Sunday morning, we were at the airport by 6:30am - much too early for a Sunday morning, but I wanted to get the most time possible out of this trip. We ended up sitting on the plane for 45 minutes after the scheduled take off time. Flaw #1.
We finally got to Vegas and got a cab - where I presented my husband with his birthday card, and first birthday surprise within a poem I composed. The poem basically told him that instead of where he thought we would be staying - we were going to stay at the Wynn. So, we told the driver we had a change of plans. Well, a normal side street route from the airport to the hotel is about $13. This guy went the long way and our fair ended up $20. Hubby was livid. Anyway... Flaw #2.
We arrived very early to the hotel, so our room wasn't ready yet. They had booked us a room on the 50th floor (wow!) but it was a smoking room - so we didn't want it. They found us a room on the 36th floor, but it wasn't ready yet either. So, we strolled around and took in the glorious decor of the hotel. Everything just radiated elegance. From the light covered trees of the walkways, to the restaurant entrances, to the beautiful lounge areas - it was just elegance. Nothing was tacky.
Anyway, we had lunch at the Terrace Point Cafe (their 24 hour cafe basically) and had a nice lunch. Around 1pm we went back to try to check in. The room still wasn't ready - even though they had put a rush on it already. Flaw #3
We got our slot cards and played a little in the casino. Another hour goes by and we check on our room - STILL NOT READY. Flaw #4. A room on the 12th floor was ready - so we ended up going from the 50 floor to the 12th floor. At this point, I'm like, WHATEVER.
So, we go up to our room. It was absolutely fabulous. My hubby had no idea I had booked a suite, so this was his second big surprise. Check it out... Yes, I took pictures of the room. We'll probably never end up in a suite again - so I had to capture the weekend in photos.
The bathroom was bigger than our bedroom at home. Just gorgeous, but quite sad actually. It's bigger than our bedroom. A bathroom!
And get this...
A massage room! So, that leads to surprise number three for hubby. An in-room massage! He was very surprised, and happy. His back had been hurting for days.
We had a wonderful birthday dinner at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris hotel. Now, I wasn't fully crazy about the Lobster Thermador I had - so I would skip that, but they have an Escargot appetizer that was to die for. And their signature Eiffel Tower souffle for dessert cannot be missed. My hubby had a bone-in Rib Eye steak with potatoes gratin that was perfection. This restaurant is definitely on our list of 'will go back to' restaurants.
We spent the rest of the evening back at the Wynn gambling. There's also a 'free' show based on the gigantic waterfall they have at the hotel. We asked four different employees and got four different answers on when the shows started and what the shows were. What is up with that??? Isn't that a very basic question? Flaw #5
So, here's what we ended up finding out from a bartender there. We didn't ask when the shows started each night, but we figure it must be when it's dark out, because the shows are all based on lighting effects. There is a small light show every 15 minutes, and then a big production show every 45 minutes. I missed pictures of the couple of shows we saw, but here are pictures of the waterfall in the day and one from the balcony inside the hotel that looks out to the waterfall. It's a beautiful white rock wall with water cascading down - but it's almost like an infinity pool where it meets the rest of the water. You don't see the water hit the 'lake' part of it. Just beautiful.
And they have these statues of people looking at the waterfall. A very cool effect.
The next day, we played in the casino all day and then went to see Le Reve, the Wynn's signature show. I would put it third after 'O' and 'KA'. It's a beautiful theater - I snuck some pictures before the show started. The second picture is of the ceilling. Those are statues (there were about 100 of them) all over the ceiling. Very cool. The 'skylight' would open and close and performers would descend.
The show is like a smaller scale version of 'O'. It was designed by Franco Dragone, who designed several of the Cirque du Soleil shows. Funny thing is, some of the costumes were very similar to those from 'O'. But anyway, it was a good show - I would see it again.
So, that was the last of my hubby's birthday gifts. We ended up playing in the casino until around 2:15am. When we went back to the room and settle in for the night, we heard drilling from upstairs in our bathroom. It was LOUD! Drilling! At 2:30am! Flaw #6
Called the front desk - and after being on holdf or 5 minutes, we were told that maintenance was working on a service elevator hear our room and they would send someone up to stop them immediately. All they were going to compensate us for was a free lunch at the cafe or buffet the next day. Uh - we already played enough to earn comps for that - so that was Flaw #7 - poor customer service.
Well, 15 minutes later - the drilling sounds were still going on. Hubby had to get up, get dressed, go upstairs to see what was going on himself - major Flaw #8. We're the guests - yet we're getting up to check on a noise at 2:45 in the morning after we called to complain about it already? Anyway, a few minutes later, my hubby comes back with a security guard he ran into in the hall. The guard heard the drilling and called someone at Engineering on his walkie talkie. The drilling stopped within minutes. Stupid huh? What if my husband didn't go out looking around? Would the drilling have stopped? I don't think so.
The next morning, we went down to the players club and talked to one of the reps there - he called one of the slot hosts to come help us. We couldn't be more greatful for Alan, our new slot host. Not only was he very courteous, but he managed to comp one night of stay for us and all our food for the trip. He also said that the next time we go there, he will comp our show tickets for 'Avenue Q' (the other show they have there). We also got a free lunch at the buffet. Without Alan, the check-out reps were only willing to give us the buffet lunch, and $50 off one night (Flaw #9). Yeah, I think we'll stick with Alan.
On the whole, the Wynn is fabulous. Everything about it is fabulous - except the service. Which is very surprising for a Steve Wynn hotel - who is known for excellent customer service. I mean, we had buffet - and no one ever came to clean off our plates or offer drink refills. Other people at other tables actually stacked their own dirty dishes and handed them to the bus folks to take. That's bad! But it's still and awesome hotel - and I'm just hoping service will be better as time goes. Hubby is definitely filling out a Customer Satisfaction Card - the first one we felt necessasry to fill in after 10 years of going to Vegas together and staying at over 10 different hotels there.
So, here we are back in SF - first day back to work after a very strange weekend. Back to some great news. That woman got the job in Texas. She's leaving!!! Last day will be January 31. That's 8 more business days. I also got offered a job - not my dream job - but a job. So, that's one more stress off my plate. Yea! Maybe things will start going a little more smoothly from now on? Or at least, 8 business days from now?
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