Wynn or Encore
 

We would like to stay at either the Wynn or encore on our next trip. Do either of these properties have a concierge floor

wynn also has some bookable villas, while encore doesnt.

The Encore rooms are all suites and considerably larger than at the Wynn, also lavishly fitted (as you might expect at the construction cost of almost $1 million per room). Wynn learned from all the mistakes made in the original hotel and the Encore was intended to be a big step up. They ran out of space for the private pool but made the single pool extra-ordinarily nice (as well as integrating it into the casino decor). Overall there is no comparison, Encore is soooo much nicer than Wynn or almost anyplace else in LV.

Wow, $1m per room? I didn't see it. Both are nice, but I thought the rooms at Palazzo were nicer than the room I had at Encore. I'm pretty sure their rooms are bigger too.

palazzo - 720ft2
encore - 700ft2 or 745ft2 depending on view (downtown vs strip)

palazzo concierge - 383 suites
encore tower - 320 suites

palazzo - $1.9B 3,068 suites
encore - $2.2B 2,034 suites

The actual concierge floors have little to no difference from the other Palazzo floors. With the exception of the fact that there is a "secret" elevator bank in the back of the concierge lounge (which can only access the concierge level floors in the 20's) --- I don't really count the "383 suites" @ Palazzo as a separate tower/wing, such as the Wynn/Encore Tower Suites.

Though, as I've mentioned before, the Palazzo concierge lounge is top notch.

FWIW, the last few times I was upgraded to a "concierge level" room @ Palazzo, I was NOT staying on the one of the official concierge floors. That's fine with me, as I prefer a room on floor 40+.

In addition, there is another lounge on floor 50 (in addition to the concierge lounge on 23), but that's reserved for "special people.";);)

Does Wynn or Encore have a concierge lounge with drinks etc

Wynn does, in the Tower Suites area, but, IIRC it's only for RFB casino guests.

Thanks for the reply - in that case is it worth staying at the Palazzo to enjoy concierge floor or better to take Encore - really stuck as live in UK and have stayed at the Bellagio on recent trips which I now think is tatty and commercial

I would have to say that depends on your priorities.

Are you looking for the best deal or the best experience? ;);)

Encore is the newest and best in the city, or at least, that's what many would say. (I haven't stayed there personally, so I can't speak to it directly) If both Encore and Palazzo Concierge were exactly the same price, and you don't mind paying extra for perks @ the Palazzo Concierge Lounge (see HERE but, basically 3 presentations a day, free wifi, a small business center, and cocktails in the evening) while staying @ Encore, I would probably choose Encore. Encore still provides the newest upscale experience in Vegas, awesome restaurants, a very attractive casino floor, great spa etc. etc. etc.

I'm sure others can chime in about their recent Encore experiences, but I've heard a lot of positive comments. My experiences (last week and in December) at Palazzo have exceeded my expectations.

Stayed at Wynn Dec 2007, Palazzo Dec 2008, and Encore Jan 2009. All basic rooms with a "$20 trick" upgrade to a high floor view of the strip in both Wynn properties and a mid-level floor view of the strip in Palazzo.

Favorite room by a little bit was Palazzo. Not sure of the dimensions but seemed more spacious with the sunken couch/desk area. The Encore room had a fair sized couch area also.
The decor is a wash as all three were very nice and modern. Personally, I liked the Encore's decor. LCD tv's in each with HD channels. Large washroom in all three (dual sink, tub, shower, separate toilet, etc). Wife loved the toiletries in all of the bathrooms. She really liked the bed in Palazzo. Not sure why but I liked the one in the Wynn the best (tho, I suspect it's the same as the Encore). The wife was really bothered by the noise from a vent in the room located over a ledge near the ceiling in the Palazzo room. You can't control it (we called down to the desk to ask). We just ended up muffling the sound with a pillow.

I found the red decor a little excessive in gaming area of Encore. Found drink service to be very good even late at night/early in the morning.
Didn't enjoy my video poker experience in Palazzo. Slow drink service and non-existent after 1am. Had a VP machine crash on me too.

