a sneak peek backstage before the show, and were amazed at what goes into each production. The water is kept at 89°, which sounds downright toasty to us, but it’s actu-ally cold to the perform-ers because they have zero body fat. Each seat

in the theater has it’s own little AC unit so guests don’t feel the humidity. With only 12 rows to the stage, there isn’t a bad seat in the

house. At two shows per night, 107 loads of laundry and 1600 towels are used daily. Every day 66 pairs of specially made

Capezio leather shoes are repainted and re-glued. A wardrobe attendant walks 12 miles on an average show night performing their cue tracks. Twelve dress-ers are needed per show for 91 perform-ers with 2,000 cos-tume pieces. Egads!

ncore’s casino is also intimate and

elegant, with red chandeliers throughout, butterfly motif rugs and mosaics, and that lovely natural light. They have a separate Sky Casino for high rollers, which we didn’t see (a bit out of our league), but heard it is quite elegant.

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by Chef Jet Tila, who definitely knows his way around sushi. The restaurant has an amazing 27 foot crystal dragon comprised of 90,000 Swarovski crystals and flickering lights on the wall.

All the dining spots either open up to a promenade or pool, in keeping with the light, airy feeling adopted at Encore. The poolside restaurants have glass partitions that can be opened or closed depending on the weather, and most have optional outside dining. Lighting and ambiance play an important part in the restaurants.

Encore’s bars and lounges are all beautiful, fun, and creative. The Victor Drai created XS nightclub is ultra-hip, and stunning, with an outdoor pool integrated into the design. Sixteen stripper poles adorn the room for the uninhibited. (Remember, this is Vegas.)

Adding to Wynn’s upscale shops, the promenade leading from Encore to

Wynn includes Hermés, Chanel, and Rock & Republic’s first stand-alone boutique in the world. Among a few other new shops is the Homestore, which carries a lot of the unique items you will find at Encore in the guest rooms and public areas. Everything you see in Encore was specially designed for the resort. You can even order up one of those Dream Beds.

W ynn’s aquatic spectacle, Le Rêve (The Dream),

is a stunning production, from the design of the theater in the round, to the operation of the show, to the amazing athleti-cism of the performers. We got

W e’ve seen and experienced a lot of spas and salons in our travels, but

none can compare to the lavish Spa at Encore. A stunning lobby of gold and cream opulence leads to 37 rooms catering to a variety of treatments. The massage treatment rooms are perfect - with a very comfortable bed heated to your preference, and well-trained therapists at your service. Once you have tried a four-handed massage, it’s hard to go back. A pedicure at the Salon at Encore is also relaxing, with chairs facing floor to ceiling windows overlooking the strip. A 50-minute pedicure includes exfoliation and a moisturizing mask finished with a polish.

The fitness center offers state-of-the-art equipment, pilates, spinning, yoga, and more.

A fter several days of wonderful food and pampering, we are back home to

reality, and still thinking about that Dream Bed.

What can Steve Wynn do for another encore? We can only imagine...

For more information, visit www.encore-lasvegas.com

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Botero RestaurantBotero Restaurant

Sinatra RestaurantSinatra Restaurant

Encore SpaEncore Spa

XS NightclubXS Nightclub

Shopping PromenadeShopping Promenade

Le Reve

GAMING SCENEGAMING SCENE

level of sophistication. The resort rooms are all nicely laid out 745 square foot open-plan suites. Our guest room was reminiscent of a 30’s “Moderne” style room. We pictured Jean Harlow lounging on the couch. The beautifully appointed room in beige and white with black touches, has floor to ceiling windows and a full mirrored wall. One would expect the bed to be luxurious in a

Wynn property, and it most certainly is, with the aptly named “Dream Bed”. A large flat-screen TV cleverly rotates between the bed-room area and the living room area. The large marble bathroom also has a TV in it, along with all the amenities you can think of. A touch pad next to the bed controls all the different light configurations as well as the drapes and sheers. We did not see the larger Tower Suites or apartments, but it reportedly actually gets even more luxurious as you go upscale.

Although you could spend all your time lazing in the room with great and fast

room service, the restaurants downstairs are too inviting to miss. The resort chose not to have a lot of restaurants, rather a few choice ones. Wynn — which is accessible from Encore by a seamless indoor walkway past new shops — has plenty of fine restaurants to choose from. The difference with the Encore restaurants, in keepaing with their more intimate theme, is they are smaller and — something you rarely find — their celeb-rity chefs are not just a franchised name above an entrance, but actually work in their kitchens.

In Botero’s, Chef Mark LoRusso creates delectable steaks and chops, while patrons dine surrounded by Fernando Botero’s wonderful sculptures and paintings. Switch is manned by Chef Marc Poidevin, with French-inspired food, and guests can enjoy the subtle changes that occur hourly in the restaurant, with moving walls and lighting. Sinatra is a rarity, in that the Sinatra family keeps Frank’s icon close to the vest, and is very careful about who gets to use his name. Steve Wynn and Frank were very good friends, and the family trusted him to do “right by

Frank” when he decided to create a restau-rant around Sinatra. The restaurant is designed the way Frank probably would have liked, and Chef Theo Schoenegger cre-ates Mr. Sinatra’s favorite Italian dishes (with his own twist) for the guests. Old Blue Eyes’ music wafts through the room, and his favorite color, orange, is used for decor.

Society Cafe’s Chef Kim Canteenwalla prepares imaginative American cuisine and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At Wazuzu, the pan-Asian cooking is prepared

RUSSELL MACMASTERSRUSSELL MACMASTERS

Steve Wynn and the Encore AtriumSteve Wynn and the Encore Atrium

Resort Suite

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E ntertainers usually wait until their encore to give their audience their best. Although

he is not an entertainer but rather a hotelier/dream maker, we do believe Steve Wynn has done just that with his new Las Vegas resort/casino, Encore — the mirror double to his Wynn resort. The two gleaming bronze glass buildings rise up on the Vegas strip and take center stage.

W e so enjoyed our stay at Wynn last year, we were

looking forward to experiencing the newly opened Encore, which we had the pleasure of doing recently. Although the buildings look the same from the outside, the inside has gone in a somewhat different direction. Gone is the old casino rule of “Keep daylight out of the casino — we don’t want anyone to know what time it is.” Although Wynn Resort uses some natural light, Encore is flooded with it throughout the property — and it’s a very welcome change for Las Vegas. Full of beautiful sky-lights, Encore is also packed with gorgeous

trees, and plants which are deliv-ered daily from all over the world. A butterfly motif sets the

tone, and their signature color is red, which is played throughout

the resort.

ncore is catering to a more elite clientelle

with 2034 total guest rooms and raised

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Steve Wynn’s EncoreSteve Wynn’s Encore