Las Vegas Weekly

December 22, 2008 · 7:15 AM

Morning Call: Steve Wynn is set to open $2.3 billion Encore with XS, the Strip’s largest nightclub

By Robin Leach

Hotel tycoon Steve Wynn standing in the new Encore atrium.

Photo: Barbara Kraft/Encore

It will doubtless be known as the world’s most beautiful and extraordinary nightclub: No wonder Steve Wynn and Victor Drai have called it XS! It is unmatched and unrivaled, and, standing inside looking at the water-themed, double-decked, combination daytime club and nightclub, you won’t ever realize the famed Strip is just a few feet away. You will be transported to the magic of the French Riviera in sexy, sun-baked St. Tropez!

You can click HERE for our video interview with hotel tycoon Steve Wynn about the XS nightclub and the entire nightclub business phenomenon. These are the very first color photos of the Encore’s XS, atrium and spa facilities -- and of course the mogul himself posing proudly in advance of today’s 8 p.m. low-key soft opening!

Photo: Barbara Kraft/Encore

The lush XS nightclub at the Encore.

The staggeringly gorgeous XS is the charmed centerpiece of the new, natural-daylight $2.3 million mega resort with 2,034 all-suite rooms and 72,000 square feet of glittering and glamorous casino space. For his encore to Tryst at the Wynn, Steve and Victor decided daytime pool-life would merge with nightlife excitement to become the major attraction in its own right without need of a Broadway musical or a Strip-front free-show of dancing fountains.

“It is the star,” Victor said proudly. Even Steve admits: “The showroom has been replaced in terms of importance by the nightclub.”

Photo: TVT

Danny Gans.

Entertainer Danny Gans, who has been named for many years as the Strip’s best performer, will move from his former Mirage home into the old Spamalot theater being renamed for him where Wynn meets Encore in early February that will serve both resorts.

Photo: Russell MacMasters/Encore

The hallway to The Spa at the Encore.

Steve told me: “Our party will start at noon if necessary or by 3 p.m. at the latest -- and roll on until 5 a.m. nonstop. It’s all-encompassing, from the most luxurious two-level cabanas you’ve ever seen to the bar in the center of the pool to an adult pool with its own bar to the fabulous Botero restaurant and on into the nightclub itself -- all seamless. I went to St. Tropez. I spent time in Famous 55 and Nikki Beach. This is that over-the-top party atmosphere: fabulous freedom and exciting energy.

“The nightclub business now probably accounts for $600 million in Vegas revenues without the tips -- and XS had simply to be No. 1 at the top of its game in the best place in the world. We set an unbelievable goal, and we’ve achieved it with the finest. Nobody comes close to this one. It’s not that there was anything left to accomplish what we had already done elsewhere, but what we did was do it better -- and sincerely this is my best ever in 40 years of the business. It is more up market and more upscale than Wynn, yet still has the look and intimate feel of a boutique property.”

Photo: TVT

Victor Drai at Tryst in the Wynn.

Victor doesn’t even know what it all cost. “There was no separate budget, and it was totally a case of ‘money no object.’ ” The dramatic tiled stairway leads to a golden “arena” of columns cast from nude women draped in thin fabrics that welcome and lead into the club itself complete with stripper poles for whenever the mood strikes guests or dancers! The pool, with its center bar, also had two long bars at both ends of the sprawling, stretched-out, comfort-zone patio. The Botero restaurant -- named after the world-famous Mexican artist -- is a circular steakhouse with a giant sculpture at its center.

Photo: Tryst

Cy and Jesse Waits are managing partners of XS and Tryst.

XS officially opens New Year’s Eve, but first-nighters this evening will get to see the Sinatra restaurant, dedicated to the memory of Ol’ Blue Eyes. Click HERE to read our report last week about the Sinatra-inspired Italian eatery where his Academy, Grammy and Emmy awards are on display at the bar. You’ll even hear Frank himself playing DJ in the delicious orange and green-bathed dining rooms.

Photo: Russell MacMasters/Encore

The atrium at the Encore.

Elsewhere, you will find 11 new retail outlets and the Wazuzu, Society Cafe and Switch restaurants, which is another original masterpiece. I’ll check out Switch later this morning, but as far as I understand now, it’s a restaurant with an ever-changing decor of sets, walls and furnishings nightly. You never eat in the “same restaurant” twice! When I walked through the casino and VIPs tower lobby last week, I marveled at the sunlit corridors of flowering atriums and sprawling pools as natural light floods to reveal vibrant butterflies, signature mosaics and elegant intricate detailing. It’s exquisite!

Steve didn’t miss a trick, either, when it came to the hallowed halls of the spa to provide tranquility and opulent comfort. I’ve already nicknamed it the “ hallway to heaven” that leads to a “palace of pleasure treatment rooms,” movement studios and an organic juice bar!

Photo: Russell MacMasters/Encore

The Spa lobby at the Encore.

The grand gala opening with red carpet celebrities will be the week after the media week ends Jan. 15. Meantime, as crowds of first-nighters descend with well wishes tonight at 8, Steve and Elaine Wynn will have their trusty dog Paolo on hand for his third property opening.

“He’s now 10 years old, and he’s been good luck for the previous two -- and I’m expecting him to deliver again,” Steve laughed.

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