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Wynn Palace (, Portuguese: Palácio Wynn) is the second luxury
integrated resort A casino hotel is an establishment consisting of a casino with temporary lodging provided in an on-premises hotel. Customers receive the benefits of both gambling facilities and lodging. Since the casino and hotel are located on the same premis ...
from international resort developer
Wynn Resorts Wynn Resorts, Limited is an American publicly traded corporation based in Paradise, Nevada, that is a developer and operator of high-end hotels and casinos. It was founded in 2002 by former Mirage Resorts Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn and is now r ...
in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, following the launch of Wynn Macau. Located in
Cotai Cotai ( zh, t=路氹城, cy=Louhtáhm Sìhng; ) is a piece of land reclamation, reclaimed land on the top of the Seac Pai Bay between Taipa and Coloane islands in Macau that has connected two independent islands since 2005. The name, which is ...
, it features a 28-story luxury
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
with 1,706 rooms, suites and villas, meeting facilities, over of luxury retail, 13 casual and fine dining restaurants, Macau's largest spa, a salon, a pool and approximately of casino space. The resort also features a variety of entertainment experiences, including the Performance Lake with a choreographed display of water, music and light, the unique SkyCab, spectacular, large-scale floral displays by designer Preston Bailey and an extensive collection of art works by some of the world's leading artists. Wynn Resorts is the recipient of more
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Five Star Five Star (also styled as 5 Star) were a British Pop music, pop group, formed in 1983 and comprising siblings Stedman Pearson, Stedman, Lorraine, Denise Pearson, Denise, Doris, and Delroy Pearson. From 1985 to 1988, Five Star had four top-20 a ...
Awards than any other independent hotel company in the world. Wynn Palace is the first and only resort in the world with more than one thousand rooms to receive Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Awards. As of 2020, Wynn Palace now has more Forbes Five-Star restaurants than any other individual resort in the world, including Sichuan Moon which holds the distinction as "Restaurant of the Year." Wynn Palace opened on August 22, 2016.


History


Proposal and design stage (2008-2011)

In 2006, the hotel and casino Wynn Macau was launched in the city of
Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
by
Wynn Resorts Wynn Resorts, Limited is an American publicly traded corporation based in Paradise, Nevada, that is a developer and operator of high-end hotels and casinos. It was founded in 2002 by former Mirage Resorts Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn and is now r ...
, a
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
-based hospitality and development company. Wynn Macau, Ltd became a subsidiary of Wynn Resorts, with Wynn Resorts owning 72.2% of Wynn Macau, Ltd. Following the opening of Wynn Macau, Wynn Enterprises expressed interest in opening a second resort nearby and began looking into land in
Cotai Cotai ( zh, t=路氹城, cy=Louhtáhm Sìhng; ) is a piece of land reclamation, reclaimed land on the top of the Seac Pai Bay between Taipa and Coloane islands in Macau that has connected two independent islands since 2005. The name, which is ...
, which is similar to the Vegas Strip in its focus on luxury casino-hotels and entertainment. In 2008, Wynn Resorts paid US$50 million to Tien Chiao Entertainment and Investment Company Limited "in exchange for the company relinquishing its rights to what is now Wynn's Cotai site," a plot in close proximity to casinos such as City of Dreams,
Las Vegas Sands Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was founded by Sheldon Adelson, Sheldon G. Adelson and his partners out of the Sands Hotel and Casino on the Las ...
, St. Regis Macao and Sheraton Resorts.
Steve Wynn Stephen Alan Wynn ( Weinberg; born January 27, 1942) is an American real estate developer and art collector. He was known for his involvement in the luxury casino and hotel industry, prior to being forced to step down in 2018. Early in his care ...
, the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Wynn Resorts, announced in mid-August 2010 that he would be building a new casino-resort on the plot, and that the Cotai project could break ground in March or April 2011, or as soon as the building's design was completed. He estimated that the resort could open within five years after the start of construction. The overall development was initially projected to cost over MOP 20 billion, and would more than double the operator's hotel rooms in the
special administrative regions of China The special administrative regions (SAR) of the People's Republic of China are one of four types of Province-level divisions of China, province-level divisions of the China, People's Republic of China directly under the control of its S ...
(SAR). The development's designs were advanced throughout 2010 and early 2011.


