several restaurants. This area is home to the show Lake of Dreams . The resort includes a roadside sign along the Strip. It was created by YESCO and measures 135 feet (41 m) in height. It includes an LED screen 100 feet (30 m) high and 50 feet (15 m) wide, with

2800-418: The gaming industry. The policy was meant to equalize incomes between dealers and supervisors; the latter earned significantly less income, resulting in a shortage of supervisory positions. Dealers said the policy could cost them $ 20,000 in annual income. In addition to tips, Wynn also gave supervisors a $ 5,000 raise. The tip-sharing policy was later implemented at Encore Las Vegas as well. Two Wynn dealers filed

2870-400: The golf course as a mixed-use project revolving around a man-made lake. The project could include hotels, gaming space, and residences, similar to MGM's CityCenter . In 2014, Wynn said he would never redevelop the golf course. He later changed his position and announced new plans for the site in 2016, in the form of Wynn Paradise Park. The project would cost up to $ 1.6 billion, and would include

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2940-431: The hotel announced that it would place an Amazon Echo in every room, becoming the first resort in the world to do so. The Echo is used to control various aspects of the room, such as temperature and lighting. The casino measures 111,000 sq ft (10,300 m). Upon opening, it included 1,962 slot machines and 137 table games. In a break from past casinos, chandeliers were built over each gaming table. In addition,

3010-616: The hotel tower. The advertisement aired during Super Bowl XXXIX in February 2005, and was subsequently broadcast in Phoenix, San Diego, and Los Angeles. Wynn Las Vegas opened at 12:01 a.m. on April 28, 2005, Elaine's birthday. It was the first new resort to open on the Strip since the Aladdin in 2000. The public opening was preceded by a private charity fundraiser reception for approximately 2,000 guests. An estimated 10,000 people attended

3080-516: The interior of Wynn Las Vegas to be largely derivative of Bellagio, while calling the overall resort "coy" compared to Wynn's previous properties. Fred A. Bernstein of The New York Times called the design of the public spaces "stylistically incoherent (a bit of Italy, a bit of France, more than a bit of Disneyland)", but also found that there "are plenty of nice touches". The front of Wynn's previous Strip resorts each included free attractions to lure pedestrians inside, such as an artificial volcano at

3150-511: The law firm representing him, Dentons , asked to withdraw from representing Okada as a result of "an irretrievable breakdown" in their relationship. On 9 December 2021, the Philippine Court of Appeals overturned the 2019 Parañaque court decision and issuance of arrest warrant stating that said Parañaque court "acted with grave abuse of discretion in issuing the warrants of arrest against petitioner (Okada) and [Associate] Usui despite

3220-522: The money to buy the Desert Inn. The resort was closed later that year, with plans to build a new one in its place. Wynn partnered with businessman Kazuo Okada and his company Aruze , which would help finance the project. In August 2001, Wynn unveiled specific plans for the project, which would retain the Desert Inn's golf course. The resort was expected to open sometime in 2004. Wynn expected it to compete against his former Bellagio resort, which he had recently sold along with Mirage Resorts. Wynn announced

3290-487: The policy was a violation of union contract. The suit was dismissed the following year by a judge, ruling that the issue should instead be handled through arbitration. In early 2018, Wynn Resorts bought the 34-acre (14 ha) site where the New Frontier Hotel and Casino stood before its demolition, as well as four adjacent acres, all located across the street from Wynn and Encore. The company planned to build

3360-526: The project cost had increased to $ 1.8 billion. This would make it the most expensive casino resort in the world, topping Wynn's $ 1.6 billion Bellagio. Wynn announced that the project would be partly financed by bank loans and Aruze, in addition to an initial public offering (IPO) in Wynn Resorts . Wynn had previously wanted to retain private ownership and dismissed the idea of selling stock to raise financing. Wynn Resorts hoped to raise $ 470 million through

3430-720: The property in 2005. It had a successful run before closing in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The show took place in the Wynn Theater. A second venue, the Broadway Theater, was also built with the resort. It was later renamed the Encore Theater, after the sister resort property, and is now situated between the two resorts. The Encore Theater has hosted numerous shows, including Avenue Q and Spamalot , as well as entertainers such as Beyoncé , Danny Gans and Garth Brooks . In 2006, table game dealers at

