While spending last week at Planet Hollywood, I got an e-mail from the WynnDot offering me 2 free nights with very limited days coming up in less than a week. It was hard to read the details on my phone where I checked my email, so I booked it anyway. I also booked the Spamalot VIP package. They offered me half price on LeReve too, so I booked that.

I left home on Wednesday about 1640 and arrived at the WynnDot 12 minutes later. I picked up my tickets first so that the VIP credentials would be in my hands when I approached the registration desk. When I got to the registration area, a gentleman directed me to a nice young lady at the end of the check in area. I gave her a big Howdy, told her she had a nice place here, and that her interior decorator did an excellent job. This gal started talking and wouldn't shut up. She gave me a full promotional speech. Every time I though she was about to finish, I'd cue her to keep going with questions like, "what is your favorite restaurant here", "what time are the lake shows", "what is your favorite lake show", "how long as this hotel been here", etc. We went on for 15 minutes before we even started the registration. When she talked slowly, she tried to use a British accent, but whenever she got excited, she started talking faster and reverted to her midwest USA accent. She finally said, "you're checking in, right?", and I replied, "I was hoping that you might have a complimentary upgrade available today." She said she would see what she could do, and found me a room on the 57th floor looking over the strip. She started telling me about how great the room was, with electric remote control drapes, iPod compatible clock radio, soft sheets, comfy pillows, etc. I think she was having as much fun trying to make this ole Texan feel pampered as I was having by leading her own. This room was on par with what most people get for a $20 trick, and I still haven't even given her my credit card and drivers license. When she finally asked for them, I slipped her a $20 anyway, just because I am a nice guy. She offered to make change for the $20 and was very appreciative when I told her no. She was so appreciative that she kept talking for another 15 mintues, giving me tips on how to get around, where things were, how my room key worked as a charge key or players club card also, and lots of other stuff.

I thought this girl was just a blabber mouth at first. Later on I found many Wynn employees that are automatons. They have a job to do, they have a way to do it, and it is drilled in them to do it that way every time. That probably works well from a business standpoint and works well with the foreign guests. I found a lot of them that light up nicely when you greet them, compliment them, tell them a joke, or ask them something that isn't in their training manual.

The gal was right. It was a nice room. To me, the impressive part was the view. I know Las Vegas pretty well. I've studied it a lot. I've looked at the pictures. I have an ongoing project in Google Earth building a KML of hundreds of points of interest in town. Let's just say that I have been around. I opened the drapes and I was overlooking the TI. I was looking OVER Treasure Island and on towards The Rio and Palms. I had to look down to see TI and the Mirage too. I looked over to the side towards the Palazzo and it was taller. The semi ugly Trump tower was way off to the other side and taller. Other than that, I was looking down on everything. And looking down, I had an EXCELLENT view of the Lake of Dreams. To view my room from the outside of the building, I was below where the line starts to snake out from the last N in Wynn and between the first two horizontal stripes. The Wynn tower is separated into a Resort Tower section and a Suite Tower section. They have separate elevator banks and separate front desks, and give an illusion of a different tower. The third of the end closest to the Palazzo is the suite end. The other two thirds is the Resort area where I stayed. It's the end with the mullet on top. The Palazzo blocks much of the strip view from the suites. The suite view would probably be part of TI, Fashion Show Mall, Trump, and the Resort portion of the tower.

I think my room was the same room that most people get, and my upgrade was for the view. It was a very classy room except for the blood orange color of the walls. The bathroom had a big tub with a side waterfall spout, a glass enclosed shower, two sinks, two chairs, scales, and a toilet in a separate little room. The entry way had a big closet with ironing board, iron, 2 nice robes, 2 pairs of small slippers, safe, and other goodies. The bedroom had a couch, 2 chairs, two tables, a Desk with an office chair, fax machine, and multifunction phone, a dresser, a pivoting 42 in flat panel TV, a bed with a lot of pillows, two end tables, an iPod compatible alarm clock, and a cordless phone. When I first walked in, the TV was silently on a channel that had a landscape and floral slide show. I found that the bed was not as comfortable to me as the Planet Hollywood bed. The pillows were soft and fluffy, but flattened out in no time when I laid my head on them later that night. There were two different kinds of pillows too, down and fiberfill. The bathroom was a lot smaller than what I had at Planet Hollywood. Another thing I really liked about this room was the overhead indirect lighting and the nightlights for the bathroom which were under the sinks. One notable exception to class was the spare roll of toilet paper on the lid of the toilet tank. It was a full roll, in it's factory paper wrapping. It also had a WynnDot cardboard wrap around it that said, "emergency backup" several times, all the way around it. I had fun trying to visualize the situations that led to this adornment.