Land concession contract (2011)

As of May 16, 2011,
Steve Wynn Stephen Alan Wynn ( Weinberg; born January 27, 1942) is an American real estate developer and art collector. He was known for his involvement in the luxury casino and hotel industry, prior to being forced to step down in 2018. Early in his care ...
was expecting the
Government of Macau The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Macao Government, is the Executive_(government), executive authorities of Macau. Formed on 20 December 1999 in accordance with the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declarati ...
to approve the application for the Cotai resort shortly, with construction to begin right after. Wynn stated to the press in May 2011, "I believe the Cotai project is the best work we have done... it has many new things and new approaches to the way the property is presented.... now that we have nine years of experience in Macau, as you saw with ncore at Wynn Macauwe are learning how to really address the emotional and physical needs of our guests." At the time, Wynn estimated that the proposed hotel-casino would need around 9,000 staff. Wynn Macau announced on September 12, 2011 that it had accepted a land concession contract from the Macau government to develop of the plot. Specifically, the contract permitted Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. and Wynn Resort's Palo Estate Company Ltd unit to develop a resort containing a
five-star hotel Hotel ratings are often used to classify hotels according to their quality. From the initial purpose of informing travellers on basic facilities that can be expected, the objectives of hotel rating have expanded into a focus on the hotel experie ...
, gaming areas, retail, entertainment, food and beverage outlets, a spa, and convention offerings. Under the contract, Palo Estate will lease the land from the Macau government for an initial term of 25 years, with a right to renew the lease. On top of a US$193 million land premium payment to the Macau government, Palo must also pay $771,738 in yearly rent during the resort's development phase, which increases to $1 million in yearly rent after development is complete. In December 2011, Wynn made a deposit of $62.6 million for the land, with eight more projected payments of $16.4 million. At the time, the project's overall budget was estimated at $2.5 billion, with design still in flux. Wynn Macau Limited acquired a group of Jiaqing period (1796-1820) porcelain vases at a
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...
London auction on 7 July 2011. The vases were purchased for £8 million ($12.8 million). "We are delighted to return works of this extraordinary quality to the city of Macau and the People’s Republic of China," Roger Thomas, executive vice president of Design for Wynn Design and Development, said after the sale. The
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
vases were on display at Wynn Palace and a sixteenth-century Louis XIV Beauvais Chinoiserie tapestry of 'The Emperor on a Journey,' is on display at Wynn Macau. Other art at Wynn Macau includes a Louis Rigal drawing, Macanese silk embroidery, a Louis XIV silk tapestry, two cloisonné camels, and
Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
statuary.


Approval and groundbreaking (2012-2013)

On May 1, 2012, Wynn Macau received formal approval from the Macau government for its Cotai resort, paving the way for ground to be broken on the site. on the plot. A cost was not revealed at the time, though financing would be mostly cash and partly loans. Wynn Macau, Ltd announced on June 5, 2012, that it had started the first stage of construction, with an estimated cost of US$4 billion and a projected construction timeline of around four years. Overall, the development would equal , with the height of the
skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...
restricted to due to a nearby airport. The resort's design as of June 2012 included a hotel with convention space, shops, entertainment, ten restaurants, 500 gaming tables, a spa, meeting rooms, and a
nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...
named 'Climax,' among other attractions. While no real estate projects were announced as part of the new casino resort, Wynn did state that there was space to develop such properties if policy allowed. Pre-foundation work started in February 2013, with the name of the new skyscraper, Wynn Palace, first announced on July 29, 2013. Steve Wynn described Wynn Palace as "the most aggressive, ambitious and lovely project" he had ever undertaken, outlining new attractions such as
gondola The gondola (, ; , ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull, in a scul ...
s, pedestal gardens, and a performance lake at the entrance and a 1,700-room hotel. The construction firm Leighton Asia finalized a US$2.6 billion design and build contract on July 30, 2013 to construct Wynn Palace, with clients listed as Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. and Palo Real Estate Development Company S.A. Leighton Asia projected a 2016 completion date for Wynn Palace. Wynn Macau, Ltd had invested a total of US$519 million in the project by the summer of 2013, with US$109.9 million invested during that year's third quarter.


