Few individuals have left as profound an impact on an industry as Steve Wynn. His name is synonymous with luxury casinos, grand resorts, and the transformation of Las Vegas into the dazzling destination it is today.
Career
Originally considering a medical career, Steve’s path changed after the sudden passing of his father in 1963. He took over the family’s bingo business, marking the beginning of one of the most illustrious careers in hospitality. Over his lifetime, Steve has built no fewer than 11 extraordinary hotels and resorts across the globe, spanning from the US to China.
2016
Continuing his developments in Macau, Steve opened Wynn Palace, an impressive luxury hotel that houses Macau’s largest spa, an 8-acre lake that hosts water, music and light displays and an extensive art collection. Wynn Palace is also home to more Forbes Five Star restaurants than any other resort in the world.
2010
As with Wynn and Encore Las Vegas, Wynn Macau’s sister resort Encore at Wynn Macau opened in April 2010, bringing the total number of rooms at the Macau resort to 1,008.
2008
Wynn Las Vegas’s sister project, Encore Las Vegas, opened just before Christmas. Described as ‘the flirty younger sister’ to Wynn, Encore included 2,034 rooms over 48 stories. Its restaurant’s Sinatra and Andrea include tributes to Steve’s long-time friend, Frank Sinatra, and his beloved wife, Andrea, who he married in 2011. Steve recreated the success of his iconic helicopter commercial to announce the opening of Encore.
2006
In his first international venture, Steve opened Wynn Macau in Macau, China – the largest gambling location in Asia. The hotel has been awarded Five Stars by Forbes and is continues to be ranked among the top 25 hotels worldwide.
2005
Wynn Las Vegas – Steve’s namesake – opened on April 28, again outstripping his previous records with Mirage and Bellagio to be the most expensive resort ever built, and, at the time, the tallest building in the whole of Nevada. Wynn Las Vegas received several awards, including Forbes Travel Guide’s Five Star award and the AAA Five Diamond Award. Its restaurant, Wing Lei, is the only Chinese restaurant in the US to have ever received a Michelin Star. Steve announced the opening of the hotel with a commercial of himself standing on top of the 45-story building, 630 feet in the air, whilst being circled by a helicopter
1999
Steve expanded into Mississippi with the opening of Beau Rivage. A waterfront casino resort in Biloxi whose name is French for “beautiful shore”. The casino was built on floating barges and the hotel remains the tallest building in Mississippi and at the time of opening was the largest hotel, a total of 1,740 rooms, in the U.S. outside of Nevada.
1998
Luxury resort, hotel and casino Bellagio opened, a 3,005 room, 36-story tower that surpassed the Mirage as the world’s most expensive resort that became renowned for its dancing water fountain and light show. Bellagio was the first Strip hotel to include an art gallery, the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, which featured several works from Steve’s personal collection. The hotel lobby also featured Fiori di Como, the world’s largest glass sculpture, by Dale Chihuly. Steve named the hotel after the idyllic village of Bellagio, near Lake Como, Italy.
1993
Steve opened the 32-story hotel Treasure Island, which was built on land that was formerly part of the Mirage’s parking lot. One of his most adventurous and exciting projects to date, Treasure Island included a simulated, life size pirate ship battle which became one of Las Vegas’ premier attractions.
1989
After 2 years of construction, The Mirage opened in Las Vegas. Spanning 65 acres property with a casino that stretched over 90,000 sq ft and 3,044 rooms. At the time it was the world’s most expensive, and one of the largest, resorts of the time. It went on to be known as the first ‘megaresort’, paving the way for the building boom that defined the 90s in Las Vegas and drew national attention to the desert city. It was this hotel that cemented Steve’s place in history as a true pioneer.
1980
Building his Las Vegas success, Steve expanded into New Jersey, opening Golden Nugget Atlantic City, a hotel-casino with 522 hotel rooms. Steve signed Frank Sinatra to perform at both Gold Nuggets, forging the beginning of a lifelong friendship between the two.
1973
At just 31, Steve, acquired a majority stake in the Golden Nugget Las Vegas, becoming chairman and transforming it into downtown Las Vegas’ most luxurious hotel-casino of the time. This marked the start of the revolution of the Strip. Steve retained the Golden Nugget until selling it in 1987.
1971
Acquired a small one-acre plot next to Caesars Palace on Flamingo Road, which was bought by Caesars the following year.
1970
Steve bought ten acres of Las Vegas Strip to build a liquor warehouse, financed by a loan from E. Parry Thomas.