Leaving the splendor of the room, I went down to find a lucky machine. I lost $60 in about an hour and decided it was time to eat. It was a no brainer, I had to eat the buffet since I had such a horrible experience the week before at an alleged premium buffet. So $36.58 later I was enjoying much better food. I think that this buffet has slipped a notch or two. The crab legs were not bad, although they were almost frozen. You can get them steamed at the prime rib cutting area, which involves standing in 2 long lines. The prime rib was boarderline enough that I finished one thin piece and did not go for seconds. They had 6 different kinds of chicken in the main meat area. They had baked chicken, fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, free range chicken, jerk chicken, and something else. Most of it tasted like chicken. The lamb Tbones were pretty good. The grilled asparagus was yummy. The grilled corn on the cob was pretty salty. The peeled shrimp were not bad. The cocktail sauce had a good amount of horseradish in it that gave it a spicy kick. The desserts have never impressed me at this buffet and the tradition continues. I'm glad I ate there. I don't think I'll head back anytime soon on my own free will.

I took my time in the buffet until it was show time. Tonight would be Spamalot with a VIPP. They use two Ps in all the promo and the last one stands for package indicating it is a package deal. This gets a ticket on the first 4 rows, center section. It includes a coupon for grail drink of beer or soda in a special VIPP line, and a VIPP badge and lanyard to wear around your neck. I got my soda and my seat on the aisle of row D. It was not showtime yet, so I looked in the orchestra pit and counted 10 pieces. There might have been up to 14. It was kinda crowded and hard to see around down there. The show was funny and entertaining as usual. It had a lot of changes from the first time I saw it. It is still a musical and a Monty Python show. I think most Monty Python fans aren't big musical fans, and most musical fans aren't Monty Python fans, and that is why the show is not a super duper hit. One more thing about the room. The TV had a Monty Python channel.

After the show, it was time for the crowd to leave and the VIP tour to begin. In preparation, the staff had several bags with claim checks and we could put our programs and grail cups in the bags and claim them after the tour. They also allowed us time to take a restroom break. First, that was a nice gesture to be able to let us set our cups aside and take a break, and second, it kinda spread the timing out so we could go in groups of 10 or so, and not get in each others way. Our tour guy was Rob, one of the company actors who sang, danced, and played several parts. He encouraged lots of questions. I can't begin to explain what all happened in the tour, but I will try. For me, it was worth every penny. I think the VIPP is about 158 while a premium seat alone is about $100. We first walked into a main hallway that had memorabilia on the walls. This was real stuff, not just the stuff they sell to the public. They had special photographs, spam cans, a Tony award, and other stuff. This hallway was also coconut grove. It had broken coconuts from the show hanging from the ceiling. They said how many coconuts they go through, but I forgot. In fact, I forgot all of the fun facts. I think I'll do the tour again and take a recorder. BTW, cameras and picture taking is encouraged throughout the tour. There were several times we would walk through hallways that had breakrooms, internal memos on the walls, posters for special events (for cast and crew only) etc. The show had ended 25 minutes earlier, so there was still a lot of people coming and going. We went down behind the stage where there was a practice stage and TV. This is where the understudies practice during show. We saw a huge Spam can used as a promo that John O'Hurley popped out of when they announced he would star in the show. We got to take pictures of ourselves popping out of the can. This room also had the hydraulics for the stage lifts and had the fog machines. The hydraulic machine is so loud that they had to put in extra soundproofing around it since it is just feet from the audience and orchestra. There is also a place where defective lights go in for repair. Most theaters rent their lighting equipment. Steve Wynn bought all of his lights and set up his own light hospital where these expensive lights get repaired. We saw lots and lots of computers that run the show sets. We went up and down so many stairs and elevators I often lost track of where we were relative to the stage. There were several wardrobe rooms. We went to the wig shop and there were 4 people washing and preparing wigs for the next performance. These are high quality wigs costing thousands of dollars each. Each actor had several wigs to wear each show. And every wig is made out of human hair and has to be washed and prepared after each use. It was eye opening to see the changing rooms with stacks of shoes, hats, clothes, and accessories for each of the actors. It made me wonder if they enjoy the show or even appreciate it as much as the audience, since they are so busy with their own chores. We walked into one hallway and John O'Hurley was walking by. He stopped and talked and shook everyones hand and took pictures with us. You could tell that he enjoys what he does. The guide says that he has never seen John on the backstage tour, so we got a very special treat. We looked around stage right, the stage, and stage left. It was wild to see all the props in position, hanging from the ceiling, and all over the place in every nook and cranny, We went up in the catwalks and saw all of the backdrops and learned how they work. We went into the lighting booth and saw all of the control panels and lights they use. When we exited the last elevator into the lobby, the tour guide pointed out a costume with a stuffed albatross in it. He said it was a real stuffed bird and was used when Python did their last tour together which was at the Hollywood Bowl. By the time that show was over, the albatross was considered endangered and they were not allowed to bring it back to England, so it stayed in the US, and now has a permanent home in the Grail Theater. Earlier, I had asked if there were any rumors how long the show would keep running and was told that as long as tickets keep selling, they will keep playing. The whole tour was probably something any major production manager would be familiar with. Parts of it were stuff the actors never see, parts were stuff the stage hands never see, parts of it were stuff the wardrobe people never see, etc. Even our tour guide, who has acted alot said that he had never been allowed on catwalks before.