Initial construction stages (2014-2015)

By the summer of 2014, Wynn Macau, Ltd was one of only six licensed casino operators in Macau. In July 2014, ''
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'' reported that Macau's corruption agency was examining the 2008 sale of Wynn's Cotai land plot for signs of graft, after the International Union of Operating Engineers requested an inquiry into "how a little-known company ike Tien Chiao Entertainment and Investment Company hadsecured rights to land before it was granted to Wynn." In response, Macau's Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau announced that the land grant had followed legal procedures. Foundations for the Wynn Palace were being laid by July 2014. During the ensuing construction process, at one point eleven
tower crane A crane is a machine used to move materials both vertically and horizontally, utilizing a system of a boom, hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves for lifting and relocating heavy objects within the swing of its boom. The device uses on ...
s from Comansa CM were being used simultaneously. Work commenced on the casino's interior design in October 2014, with Chinese
interior decoration Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. With a keen eye for detail and a creative flair, an interior d ...
subcontractor Sundart projecting completion for November 2015. On February 2, 2015, Wynn Macau, Ltd announced that the opening of Wynn Palace had been delayed, and would no longer take place before the February 2016
Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...
. The delay resulted from late and incomplete approval of workers permits, with '' Barron's Asia'' explaining that "they received only 700 workers after requesting 1000 and the approvals came three months late. Wynn said they need a total of 7000 workers, which means they need approvals for another 1600-1700." The resort announced it was still on budget despite the delay, with a new estimated launch for the first half of 2016.


Final construction stages (2015-2016)

Approximately US$374.3 million was invested into the Wynn Palace Cotai project during the first quarter of 2015, making the accumulative investment equal to US$2.2 billion. As of April 2015, the total projected budget including "construction costs, capitalized interest, pre-opening expenses, land costs and financing fees" was US$4.1 billion. Wynn Macau, Ltd was seeking government approval for 500 gaming tables by the fall of 2015. In November 2015, around 130 non-resident construction workers for Wynn Palace staged a meeting outside the PRC Liaison Office, alleging unpaid and involuntary overtime. The Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) subsequently stated that it had been aware of the situation since October 2015, and had promised staff to examine the issue. Also in November 2015, general construction delays pushed the projected opening back three months, from March 25, 2016 to the original date of June 25, 2016. As a result, Leighton Holdings (then renamed CIMIC) lost access to a US$38 million bonus. Wynn Resorts share values fell 6 percent after the announcement, before rising again shortly afterwards. Wynn Macau, Ltd stated in January 2016 that if substantial delays continued, CIMIC might be liable for a maximum of US$200 million in damages. Following a further update, the current expected opening date is August 22, 2016. Although Wynn Palace was built to have space for 500 gaming tables, it was reported that Wynn Palace had only been allotted 100 gaming tables at opening, with 50 more to be allotted before 2019. As a result, Wynn moved 250 of their approved tables from nearby Wynn Macau to Wynn Palace, leaving to a total of 350 tables at Wynn Palace and 270 at Wynn Macau. Sixty of the 400 total tables at the casino are devoted to VIP guests, a high concentration in comparison to other Cotai casinos.


Opening and Reception

On January 28, 2016, ''
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'' described Wynn Palace's upcoming debut as one of the "20 Most Anticipated Hotel Openings Of 2016." Despite an effort on behalf of the Chinese government to make new Cotai casinos into family-friendly attractions, before the opening Steve Wynn described Wynn Palace as "for adults" and "pitched at 21-year-olds or above." On August 22, 2016, Steve Wynn unveiled the resort at an event officiated by political figures such as Chui Sai On of Macau. The official opening time for the casino was 8 pm on a Monday, considered a time of
cultural significance Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by socie ...
, with opening ceremonies held around the musical fountain and in the ballroom. The Macau Post Daily wrote the following day that the opening drew "big crowds to Cotai to try their luck in the new casino," and Wynn Palace's design met with a positive response. A week after the resort's opening, analysts claimed the casino had caused a "lackluster" to "marginal" increase in mass-market customers in Macau, with
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reporting that VIP business to Macau remained consistent. Although Cotai's gambling profits had been steadily dropping since 2014 due to government crackdowns on corruption, among other factors, Macau's gross gaming revenue (GGR) grew 1.1% for the month of August to $2.4 billion, "the first growth since May 2014 and beating street estimate of 1.5% decline." Barron's credited "Macau casino operators" and the opening of Wynn Palace for the increase. Opining that Macau was experiencing a market "revival," on September 16, 2016, Nasdaq reported that the shares of Wynn Resorts had "rallied to a 52-week high." For Wynn Resorts, "gross gaming revenues for the month of August rose 1.1%," and AFR Weekend wrote that Wynn Resorts' "gamble" in Macau had paid off, per "signs that revenue in the gambling mecca has passed a key inflection point."