3500-548: The property's water by getting a Nevada Assembly bill passed. As owner of the Desert Inn Water Company, Wynn was required to have all his financial plans for the site undergo review by the state's Public Utilities Commission (PUC). He sought to avoid this in the event that he should have to alter his financing plans for the resort. Homeowners objected, believing that Wynn's proposal would give him unreasonable power over their water supply. A modified water bill

3570-586: The public opening. The resort marked Wynn's return to the Nevada gaming industry, five years after selling Mirage Resorts. Within the first year, changes were made to several resort amenities as part of a fine-tuning effort. A second hotel resort, Encore Las Vegas , was built as a sister property. It opened directly north of Wynn Las Vegas in December 2008, occupying the remainder of the Desert Inn site. Additions were made to Encore in May 2010, at which point Wynn declared

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3640-401: The reason there hasn't been a lot of chatter about the hotel. It's not because we're trying to keep a secret. This is a place that does not lend itself to verbalization. So, when you start to describe them, you resort to strained attempts to communicate something no one has seen". As the opening approached, Wynn appeared in a commercial promoting the new resort, in which he is shown on the roof of

3710-497: The resort as "the only one I've ever signed my name to". The Desert Inn's Augusta Tower was imploded in October 2001, and construction on the new resort was scheduled to begin two months later. However, this was delayed by complications in excavating the former site of the Augusta Tower. The resort was expected to cost $ 1.6 billion, and the start of construction was further delayed by difficulty acquiring funds. By June 2002,

3780-487: The resort protested a new policy requiring them to share tips with their supervisors. The policy sparked years of litigation between Wynn and the dealers, with a $ 5.6 million settlement eventually reached in 2021. Wynn Las Vegas was built on the former site of the Desert Inn , a casino resort which opened in 1950. Local developer Steve Wynn purchased the resort in 2000, as a birthday present for wife Elaine Wynn . Wynn had recently sold his company, Mirage Resorts , and used

3850-640: The resort's initial name, "Le Rêve" (French for "The Dream"), in October 2001. It was named after a 1932 Picasso painting that Wynn had purchased. Wynn trademarked the "Le Rêve" name earlier in 2001, and later purchased the rights from the Le Rêve hotel in West Hollywood, California . In June 2003, Wynn announced that he had renamed the resort after himself; market research showed that "Wynn" had better name recognition. According to Wynn: "No one knows what Le Reve is. No one knows how to pronounce it". "Wynn"

3920-401: The resort, which would employ 9,000. In total, the resort received 105,000 applications. As of January 2005, construction crews were working on a 20-hour schedule each day to get the resort finished on time. At a final cost of $ 2.7 billion, it was the most expensive resort ever built. Analysts anticipated that Wynn Las Vegas would launch a new wave of resort construction on the Strip. The resort

3990-431: The site. The design phase lasted two and a half years, and construction began on October 31, 2002, with Marnell Corrao Associates as general contractor. At a cost of $ 2.7 billion, Wynn Las Vegas was the most expensive resort ever built, beating Wynn's $ 1.6 billion Bellagio , which opened on the Strip in 1998. Wynn Las Vegas opened on April 28, 2005, with 2,716 rooms and a 111,000 sq ft (10,300 m) casino. At

4060-410: The standard for such casino resorts. The Mirage gave its size and emphasis on non-gaming entertainment options like shopping and fine dining to draw in customers. Mega-resorts use the same fantastic or mythical theme (medieval life at Excalibur , tropical at The Mirage, famous cities, etc.) throughout their properties. Many mega-resorts have a large theme park as its centerpiece . Resorts such as

4130-558: The time, its 45-story hotel tower was the tallest building in Nevada . A sister property, Encore Las Vegas , was opened by Wynn Resorts in December 2008. Located directly north of the resort, Encore added a second hotel tower and additional gaming space, as well as several restaurants and clubs. In total, the 215-acre (87 ha) Wynn complex contains 4,748 rooms and 188,786 sq ft (17,538.8 m) of gaming space. Wynn declared his $ 5.2 billion complex finished in May 2010, following additions made at Encore. Unlike most Strip resorts,

