Roger Thomas, Executive Vice President of Wynn Design & Development
Photo: Barbara Kraft
Chances are the last time you strolled through Wynn or Encore, you were utterly dazzled by their respective details—but did you realize that there’s a story to each element in the “neighborhoods” that have been so lovingly crafted throughout both resorts? Elaine Wynn and Roger Thomas spotlight their favorite finds throughout the resort.
Photo: Barbara Kraft
"Roger excels at using unexpected pieces in unexpected places. Our goal with the look of Sinatra was to pay tribute to the man without turning the restaurant into a museum. With that in mind, Roger conceptualized a lovely palette that was both neutral and fresh, and filled the space with highly sculptural pieces to offset the oversize portraits of Frank. A perfect example is this lovely antique ship; Roger came across this and the pair of obelisks that flanks it at the Paris flea market. The three pieces are Sicilian in origin and resided in an Italian restaurant in Paris, which sat empty for many years until it was dismantled. This trio happened to arrive the same day Roger was touring the flea market. He didn't have anything quite like this in mind, but as he tells it, he walked by the stall while they were being brought in, and he wasn't five steps away from the stall before he was returning to inquire about them. Roger installed the ship from the ceiling above the Sinatra bar as a conversation piece, and then flanked it with the two obelisks, which sit against the wall of the bar. The references are both diverse and applicable: the ship might send the message that you're embarking on a luscious Mediterranean experience, which is certainly true of Theo Schoenegger's Italian cuisine, while obelisks were prominent in the architecture of ancient Egyptians, who placed them at the entrances of their temples. As Sinatra is an homage to a friend, I think Roger enjoys the temple reference." –Elaine Wynn
