Wynn, Encore Lead Las Vegas Casino Rankings, New Properties Make the Cut

Posted on: March 19, 2024, 04:41h. 

Last updated on: March 20, 2024, 12:35h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Wynn Resorts’ Wynn and Encore were named the top two Las Vegas casinos by a panel of Travel + Leisure experts, and a pair of new additions to the Sin City gaming scene also made the publication’s top 10 list.

Wynn Resorts
Wynn and Encore on the Las Vegas Strip. The properties were ranked as the top two Las Vegas casinos by Travel + Leisure. (Image: Vegas Means Business)

Topping Travel + Leisure’s various rankings is old hat for Wynn’s Las Vegas venues. Last July, Wynn Las Vegas was rated the top casino hotel in the city in a poll of the magazine’s readers. That was the fourth straight year in which the property captured that honor. While both Wynn and Encore have expansive casinos, the properties are among the most elite in Las Vegas because of extensive nongaming amenities, including entertainment, spas, and upscale eateries.

Adjacent to the Wynn Las Vegas, Encore Las Vegas has its own casino spanning more than 70,000 square feet. The elegant space features 95 table games and 860 slot machines. High rollers can head up to the Sky Casino for sweeping views of the Sin City skyline — keep in mind you’ll need at least $300,000 to bet here,” reports Travel + Leisure.

Combined, Wynn and Encore have more than 4,700 guest rooms and about 180,000 square feet of casino space.

Durango, Fontainebleau Las Vegas Immediately Join List

The Fontainebleau Las Vegas, which is the newest addition to the Strip, and the Durango Casino & Resort in Southwest Las Vegas are each just a few months old. But both made the Travel + Leisure top 10 rankings of best Sin City casinos.

Despite a sluggish start and a spate of executive departures, Fontainebleau commanded the fifth spot on the list. The property is located at the north end of the Strip, an area notoriously tough on new properties. Anecdotally, this reporter was there last Saturday night, and some employees mentioned business is starting to increase.

Red Rock Resorts’ Durango placed eighth on the Travel + Leisure list – solid work for a locals casino that’s barely more than three months old. Durango is one of just two non-Strip venues to make the list, with seventh-ranked Ellis Island being the other.

A favorite among locals, Ellis Island “is just a block away from the glimmering Strip. Yet its intimate, old-school vibes make it feel worlds away,” noted Travel + Leisure.

MGM Tops Among Operators

As the largest operator on the Strip, it’s not surprising that MGM Resorts International had the most properties on the Travel + Leisure rankings. That group was led by Cosmopolitan in the third spot, followed by the iconic Bellagio at number four.

Aria, which is another MGM venue, ranked ninth. The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, which is run by private equity giant Apollo Global Management, placed sixth on the magazine’s rankings of Las Vegas casinos.

Caesars Entertainment is the second-largest Strip operator behind only MGM, but only Caesars Palace, in the 10th spot, made the Travel + Leisure list.