Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog

Great stuff and very informational. Thanks for drawing my attention to this.

Nice, I even learned a thing or two, being the Wynn fanatic that I am, its usually the same old info for me.

I do love Steve's writing, but every time I read something profiling Thomas--or even discussing Steve Wynn's history in Las Vegas--it seems like the history becomes muddled and confusing. To explain, I remember hearing Thomas say during Encore's opening that the numerous appearances of lattice throughout the resort had first made their appearance when he went through and re-designed the GN's casino. He also mentioned that he was the first to do away with the red casino and, subsequently, bring it back. This, as evidenced by a discussion on a few Vegas Gang podcasts, has been well documented. And yet, Steve's article states that Thomas somehow made his entrance into the Golden Nugget post-Wynn's purchase and redesign, to work on the interior design of the Spa Tower suites. I may be quibbling but it seems like, whatever the piece is, Thomas and Wynn's history in the city seems to be fluid. There has never, in my study of this city, been a concrete, tangible timeline of exactly what it is they have done together. There is a Victoria Bay here, a Thomas first working on the Golden Nugget Atlantic City there, and a few hints at Le Jardin Palais could have been but never was flying about in the ether. Some articles state that Bellagio was Thomas' first opportunity to "go at" something entirely on his own, and yet we all know that almost every aspect of Treasure Island was his responsibility.

In closing, then, I don't think this is a criticism I have directly with Steve Friess' writing--I happen to particularly enjoy his musings, especially on his blog--but, rather, it is a criticism of historical accuracy, or lack thereof, that pervades the study of Las Vegas, and more importantly, Steve Wynn's place in it. I just wish we have that tangible timeline and not some conflated composite sketch of Wynn's history in this city.

Considering that Steve Wynn -- like many other public figures -- engages in an ongoing revision of his history, we may have to wait until Wynn is retired or otherwise unable to influence the final product in order for the definitive history to be written. For example, Orson Welles has been dead almost 25 years and scholars are still disentangling myth from reality with regard to the facts of his life and career. But I hope that some enterprising scholar eventually sets the record straight regarding Steve Wynn ... and that it won't take 25 years.

I've been in Philadelphia and Atlantic City this week. When I walked into AC Hilton, I knew I was in a property built by Steve Wynn and could mistakenly believe I was transported to the LV Golden Nugget when Steve owned it.
Colony Capital has kept the Wynn influence, and it and Borgata, are the only bright spots in an otherwise dismal casino city.
I haven't read the Roger Thomas piece yet, but I assume he created the AC property with Steve.