The king of the Strip, who just added Encore to his portfolio of high-end casino hotels, tells T+L about his favorite places around the city—and beyond.
“The model for Encore (suites from $289) is the south of France: St.-Tropez, Club 55. Places that have a wonderful indoor-outdoor integration. The east and west walls of the casino are almost three hundred feet of glass, looking onto gardens and pools. It’s uplifting because of the natural light. The glass walls are a total departure from any other gambling hall. And we have a restaurant in Encore called Switch. You hear a musical cue, and the wall descends. Up comes a glass wall, and the roof accordions open. Then twenty minutes later the glass walls go back down into the floor and the room is open to the garden. That’s the kind of thing that says, ‘You’re in Las Vegas, kiddo. You’re here to live large and have fun—here it is.’”
“People are nostalgic about the old-school Vegas vibe—but the real old-school Vegas was downtrodden, run-down. Still, parts of this city have real historical relevance. The old Mormon Fort is worth a visit.”
“Just west of the city, Red Rock Canyon is stunning, unbelievably beautiful. People go there for bicycle rides and hikes. And the Valley of Fire is only forty miles away. These are spectacular places that we locals use. Red Rock Canyon is closer to the hotels than Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam—you can ride your bike from town.”
“When I want to knock it out of the park in terms of food, I go to Alex (dinner for two $330), Alessandro Stratta’s restaurant [in Wynn Las Vegas]. But this is a town with Guy Savoy (dinner for two $350) at Caesars and Joël Robuchon (dinner for two $250) at MGM. Those, plus Picasso (dinner for two $226) at the Bellagio, compare to anything in France or New York.”