Didn't go in but found the pool areas at Encore and Wynn (you should have access to both I think) more interesting than Palazzo's. (Didn't check out Venetian's which I also assume you would access to both.)

Parking for all three were fairly convenient and a relatively short walk to the room elevators.

Service-wise, surprisingly(?) I felt a bit more of a friendly vibe at Wynn and Encore (though our interactions with staff were primarily limited to Front Desk, security, and CW's. YMMV of course.

Thanks for the 'summary' forgive me being totally stupid - please have patience I am new to this forum - but what is the $20 dollar upgrade trick

baccarat_king, how is palazzo concierge any different from other "wings" with no private pool...?

so paiza is on 50th floor? there is a skycasino like encore right?

mishool, they are saying you can get upgrade from resort > panoramic for $20 at checkin.

Oh well what do you do just hand them $20 bill - coming from London we don't seem to be able to do this kind of thing - but worth a try in LV if you think so

Does the $20 trick work in terms of "upgrading" from Wynn to Encore? For the dates I'm staying, Wynn is pretty much booked up while Encore has openings. For the rates I pay, Encore works out to be slighly more expensive a night.

The $20 trick is essentially a bribe to the front desk clerk you are checking in with in an attempt to get a better/upgraded room/suite than you normally reserved but at the price of the room you originally booked.

There's a thread in the LV forum that discusses it and a even a website devoted to it but but there are different ways to go about it. I usually say we have a basic room booked but were wondering if they could check if we could have a complimentary upgrade to a high floor with a nice view of the strip. If I'm fairly confident that I'll get an upgrade (ie. suspect the hotel is not fully booked), I'll tip the $20 immediately. Otherwise, I'll have my wallet open on the counter with a bill ready to go to let the clerk know I'll tip him if he can accommodate our request.

A basic upgrade at the Wynn and Encore is usually pretty easy. By basic, I mean a non-view room to a high floor Panoramic view room of the strip. I think you'd normally pay an extra $40/night or so for a Panoramic room.
However, if the hotel is really booked up, it might not work or the upgrade might not be as great.

We're 2 for 2 for upgrades at the Wynn / Encore. I tipped immediately at the Wynn while the wife tipped at the end during check-in at the Encore. In the past we always ended up with crap rooms with a view of a parking garage or whatever :). Every since we started asking and employing the tip, we've gotten great rooms every time except once during a stay btw Christmas and New Years when the hotel was packed. The main thing really, is to ask nicely.

BTW, if you're going to book a Concierge room, I'm not sure how much value you'd get employing the $20 tip.

mispost

I don't really think their are any real differences to the Concierge Level Suites, except for the direct access (via a special elevator bank), inside the lounge. (otherwise, all the other elevator banks go to the 23rd floor, you just have to enter through the front of the lounge). But, this is one of the best lounges I've been too, and is probably more similar to a Ritz Carlton Club Lounge with regard to multiple presentations throughout the day. (it's also a properly sized lounge -- and is very large; with lots of sofas, chairs, and private corners/rooms) In addition, there is waiter service, it's not just self service. If you desire to self serve a cup of coffee in the AM, you can -- or instead order a dry cappuccino (my favorite) and a pellegrino directly from the server.

With Concierge Suite you receive a welcome letter, "Welcome to The Palazzo and your Concierge Level Suite" -- basically it mentions the lounge hours (and evening drinks from 5PM to 9PM);
other services listed are :
- DVD library of classic movies
- Business center with copying, printing and internet availability
- Plasma screen televisions throughout the lounge for your enjoyment
- Personal assistance with travel, dinner and show arrangements
- Packing and unpacking services upon request

"Your lounge experience has been tailored for you and one guest." --- so, if you are traveling alone, you can always have a friend join you.

You have all been really helpful but still don't know whether to choose Wynn - Encore or Palazzo! Maybe I should spend two nights at each

Plenty of "friends" for hire in Vegas ;)

Couldnt resist.

