HotelChatter

Check In
Ok, we checked in about three weeks past opening, plenty of time to get their process together, and Encore entry was smooth sailing. We also checked in on a Wednesday, traditionally a down day for Vegas, so lines were not an issue. Furthermore, when we asked for a high floor room we were smiled at and given a room on the 61st floor. Not too shabby.

Casino
The casino is on the smaller side, and dominated by slot machines. There are plenty of blackjack tables, but not a huge variety of games. We were able to find one three-card poker table.

Restaurants
The main restaurants are Encore are Sinatra's, Botero, and Switch. Sinatra's is an Italian joint, (go figure), while Switch is more kitch. Mid-meal, the wait staff changes outfits and the walls change decor -- giving you double the ambiance, presumably. Botero is the resort's steakhouse, seems like every Vegas resort is required to have one, created by Victor Drai. We sat down to have dinner here one night and were completely ready to dismiss it as another Vegas overpriced steakhouse, but this place was incredible. The chef is Mark LoRusso, who helmed Tableau at the Tower Suites at the Wynn.
Hot Tip: Try the Crudo Tasting. The tuna with avocado and soy is fantastic.
Don't Say We Didn't Warn You: Society Cafe is an overpriced cafe with dreadful service. Every other place at Encore has stellar service, but not here. The burger wasn't bad, but it wasn't $15 good either.

Room Reaction
Room 6130 can be seen in its full video glory here. Oh, and yes YoungHotello, there is a bathroom. It is quite large with a shower, separate bath, dual sinks and plenty of gold fixtures.

Overall, the room, with its separate living area, has an upgraded Venetian feel, it does however feel a bit smaller than the 700 square feet advertised. The black, white and cream color scheme feels very classy as does the room in general. Perk: You can control the lighting, the sheers, and the drapes from your bed thanks to this nifty bedside contraption that feels very seventies. Best Feature: The swivel HD TV -- Niiiice.

Pool
Sin city can get cold in the winter, so the pool area was fairly empty. However, with temps in the high sixties it was quite pleasant to chill outside amongst the gorgeous grounds. Fair warning, the pool area is far smaller and more compact than the original Wynn pool.

Clientele
Old. Unexpectedly Old. Older than dirt. Our running theory is, the old people are the only ones who have any money left. Then again, those lucky old coots get to take advantage of killer deals and one of the nicest resorts Vegas has every seen, without all those young kids running around mucking up the works.

WiFi
In-room wireless/wired is $13.99 a night. Want to print something out? $2 a page.

Service
Excellent and timely. If anything they might be too eager to make up your room. The pre-9:30 wake up knock is a bit early for many in Vegas, luckily we work on East Coast time so it wasn't an issue.
Interesting Access Issue: While at Encore we experienced a disturbing amount of iPhone crashes and began to wonder if the Casino ran some sort of interference to kill phones every so often. Then again, maybe we are just paranoid after reading Bringing Down The House.

Location
North Strip. Fashion Mall is directly across the street, monorail is fairly accessible.

View
We had a sweet view of the entire Wynn property and golf course. We could also see south down the strip, unobstructed -- Encore has killer views.

Cost
$179. Remember, we stayed on a Wednesday and Thursday and booked during the travel dead zone. This was a period of time following CES and AVN, where Vegas is traditionally slower. This year, Vegas is slower than usual, thus there are some great deals to be had.

Bottom Line
With the opening of Wynn we believe we are witnessing the pinnacle of the "luxury tower craze" in Vegas. What started with Mandalay's The Hotel, and ran through Wynn I, Palms Place, Trump and Palazzo, is now finishing up with Encore. Vegas is always evolving, changing, to fit new clientele, and while Encore is an incredible resort with some of the best rooms we have seen in Vegas, we wonder if they will ever be able to get the rack rates they no doubt dreamed up a couple years ago. Time will tell. Until then, Vegas is on sale. Enjoy.