MASSACHUSETTS

MASSACHUSETTS | BOSTON

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

Bet on Boston

Las Vegas opulence arrives in Massachusetts with Encore resort

By Mary Whitfill F to look.

ROM THE MOMENT YOU walk into Encore Boston Harbor , Wynn Resorts’ new $2.6 billion casino and hotel on the Mystic River, you have no idea where

A life-sized, floral carousel sits in the middle of a massive lobby flanked by seemingly endless halls of restaurants and shops. Beyond the lobby is a sprawling gambling floor with thousands of slot machines and table games, brightly colored, custom-made carpeting and dozens of intricate glass chandeliers

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ENCORE RESORT

handmade in Venice, Italy.

The casino resort is meant to bring a bit of Las Vegas opulence to the working waterfront of Everett, Mass., but the sharp contrast of manicured gardens just yards from the Mystic power plant also adds a bit of distinctly Boston grit.

The doors of Encore Boston Harbor

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

opened to the public for the first time last June. People have poured in from every direction via car, train, bus and even boat — and officials promise that they’ve created a destination that guests won’t want to leave.

“This is one of the most anticipated resort openings on the planet,” says Matt Maddox, CEO and president of Wynn Resorts. “This is not just a United States story — this is a global story. We are here, and we want to make the Commonwealth of Massachusetts proud.”

First and foremost: The casino is a place for gambling. A sprawling, 210,000-square-foot gambling floor is home to more than 2,800 slot machines, 166 table games , a 74-table poker room, 11 high-roller tables and six private gambling saloons. The main casino floor is under massive, double-vaulted ceilings and is visible from a balcony that circles the entire room.

There are 12 places to eat at Encore . Within its four walls you can eat a $200 steak or a grab a $4 pastry. One restaurant, an upscale Italian eatery called Sinatra, is replicated straight from the Encore Las Vegas, but others, such as Waterfront gastro pub , are unique to Boston Harbor.

“With Waterfront, we wanted to tell the story of New England craft — be that beer, spirits, food, the chef we hired — we really wanted this to be all New England,” says Warren Richards, the resort’s executive director of food and beverage.

The restaurant offers 32 local beers on tap and dozens of spirits used to make cocktails. Additionally, Encore Boston Harbor has partnered with Massachusetts craft brewers for exclusive drinks such as a new American IPA from Woburn-based Lord Hobo and a gin from South Boston’s Bully Boy Distillery.

Other eateries include a 27-seat raw bar, aptly named Oyster Bar; the indulgent Rare Steakhouse; a sports bar with more than a dozen TVs called On Deck Burger Bar and — because it wouldn’t be Boston without it — a Dunkin’ Donuts.

Encore Boston Harbor took a slight step back from its Las Vegas cousins in two main categories: shopping and nightlife . The upper deck of the casino floor does boast a 600-person nightclub called Memoire, but it’s a far cry from Intrigue and XS Nightclub, the brand’s destination hot spots in Vegas.

Similarly, the Boston Harbor branch takes it down a notch when it comes to luxury shopping . Las Vegas resorts are famous for their designer storefronts as far as the eye can see, but Encore Boston Harbor has consolidated designer MASSACHUSETTS | BOSTON

products from fashion houses such as Jason Wu and Christian Louboutin under storefronts called Wynn Collection. There are several such stores focused on men’s and women’s fashion and beauty.

On the other side of the 3-millionsquare-foot complex is a resort with 671 guest rooms. Of those, 104 are multiroom suites, and 20 of those are massive spaces that each include marble countertops, three master suites, a wet bar, a pool table and a kitchenette.

Richards says the suites have been estimated to cost $7,000 to $12,000 per night, but they’ll “almost never ac

tually be available,” and instead comped for high rollers the casino expects to draw from Las Vegas.

The remaining 550 or so rooms have been booking at $600 per night and start at 650 square feet apiece. Every room has floor-to-ceiling windows and classic, neutral furnishings. Upgrades to better views can be purchased.

Amenities for hotel guests include a small fitness center, a six-station salon offering hair and nail services and a 20,000-square-foot spa with luxurious locker rooms, steam rooms, saunas and hot tubs — the only pools on the property.

Despite the millions of dollars already invested in Encore, and the millions more at stake, Wynn officials acknowledge they still have much to learn about what Boston is looking for in a casino. From transportation to the potential legalization of sports betting, management officials seemed happy to take challenges as they come and adapt where need be.

“We’ll learn quickly,” Richards says. “And we’ll start to see demands very quickly. We’ll learn what people want, what they need, and we’ll give it to them.”