That's what I'm thinking of doing. Probably not a bad idea to establish a relationship with both to see if they send offers.

I don't need to "hire" -- ;););)

anyone who knows me will vouch for the fact that I attract many quite naturally. :D:D

Just got back from stay at the Encore. I've stayed at the Wynn twice before.

Had a basic room, got a great deal just before I went for $149/night. Overall a very nice room, slightly bigger than the Wynn. The bathroom was comparable to the Wynn in size and function. One thing I noticed is they no longer stock shaving cream. I ended up asking one of the housekeepers as I walked down the hall. Came back later taht afternoon and they had placed a box of shaving cream and disposable razor. Very nice!

You can't go wrong at either the Wynn or Encore. Staff at both places were extremely nice. Much more so than anyother place I went on the strip. Personally, I think Wynn/Encore's staff training is what puts them on top.

Bob

R U bragging or dreaming?;)

Does anyone know if you can book Wynn and "upgrade" to Encore at checkin?

right now rates seem to have "switched" and frequently are lower at encore.

others have stated reservation systems are unified so its no problem.

I can't see why not...it's really one hotel. Why not call ahead and see if they can switch you?

QL

I booked under a promotional rate which is cheaper at Wynn. I am obviously hoping to pay the same and be staying at Encore. I suppose I'll give a Casino Host a call or something since reservations will probably just ask me to pay more (even though Encore is cheaper right now).

Encore Spa/Salon Fitness Center
 

Slightly off-topic from the original post, but in keeping with the theme of amenities.

We are booked for a weekend at Encore next weekend. Does anyone have any experience with the fitness center?

We stayed at Palazzo last month and they charged us $40 per person per day to use the fitness center. I found out from baccarat_king about a Resort Package at Palazzo that would have made it cheaper (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11381255-post278.html), but not until after we got back (my fault, not his, for not asking on FT in advance).

So this time I am asking in advance, is there any way around the $30 per person per day at the Encore fitness center, and if not, is it worth it?

Thanks in advance!

I did just that this last weekend. I was checking into the Wynn, and asked for a high floor with a nice view - the checkin clerk offered me a complimentary upgrade to the Encore - 8th floor with a view of the pool or something in the 30's with a view of downtown.

Weird. I was at Wynn a couple of weeks ago and they said they couldn't do that. They gave me a complimentary upgrade to a panaoramic room at the Wynn instead.

Encore is more laid back and stylish... better if you don't like crowds. I received an upgrade to a really high floor when trying the $20 trick. They refused to take the money because I had to wait because the credit card system was down temporarily :)

Frankly I like the gym at Wynn better because they have a stretching frame. Neither one has elliptical trainers, although both have arc trainers. Both have plenty of machines and weights. When Encore opened I believe they were charging $35 versus Wynn's $25, but I heard a rumor they backed down. There is also a three-day plan.

Admission charges never appear on my bill, but I don't know if that's because I'm in a suite or because I'm RFB.

QL

Is it likely I could get an upgrade to a Tower room at Wynn with an upfront tip? I've heard others say no, but if you can go to Encore, why not to Tower?

They've been doing this to get people to "try" Encore. For a while, Encore's rates have actually been lower than Wynn on average because the demand for Encore really wasn't there. People who knew Wynn and liked Wynn were just booking Wynn.

That said, I don't think Encore is that much better than Wynn. Yes, the rooms are bigger, but I don't really like the configuration. You don't have an unobstructed view out the window while lying in bed because of the living room "divider" and the TV. The Wynn rooms are plenty big. Other than size and the suite-like aspect, the rooms are substantially similar. Also the non-Strip views from Encore (looking North) are nothing short of depressing. It really hits home how far away you are from any other casinos worth going to (except Wynn). Which of course is another issue I have with Encore. It's a bit isolated. Would have been a different story if Echelon place and the Plaza were getting built, but alas...