4200-532: The wave of the future". Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne negatively compared Wynn Las Vegas to a "midrise office tower in Houston, circa 1983". Wynn said that critics "missed the point" of the hotel tower's design: "This is a stack of hotel rooms. [...] the reality is that I have to cater to guests. Under that, form follows function". Tom Gorman, also writing for the Los Angeles Times , found

4270-492: Was accused of "misappropriating millions of dollars" from his holding company Okada Holdings. Universal Entertainment Corporation subsequently removed him from his chairman position by convincing his family members to vote him out of his Okada Holdings leadership role. Charges of misappropriating funds filed against Okada with Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption and Parañaque City Regional Court by Universal Entertainment Corporation have since been dismissed. In

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4340-434: Was also expected to help transform the northern Strip and attract an upper-class clientele to the area. Several new Strip projects were announced during Wynn's construction, including The Palazzo , CityCenter , Fontainebleau , and Echelon Place . Wynn kept many details about the project secretive until its opening, granting few interviews prior to that point. He said the resort's features were difficult to describe: "That's

4410-540: Was formerly an executive at Wynn Resorts , and co-founder and former chairman of the Universal Entertainment Corporation , until his ousting in 2017 after allegations of financial mismanagement. Kazuo Okada was born in 1942. Having lost his father at a young age, he became independent and supported his family. He studied at an engineering vocational school to take advantage of his interest and passion for mechanics. In an interview with

4480-678: Was hired as general contractor. Groundbreaking took place on October 31, 2002, with a ceremony attended by hundreds of people, including Nevada senators Harry Reid and John Ensign , and former governor Bob Miller . As of June 2003, construction proceeded on a 24-hour schedule, with rebar installation during the day and concrete pours at night. The tower was topped off in February 2004. As project costs increased, another stock offering in Wynn Resorts took place later that year to raise additional financing. Hiring began on November 1, 2004. Within three months, more than 80,000 people applied for jobs at

4550-450: Was kept and redesigned to become the Wynn's course. Upon opening, the resort also included the state's only Ferrari and Maserati dealership, which later closed in 2015. The property has two retail areas, Wynn Esplanade and Wynn Plaza, the latter replacing the dealership in 2018. Tryst, a popular nightclub by Victor Drai , opened in 2005 and operated for 10 years. Since its opening, Wynn Las Vegas has received numerous accolades, including

4620-472: Was led by DeRuyter Butler. The interior design was largely handled by The Jerde Partnership and Wynn's longtime designer Roger Thomas. In total, more than 130 designers worked on the project, including Jane Radoff, another longtime interior designer for Wynn. The design team looked to the Bellagio for inspiration, seeking to replicate its success while correcting its mistakes. The design phase lasted two and

4690-612: Was once considered as a name for his previous resorts, The Mirage and Bellagio. By the time of the name change, he was already planning to build the Wynn Macau resort in China, and said, "Others have finally convinced me that the Wynn name would allow us to cross-market and offer a consistency of branding for all our properties". Three individuals in particular helped convince him to change the name: businessmen Barry Diller and Donald Trump , and film director Steven Spielberg . France

4760-417: Was opposed to the 2003 invasion of Iraq , and this was also a reason for changing the resort's name. According to chief architect DeRuyter Butler: "The name Le Reve is very closely tied to France, which was an opponent to our political approach to Iraq. It wasn't anything derogatory toward France, but Mr. Wynn started to look at other potential names". Wynn's surname signature is used as the resort's logo, and

4830-533: Was shot throughout the resort, while The Squeeze filmed on the golf course. The resort made subsequent appearances in the films Frank & Lola (2016) and The House (2017). By 2017, Wynn Las Vegas had become one of the world's most photographed hotels among the general public. In March 2020, the Wynn properties were among the first Las Vegas resorts to close as the COVID-19 pandemic reached Nevada . The Wynn complex, along with other local resorts, reopened three months later. In contrast to most other resorts,

4900-506: Was signed by Nevada governor Kenny Guinn later that year, eliminating certain financial reporting requirements while allowing the PUC to maintain jurisdiction over the residents. In 2004, Wynn reached an agreement to buy the remaining 10 homes for $ 23 million. The Desert Inn course was redesigned by Wynn and Tom Fazio , who both previously worked together on the design for Shadow Creek Golf Course . The Wynn course includes 1,200 trees saved from

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