When the tour ended, I was pretty tired, but I sat down at a machine. A couple of hours later I had big bananas on all 5 games with a tidy profit....JOB, B, DB, DDB, DW. So I moved over to the next machine. It was a little tougher and after a very long time I finally finished all 5 games and had a nice profit. That one was scary because the deuces were not being friendly. Finally a wild royal sent me to the DB game where I got down to under 15 credits a few different times. Finally I got a SF and moved on to DDB where I hit a quad and finally finished. I was exhausted, so I went to my room.

It was way past time to see the Sirens show at the TI or the lake show at this hotel, so I went to bed. The bed wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I like in a bed, and the pillows flattened out to quick. The next morning I showered, enjoyed the view out of the window again, and went downstairs where I lost $200 in about an hour. I took off in search for breakfast and settled in at The Maple Tree to try their skillet breakfast. It was yummy and service was excellent, as usual.

Back to the WynnDot for some serious VP. I gave it a couple of hours at the 25 cent level and was getting nowhere except building points. I got on some dollar machines and took a heck of a roller coaster ride. Up and down, up and down, and finished on an up note. I took a walk outside, took some pictures, and walked through the Fashion Show Mall for exercise. I wasn't real hungry, so I went to the Terrace Point Cafe. They had a sign for a prime rib dinner with salad and desert for $32, so I had to inquire about it. I asked the waitress if it was real prime rib or buffet prime rib. Her reply was "it's not like that crap they serve in the buffet". I thought that was strange coming from an oriental gal. She was another example of a stuffy employee that would open up if you gave her the opportunity. It was a very good meal that started with a salad of field greens. This was hand cut stuff and nothing like you would find in a grocery store. It had a very good homemade dressing too. The prime rib came on a plate with broccoli, carrots, and mashed potatoes. Again, you could tell the broccoli and carrots were not out of a bag. It also came with yorkshire pudding. The prime rib was so well trimmed that there was almost no fat to it. All of the exterior fat was trimmed off and there were just thin strips of connective tissue between the muscles. I was worried that it would be dry and tough. It was a little dry because the au jus was on the side. A quick dip in the sauce added the perfect moisture and flavor. The meat was tender. It almost tasted healthy. The meal ended with a creme brulee. It came in a very shallow bowl shaped almost like a banana.

After dinner, I rushed up to my room. All of this talk about the view and I had not seen the volcano, lake show, or Sirens at TI. I never saw the volcano. It must have been dark. I did see the sirens and lake shows a couple of times. It was kinda funny to see the fireworks from the TI show shoot up and not get as high as my room. The lake shows were impressive. I wish there was a channel on the house TV so you could at least hear the show. Maybe there is and I didn't see it. I was kinda hoping to see the Mirage Volcano, Sirens at TI and Lake of Dreams shows all at the same time. It would have been a photo op. At one point, I thought about a nap, sat on the bed and looked at the lights, and said, NO WAY.

Finally it was time to see Le Reve. Every time I walk near the showroom, I feel like I have seen the show before. It feels very familiar from the outside, even when the doors are open. After I went in, it was all new, so I don't know what that feeling was. It is a round theater water show and I sat in row G which was about half way up. I understand this show has recently been overhauled. It was very muggy when I went in. It got kinda warm and humid during the show which made me glad that I didn't live in Texas anymore. The show itself was kinda okay, if you have never seen a big production show. It reminded me that I am about Cirqued out. There is a storyline about a dream. There are some impressive stage pieces that come out of the water. There is entirely too much stuff that goes up and down on wires from the center of the ceiling. Stuff hanging, dropping, or just going up and down is pretty much an extension of the stage. Most of the time it's people. Sometimes they hit the water, sometimes not. Sometimes it's props. Sometimes water pours from up there. The music was okay. I didn't have the desire to buy a soundtrack like I have for many Cirque shows. It wasn't a bad show. I was happy to get out, partly due to heat and humidity and partly due to having seen enough stuff go up and down the wires. The seating was very good. The high back seats gave good support. From my seat I didn't have to move my neck much to look up.

