WYNN WIN

By CHRIS BUNTING

March 22, 2005 -- YOU may remember him from such multi-million dollar hotel casino ventures as the Bellagio; and before that, the Mirage. And while billionaire-hole Steve Wynn has long since sold off those properties, you didn’t really expect the 63 year-old to disappear, did you?

As of next month, Wynn is back in business. The developer’s most recent — and by far, most daring — undertaking, the eponymous Wynn Las Vegas resort, will open its bronze doors to the masses either on or shortly after his wife’s birthday, April 28. (Resort representatives are tight-lipped when it comes to details on the celebration, to which no media will be invited).

Located on the site of the old Desert Inn, across from the recently-expanded Fashion Show Mall, the 217-acre resort cost $2.7 billion to build — the most expensive resort ever built in the United States. Here are the facts.

WHERE YOU’LL STAY

Guests can choose between 2,716 rooms and suites, which "could easily be mistaken for a stylish apartment in New York, London or Rome," according to the hotel. The smallest room is more than 600 square feet; floor-to-ceiling windows will be covered in automatic drapes, which can be opened and shut from the bed.

THE ENTERTAINMENT

Wynn paid $8 million for the exclusive touring rights to the naughty puppet show "Avenue Q." The Tony Award-winning production even gets its own 1,200-seat theatre, built at a cost of $40 million dollars. Additionally, Franco Dragone’s show, Le Reve will perform in a theater in the round.

THE CASINO

Wynn’s casino gaming floor is an intimate 111,000 square feet — modest by Vegas standards (the MGM Grand has a 170,000 square footer). Cozy and catering to high-rollers is Wynn’s M.O. of late, but among the 2,000 slots you’ll find penny machines, too.

THE GOLF COURSE

The $22 million golf course — complete with a 37-foot waterfall on the 18th hole — is the only course on the site of a hotel casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip. But bring extra balls — 11 holes have water hazards.

THE ART

The hotel/casino art gallery thing has been done before — by Wynn himself, who inaugurated the concept over at the Bellagio. A bigger, better private collection of Picassos, Van Goghs, Matisses and Monets will open to the public along with the hotel.

THE RESTAURANTS

Besides Daniel Boulud, don’t look for any "celebrity" chefs cooking at Wynn’s 18 eateries. The hotel’s focus has been on bringing in regional stars from across the U.S., who will have more time to focus on the quality in their Las Vegas restaurants.

THE SHOPS

Shop-a-holics won’t find sobriety here. Among the 29 boutiques you’ll find Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik, Dior, Cartier, Jean Paul Gaultier, Oscar de la Renta, Jo Malone, Graff, Judith Leiber, and Brioni. Did we mention the Maserati and Ferrari dealerships?

THE POKER ROOM

The resort has a 25-table, waitlist-only poker room. Canadian poker ace Daniel Negreanu will be the room’s ambassador, spending at least 200 days a year here.

THE SPA

The Wynn Las Vegas Spa, reserved for guests only, will have 45 treatment rooms centered around a garden-like relaxation area. The signature treatment incorporates the Feng Shui philosophy with various massages and treatments.

MORE INFO

wynnlasvegas.com