I enjoy staying at a lot of the hotels in Las Vegas, but I truly adore Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. Located on the North end of the Strip, the hotel is encircled by properties like Treasure Island, The Palazzo, The Venetian and the Trump International Hotel. Encore’s rooms are luxurious, spacious, comfortable and wheelchair accessible.
Encore opened in 2008 and is connected to its sister property, Wynn Las Vegas. Both hotels were dreamed up by Las Vegas visionary Steve Wynn, who is responsible for the development of other resorts including Bellagio, The Mirage and Treasure Island. Prior to the hotel’s opening, Wynn filmed the following over-the-top commercial to introduce the “Encore.”
As someone who has stayed at most of the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, I can confidently say that Encore is a step (or two) above the rest. Encore has received the AAA Five Diamond Award every year since opening, and the “Wynncore” duo together hold more Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star awards than any other casino resort in the world. It really is that impressive.
Room Rates & Reservations
Room reservations for Encore can be made online using the Wynn Las Vegas website. I booked an accessible Encore Resort Room with a king size bed and roll-in shower, using a complimentary room offer from the Wynn Rewards casino loyalty program.
My casino offer, earned from previous play at Wynn casinos in Las Vegas and Boston, gave me a free room. At check-in, I was upgraded to an Encore Panoramic View room, which is just an Encore Resort King on a higher floor — specifically floors 30 and above. Typical room rates range from $200 to $400 per night, but some dates may be more expensive due to high occupancy.
Encore charges guests a resort fee of $45 per night plus tax. The resort fee includes: in-room Wi-Fi; access to fitness center; access to resort pools and sundecks; a dedicated concierge offering special dining access, spa reservations and golf tee times; a digital newsstand of magazines and newspapers; