Resort has plenty of high-tech features

Thursday, April 28, 2005 | 8:41 a.m.

Technological innovations and architectural marvels abound at Wynn Las Vegas.

The showrooms, casino floor and guest rooms are full of state-of-the-art gee-whiz stuff that set the $2.7 billion resort apart from others.

Guests at this morning's opening were mesmerized by the Lake of Dreams environmental theater which blends light, water, horticulture, architecture and multimedia imagery into a show unlike anything on the Strip.

The Lake of Dreams is one of the "surprises" casino developer Steve Wynn spoke of when he promised new experiences for visitors wanting to explore the property.

Waterfalls that cascade down the side of the 140-foot man-made mountain create a three-acre lake from which four different dream sequences are displayed on a textured waterwall. While some may find the effect reminiscent of the Fremont Street Experience light show, the presentation will likely be hailed for its creativity.

And that's not the only place where technology creates an artistic assist.

The Wynn Theater, home to "Le Reve," the city's newest show, has a liquid stage similar to the one used in Cirque's "O" show at the Bellagio. But the domed theater that is the new home to 70 performers is a theater in the round, giving spectators ponying up $110 a seat a view from no farther than 42 feet.

The "smart cards" used by guests to access their rooms can be used as slot cards that can accrue credits for their play.

Many of the video slots have flat screens for a better graphic presentation for players.

Players waiting for a seat at one of the casino's 27 poker tables have their names entered onto a computerized list and get paged or called in their rooms when a position is available.

The resort's keno room has plasma-screen televisions to display results and every position in the Wynn's beautifully wood-paneled sports book has a plasma-screen TV for a bettor's personal use.

Technology in the rooms and in the meetings and convention areas will give guests hands-on information centers.

Each room has a fax machine and high-speed Internet access and the telephones operate with voice over Internet protocol.

The plasma-screen TVs seen all over the property are standard in each room, with some mounted conveniently on wall brackets.

Water is a key component of Wynn Las Vegas, and while waterfalls may not strike the casual observer as a technological achievement, their placement at this resort is.

Waterfalls drop 70 and more than 100 feet off the pine tree-topped mountain and the signature hole of the resort's par-70 golf course designed by Wynn and Tom Fazio includes a 37-foot waterfall at the 18th green. When golfers complete their round, they drive their carts through a tunnel behind that waterfall.

Finally, for those who can't get enough technology, there's a perfect retail outlet selling digital cameras, DVD players, PDAs, camcorders and music recorders. It's called Gizmos.