Wynn Macau
OPENED: September 2006
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: $1.2 billion
CASINO: 205,000 sq. ft.
HOTEL ROOMS & SUITES: 1,008
OVER THE TOP: If you’re a fan of haute couture, the 54,000-square-foot shopping esplanade will ensure that your credit cards see plenty of daylight. Outposts include Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Christian Dior, Ferrari, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Hermès, Hugo Boss, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Versace and others.
Photo by Barbara Kraft.
The Bellagio
OPENED: October 1998
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: $1.6 billion
CASINO: 116,000 sq. ft.
HOTEL ROOMS & SUITES: 3,933
OVER THE TOP: The Bellagio is known for its fine dining, with two AAA Five-Diamond restaurants, Picasso and Le Cirque, and four James Beard award-winning chefs: Michael Mina, Julian Serrano of Picasso, Jean-Georges Vongerichten of Prime Steakhouse and Todd English of Olives.
The Venetian, Las Vegas
OPENED: May 1999
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: $1.7 billion
CASINO: 120,000 sq. ft.
HOTEL SUITES: 4,027
OVER THE TOP: The Venetian boasts what is arguably the best hotel spa in Las Vegas: the 134,000-square-foot Canyon Ranch SpaClub, featuring more than 120 services and activities, including Aquavana water therapies and a 40-foot indoor rock-climbing wall.
Photo courtesy of The Venetian
City of Dreams, Macau
City of Dreams, Macau (pictured)
OPENED: June 2009
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: $2.1 billion
CASINO: 420,000 sq. ft.
HOTEL ROOMS & SUITES: 1,400
OVER THE TOP: The resort’s impressive water show, House of Dancing Water, was created by longtime Cirque du Soleil director Franco Dragone. The show features 80 performers from around the world and takes place in a special round theater, with a pool that holds 3.7 million gallons of water.
Encore at Las Vegas
OPENED: December 2008
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: $2.3 billion
CASINO: 74,000 sq. ft.
HOTEL SUITES: 2,034
OVER THE TOP: At the Encore Beach Club, you can relax in one of the 26 cabanas with your own flat-screen TV and refrigerator before hitting the poolside high-limit gaming pavilion. Clientele are advised to “dress to impress,” ie. basketball shorts are out but designer bikinis are A-OK.
The Venetian Macao
OPENED: August 2007
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: $2.4 billion
CASINO: 534,000 sq. ft.
HOTEL SUITES: 3,000
OVER THE TOP: This entire faux Renaissance complex is over the top: It’s the biggest casino in the world, has 1 million square feet of shopping space and is the sixth largest building in the world by floor space.
Wynn Las Vegas
OPENED: April 2005
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: $2.7 billion
CASINO: 110,000 sq. ft.
HOTEL SUITES: 2,716
OVER THE TOP: The Wynn is the only resort on the Strip that features a golf course on its grounds. Its 18-hole, par 70 course was designed by Tom Fazio and Steve Wynn. The resort even will lend you Callaway clubs and Foot Joy golf shoes if you didn’t bring your own.
Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
OPENED: January 2010 (first phase)
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: $5.7 billion
CASINO: 161,458 sq. ft. (national legal limit)
HOTEL ROOMS & SUITES: 1,500-plus
OVER THE TOP: More than simply a casino hotel, this 121-acre resort, designed by Michael Graves, also includes a Universal Studios theme park and Marine Life Park, the world’s largest oceanarium. And don’t forget Candylicious, one of the world’s largest candy stores. The resort drew more than 30 million visitors in its first two years.
Photo ©2010 Resorts World at Sentosa
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
OPENED: April 2010
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: $5.7 billion
CASINO: 161,458 sq. ft.
HOTEL ROOMS & SUITES: 2,561
OVER THE TOP: Venture up to the 57th (top) floor to the Sands SkyPark, a 2.9-acre terrace that includes a 150-meter-long infinity pool, restaurants, nightclubs, gardens and a public observatory on the cantilever with 360-degree views of Singapore.
Photo by Timothy Hursley.
CityCenter Las Vegas
OPENED: December 2009
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: $8.5 billion
CASINO: 150,000 sq. ft.
HOTEL ROOMS & SUITES: 5,900 (plus 2,400 residences)
OVER THE TOP: This development—with three hotels/condo buildings, a 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment complex, two large spas and multiple restaurants—was the country’s largest hiring effort in 2009, with 12,000 permanent employees.