Features


Design and architecture

Opened on August 22, 2016, the Wynn Palace resort in
Cotai Cotai ( zh, t=路氹城, cy=Louhtáhm Sìhng; ) is a piece of land reclamation, reclaimed land on the top of the Seac Pai Bay between Taipa and Coloane islands in Macau that has connected two independent islands since 2005. The name, which is ...
includes a 1706-room luxury hotel, a
casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
, convention space, a spa and salon, and venues for retail, entertainment, and dining. Steve Wynn described it as "the most aggressive, ambitious and lovely project" he has ever undertaken, with a design "reminiscent" of the Bellagio in its use of fountains and lighting as a key attraction. With a construction floor area of around , after topping off in 2015 the main Wynn Palace tower is tall, with 29 floors and design by Wynn Design & Development.


Attractions and venues

The resort features a number of attractions and venues, including convention space, shops, restaurants, gaming tables, and meeting rooms. There are of retail space in the Wynn Palace Esplanade, and as of September 2016, brands such as Chanel, Chopard, Hermès, Franck Muller, Panerai and Brioni had set up outlets. There are thirteen dining venues in Wynn Palace, with five fine dining restaurants, and eight casual. One of the luxury restaurants, Wing Lei Palace, was designed by Roger Thomas. GOCO Hospitality operates a spa area. Exterior features include an aerial transport system with
gondolas The gondola (, ; , ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull, in a sculli ...
, pedestal gardens, and a Performance Lake at the entrance. The Performance Lake is a choreographed dancing fountain created by WET, with more than 1,000 jets and 2,000 lights that are synchronized to various broadway musical, classical, Chinese traditional, and western songs.


Interior design and artwork

Steve Wynn described the
interior design Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. With a keen eye for detail and a Creativity, creative flair, an ...
theme as "flowers," explaining the "use of... water and natural light and flowers has been taken to a new level." Jerry Sibal was appointed Design, Development and Floral Director for Wynn Palace in April 2015, arriving in Macau that September. The Chinese interior design subcontractor Sundart published several photos of the Wynn Palace design in June 2015, displaying a floral theme. Some of the floral sculptures move. There is floral designer Preston Bailey's floral carousel and Ferris wheel in the atriums, among other projects.
Fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...
and Chinese antiques are display at the resort, including $150 million of art at opening. Wynn Macau, Ltd, first paid £8 million (US$12.8 million) at a
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
auction on July 7, 2011, for a set of four
18th-century The 18th century lasted from 1 January 1701 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCI) to 31 December 1800 (MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the Atlantic Revolutions. Revolutions began to cha ...
Chinese porcelain vases, as well as a
Chinoiserie (, ; loanword from French '' chinoiserie'', from '' chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other Sinosphere artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, lite ...
tapestry Tapestry is a form of Textile arts, textile art which was traditionally Weaving, woven by hand on a loom. Normally it is used to create images rather than patterns. Tapestry is relatively fragile, and difficult to make, so most historical piece ...
.


Future Developments

Announced on 10 July 2019 by Wynn Resorts, Wynn Palace will be undergoing an over $2 billion expansion. The expansion, to be completed in two phases, will primarily be focusing on non-gaming assets such as a theater and sculpture gardens. Two hotel towers housing approximately 1,300 rooms are also part of the expansion plans. Phase 1 of the expansion will see the addition of an all-new 650-room hotel tower, an immersive theater, a food pavilion, art sculpture gardens, and a glass and steel structure in the shape of a water lily named The Crystal Pavilion. Construction is expected to begin in late 2021 and completed by 2024 on the southern portion of Wynn Palace's land concession. In September 2020, the vice-chairman and COO of Wynn Macau Limited announced that the design phase has been completed. Phase 2 of the expansion will see the addition of another hotel tower housing 650 rooms. Details for this phase have yet to be confirmed.


See also

*
Gambling in Macau Gambling in Macau, a special administrative region of China, is the only place in China where casinos are legal. Gambling has been legal since the 1850s when the Portuguese government legalised the activity in the autonomous colony. After t ...
* Cotai Strip * List of properties on the Cotai Strip * List of tallest buildings in Macau * List of Macau casinos *
List of integrated resorts An integrated resort is a type of casino hotel that features hotel space, a casino, convention or meeting space, retail, dining and entertainment options. This article lists integrated resorts by their locations. Integrated resorts which are c ...


References


External links


WynnPalace.com

WynnPalace.com
{{Cotai Resorts in Macau Hotels in Macau Cotai Hotels established in 2016 Hotel buildings completed in 2016 Steve Wynn Casino hotels in Macau