The most thoroughly excellent resort on the Strip — Wynn Las Vegas and its sister property Encore, the Forbes Five-Star duo at the northern end of the Strip, where Steve Wynn's philosophy (obsessive quality in everything, from the 18-hole golf course in the middle of the property to the hand-painted murals in the lobbies) has produced the resort that luxury travelers most cite as the finest overall Strip experience.
Why We Chose It
Wynn Las Vegas (2005, on the demolished Desert Inn site) set a new Strip quality standard: the first Las Vegas resort to receive Forbes Five-Star recognition (maintained annually), with the largest rooms for its category, the finest pool complex (mountain-style pool with cabanas, plus Encore Beach Club daytime pool party), and a dining program attracting the most credentialed chefs. The art collection (Jeff Koons's Tulips in Wynn Plaza, works by Warhol, Hockney, Murakami) reflects an aesthetic seriousness beyond theming. Encore (2008) is the more intimate companion — boutique hotel concept at mega-resort scale. Dining: SW Steakhouse (Lake of Dreams waterfall show), Mizumi (Japanese, private 90-foot waterfall), Wing Lei (first Chinese restaurant in North America to earn a Michelin star), Delilah (1950s supper club with live entertainment, the most talked-about restaurant atmosphere on the Strip), and the Wynn Buffet (returned 2025 after renovation). Awakening (acrobatics, illusion, theatrical technology) is the best permanent show in Las Vegas.
What Stands Out
- Forbes Five-Star maintained annually: the most sustained quality recognition of any Las Vegas resort
- Wing Lei: first Chinese restaurant in North America to earn a Michelin star — the most decorated single restaurant on the property
- Delilah: the 1950s Old Hollywood supper club with live entertainment — the most talked-about restaurant atmosphere on the Strip
- Encore Beach Club: the most celebrated daytime pool party venue on the Strip
- Awakening production show: acrobatics, illusion, and technology at the most sophisticated level of any permanent Vegas show
- 18-hole golf course on the Strip: the only resort with a championship course physically on the property