Winning vision & experience at the Wynn

There are moments where the pace of Vegas feels a little too Grand Bazaar and I need some space and quiet to collect my thoughts. While many people thrive on the hustle of this unique city, I am always find myself searching for serenity. During my most recent trip to Las Vegas, we made several trips to the Wynn and the Encore. The Wynn properties have an oasis-like feeling compared with other resorts on the Strip. In fact, I have come to believe that the Wynn offers the most humane experience in Las Vegas. The Wynn and the Encore properties are imaginative and original, and use natural light in a way unheard of at other casino resorts on the strip.

In 2013 we bought tickets to see Le Rêve, in the multi-million dollar purpose-built theatre at the Wynn. This was our introduction to the Wynn (and incidentally, I recommend the show!). Walking through the Wynn for the first time, we noticed things were different from other places in Vegas. There is a unified vision at work and a personality in evidence. From the colour scheme and flowers to the original modern art collection, Wynn and Encore are distinct. Even when there are a lot of people, one does not feel claustrophobic. After the show we stopped to have a drink at Parasol Down on the “Lake of Dreams”. The cocktails were delicious, the service was excellent and the use of lighting was nothing short of awesome (as the photos below suggest). The short shows (every half hour) were whimsical and interesting. I was sold.

Each time we visit Las Vegas, our visits to the Wynn increase and we experience more of its restaurants, casinos, and lovely lounges – sadly we can’t afford to shop there. On our most recent trip, I gave Zoozacrackers Deli a second look in, visited Parasol Down and Parasol Up, and had dinner at The Society Café several times (my travelling companion likes the prime rib and please try the Champagne cocktail with hibiscus during happy hour). We also played at the Wynn Casino, which is very pleasant compared with the other casinos on the strip. The craps tables are just $10 during the day, which we did not expect in such an up-market venue, and are really accessible and fun. The dealers are friendly, plus they use your name when you play with your card and help you learn the various betting options. The other players are also quite relaxed in this welcoming and engaging environment.

I don’t know Mr. Wynn but I like his style. In the Wynn and Encore he has created destination properties that blend attention to detail with imagination and whimsy on a grand scale. It is ostentatious (there is a Ferrari shop, two Chanel stores, and Hermes, among other global luxury brands) but that seems appropriate for Vegas. In fact the blend of low and high seems to work here. My favourite thing about the Wynn is that it is not trying to replicate something that exists elsewhere. It is an original.

More than the aesthetic, Wynn has focused on the entire experience for customers. We have noticed a property-wide trend at the Wynn and Encore to identify customers by name. Even though we were not staying at the resort, it felt like they were making a real effort to get to know us and to make us welcome. I also love that every aspect of the cocktail waitress’s uniforms – including the shoes – are unified. It seems that while there are great chefs working at Wynn, the restaurants are Wynn-managed, not third-party owned and operated making it easier to enforce consistent brand standards property-wide. My favourite former-Telegraph restaurant critic, Matthew Norman, made it a point of never reviewing the “loos”. This was his one failing in my opinion. I am happy to report that the Wynn and Encore feature some of the most beautiful public “rest rooms” I have been inside of. This seems like an appropriate point to mention the overall cleanliness of the properties.

While there are clearly standards at the Wynn properties, not everything is perfect. For example, there are television screens in The Society Café, which I personally don’t like. In some spaces there are “music clashes” and there are issues with the inefficient layout of Zoozacrackers.

When I go to Vegas for G2E in September it will be very tempting to stay at the Wynn or Encore. It would be great to see the rooms and experience more of this amazing resort. Ultimately, I will have to make a decision based on the investment I’ve made in being a customer of the Venetian. The Venetian is too large and involves too many third-party operators to offer a consistent experience and it lacks the originality, imagination and personal attention to standards on display at the Wynn.

I’m excited to see what Wynn has planned for Boston. Aren’t you?

#Branding #CustomerExperience