Wynn Las Vegas And Costa Di Mare: Elegant, Luxurious Accommodations Combined With A Unique Dining Experience
Located in the heart of the Las Vegas strip, the Wynn is a sought after destination for many travelers looking for upscale accommodations along with the best in culinary excellence.
Wynn delivers on both counts, which is why they hold more Forbes Travel Guide five-star awards than any other resort in Las Vegas, and also why they appear on the Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List among the top 100 hotels in the world.
Walking into the Wynn atrium is a feast for the senses. Lush foliage, artful lighting, colorful design elements, and flower-laden carousels all contribute to the luxurious ambiance. Add to that award-winning restaurants, nightlife, entertainment, 111,000 square feet of casino gaming space, and an extensive shopping esplanade with some of the world's finest international and boutique shops, and it's easy to see why the Wynn is so popular.
Accommodations at the Wynn include resort rooms and a variety of suites, apartments, and villas, each of which has been designed with meticulous attention to detail. Deluxe rooms are open and bright with large windows affording views of the strip or the on-property golf course. The bathroom features an oversized marble tub, separate shower, plush terrycloth robes, and a 13-inch LCD TV.
The Wynn has a wide variety of culinary options — from casual and fine dining to bars and lounges. One of the more distinctive of these is Costa di Mare (formerly Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare). At the helm is chef Mark LoRusso, who was voted the best chef in Las Vegas by the Southern Nevada Hotel Concierge Association. LoRusso has created a menu like no other with his "Taste of Italy's Coastline" cuisine.
Situated off the Wynn Esplanade, the restaurant offers guests seating options on upper or lower levels, or in outdoor dining cabanas. The latter is where you want to be for the best experience in one of the most beautiful and intimate settings of the hotel. Each covered and water-misted cabana (this is the desert, after all) is situated around a koi-filled lagoon laden with shiny silver orbs floating on the water. As day turns to twilight, accent lights create a serene and tranquil scene, providing the perfect atmosphere for enjoying what is coming next.
Fresh seafood is flown in daily from six regions of Italy, and each tableside service offers at least 12-14 fish species carefully curated by the well-trained staff. These include line caught, wild, and sustainable fish that couldn't be any fresher than if you were on the coast of the Adriatic.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Start with one of the cocktails or a glass of wine, and if you're not sure which wine to choose, the knowledgeable sommelier will guide you through the selections.
Next, try a seafood, pasta, or salad appetizer. What you don't want to miss is what they consider to be their pièce de résistance: scampi vivi (also known as langoustines or orange-pink lobster), offered from in sizes from large ($35) to jumbo ($45). The exact source location of these crustaceans in Italy is a well-guarded secret, and they're flown in overnight and brought into the kitchen under cover of darkness. They are then kept alive, and according to the staff, Costa di Mare is the only restaurant in the US that keeps them in such a fresh state until they are cooked over a charcoal grill and drizzled with oil and lemon and topped with parsley.
For your entree, select from a variety of whole fish flown in from the Italian Mediterranean seas of Ligure, Ionian, Tirreno, and Adriatico. This could include turbot, imperial snapper, John Dory, or big-eye red sea bream, prepared with olive oil and white wine or encrusted in salt (to preserve moisture and texture) and then filleted at your table.
Food lovers will be in seafood heaven with two tasting menus: the Gran Menu di Mare, touted by the restaurant as a "family-style seafood feast" ($160) or the decadent Giro d'Italia, described as a plated "Taste of Italy" ($180). The latter features seasonal items such as cuttlefish with black ink from Venice, Chianti-braised short rib ragù from Tuscany, and Sardinian red mullet. Dessert offerings are Sicilian pistachio cake, panna cotta, and gelato. Wine pairings are available at an additional charge.
After savoring your meal, browse the adjacent shops, try your hand at poker or the slots, or take in the show that was voted "Best Production Show" in Las Vegas for six years running by the Southern Nevada Hotel Concierge Association: Le Rêve— The Dream. This would be the perfect culmination of a wonderful evening and a dream vacation.
This was a sponsored visit; however, all opinions herein are the author's.