Steve Wynn, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Wynn Resorts, unveiled Wynn Palace to the world at 8:00 p.m. on 22 August, 2016.
The opening was officiated by Mr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region; Mr. Ho Hau Wah, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Mr. Yao Jian, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region; Mr. Cai Si-ping, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macau Special Administrative Region; Mr. Leong Vai Tac, Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macau Special Administrative Region; Mr. Tam Chon Weng, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau Special Administrative Region, accompanied by Mr. Steve Wynn, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Wynn Resorts.
“Wynn Palace is arguably the most beautiful hotel in the world, which is a wonderful thing to be able to say,” said Steve Wynn. “But it is not in London, Paris, New York or Rome. It is in Cotai, in Macau, and sits here for all the world to come and see. It’s our gift to the community, to the public. It will be here forever and it’s perhaps unlikely we’ll see a place of this scope and artfulness in our lifetimes again.”
“To be the prettiest hotel in the world, frankly, is something that money and good taste can buy. But to be the best hotel in the world is something else altogether,” said Wynn. “In any hospitality business there are only two words that matter — guest experience. All the rest is irrelevant, and all of the marble and crystal chandeliers, and all of the wonderful good taste that has been put into this building is dedicated to that one thing — guest experience. It takes six-and-a-half years to design a magnificent building like this, and yes, the name on the sign is Wynn Palace. But tonight this becomes the palace of the people who work here, and it is they who will make this the best hotel in the world.”
Among the highlights of the resort is the eight-acre Performance Lake and fountain show, employing 1,195 water jets shooting eight million gallons of water into the air in more than a dozen intricately choreographed musical fountain shows. The result: fountains that dance to a diverse program of Chinese, European and American songs, operatic arias and musical numbers. Guests can view the fountain shows and directly enter the heart of the resort via a breathtaking ride in air-conditioned Sky Cabs that travel more than 90 feet above the Performance Lake.
Floral themes play a major role in the resort. Immediately popular with opening-night guests were the two massive floral sculptures located in the South and North Lobby Atriums. Each brilliantly colored sculpture, one of a Carousel and the other a Ferris Wheel, are fabricated from more than 100,000 real flowers each and move in time to music. The sculptures are custom designed by renowned floral designer Preston Bailey.
Also on display throughout Wynn Palace are thousands of works of fine and decorative art, assembled over a six-year period and representing an investment in excess of USD125 million. Many of the pieces continue Steve Wynn’s efforts to bring Chinese artwork home, including a quartet of rare porcelain Qing-dynasty vases that are among the finest examples of chinoiserie in the world. The only other such quartet is in Buckingham Palace in London.
The collection of fine dining and casual restaurants includes Wing Lei Palace, a spectacular display of design by Wynn Resorts’ design chief Roger Thomas. The adjacent Wing Lei Bar features an 18-century crystal chandelier valued at more than USD25 million. SW Steakhouse delighted opening night guests with a series of six diverse entertainment vignettes which play throughout dinner on a custom-built stage.
The resort offers 1,706 exquisitely furnished rooms, suites and villas with numerous personal touches overseen by Steve Wynn. The spa is the largest in Macau and features 22 treatment rooms and the resort’s pool and pool-side restaurant overlook the Performance Lake.
The Wynn Palace Esplanade is 18,580 square meters of luxury shopping and is home to more than 50 of the most renowned names in retail.