After the show, the casino killed my wallet. I couldn't do anything right. My normal machines wouldn't give me any significant play. I went to two different quarter progressives and tried a 20 on each vacant machine, and no joy. I even went to a dollar progressive bank and tried a hundred in each of the vacants. It cleaned me out in an hour. I went to my room and called it a night. About 4am the next morning, I went down to my favorite quarter machines. I got some decent play. It would take a royal and much more to get my money back, so I just wanted to see if I knew how to play the games.

Back to my room to say Buh Bye to that view. I had a ginger ale and watched the city come to life as the lights go out, the traffic picks up, the pedestrians come out, and the sun lights up the valley. The video checkout on the TV was not operational so I checked out via the telephone and headed back to home sweet home.

Joe - thank you for another great TR. Your description the backstage tour of Spamalot was EXCELLENT! Wow - I loved all the details. It sounds like something I'd love to do - maybe on my next trip.

Thank you again for a great read!

mike-it seems like you have to be a local to get these free deals or do they feel its better to fill the room versus sitting empty.i'm sure they have a marketing program that tells them how many guests they need to have to get the max amount of work out of thier employees

There was a show on the Science Channel today called Really Big Things. The guide said that part of it would be on a water show. I was expecting the Bellagio fountains. Instead it was a behind the scenes look at Le Reve. I especially enjoyed it since I just saw the show. It answered many of my technical questions. The 20 segment included a lot of fun facts and a lot of underwater shots.

Mike, don't forget to take your camera. A simple audio recorder would be cool to have also because there are a lot of things to forget.

dag, it was about this time of year when I was getting all of those free rooms from Hooters. Maybe it's a slow season. I'm so happy things are getting back to normal, and the average temps are beginning to creep up instead of down. IIRC, back when Steve Dot was giving away a lot of rooms, I was offered 2 nights and everyone else was getting 3 or more nights. That was mid summer too.

Also during my stay was the Chinese New Year. Year of Lead Paint, I think. Anyway, Steve Dot and most casino executives love the Chinese and they were all over the place. I don't think the hotel was hurting very bad for occupancy. The Chinese are responsible (I think) for the Wynn Dot hotel not having any floors numbered 40-49. I'd be willing to bet there are other accommodations geared towards their superstitions.

hmmm,i thought le rev was canadian nascar<G> do they still have the rack o lamb on the buffet? allthough the mirage is still my number one buffet.good prime,baby backs,king crab, shrimp,one or two fish dishes,what's to hate? the wynn. was always a very close second.

JMT,
Thanks for the great detailed report!
The prime rib sounded wonderful!
BTW, It's the year of the RAT. I know because we attended a chineese new year celibration in AC this past weekend. UGH! I'll write a report! LOL

So seriously, would you rate the Wynn dots room tops in LV? After all, Wynn markets the place as the creme de la creme!

Sorry dag, no racko lamb on this night. I don't know how or if their menu rotates. I eat mostly american type dishes. I think this buffet slipped a notch or two because, there was only one crab leg and shrimp station and the legs were closer to frozen, there were 5 different chicken options (meaning less beef and other meat/fish choices), my waiter was slow and overwhelmed with the 5 small tables in his area, plus $38+ per person is serious coin for a meal that doesn't have a big positive impact. I'm probably not the guy for a buffet judge though. I'll tell ya where good pork ribs are. You can tell me about buffets.

Lee, I won't be afraid to try that prime rib again. I am very curious to try it again and see if it turns out the same again. I have several others on my to do list at the moment and I probably shouldn't be trying it more than once or twice a month.

Good question about the Wynn Dot rooms. I have every reason to believe that I had a standard room with an upgraded view. I would be very curious about a standard room at The Rio these days. I have visited a few Venetian rooms and I'm not sure what their standard room is. Some resorts have specialty towers whose standard rooms may compete, such as The Hotel, or the Spa Tower at the Bel, or The Palms or Caesars. I don't think I have visited any special towers rooms since I moved here.

As a room, I like the lay out of the Venetian better. I like the beds of the Venetian and Rio for being more plush. A separate desk is a good plus, and the Venetian and Wynn Dot have that. The Wynn Dot had a very nice bathroom but I don't know if it was the best in standard rooms. I don't know if the creature comforts of the specialty tower rooms exceed the Wynn Dot or not. The phone system at the Wynn Dot was nice. 2 lines, a multifunction phone at the desk, a cordless at the bed, and a simple phone at the toilet. The Wynn Dot electric drapes were cute. The alarm clock with the iPod/iPhone interface worked well for me. The indirect overhead lighting was a big plus versus standard table lamps. I had one 42 inch flat TV in the main room and a small flat one in the bathroom by the sink that was not convenient to the tub.

I would guess the Wynn Dot should rate in the top 5 of standard rooms. If someone had a standard room at a specialty tower and said it was better, I would believe it. I think I would rather stay in a Venetian room and I would suspect that a Palazzo room would be every bit as good and updated from that.

Again, good question. Anyone else?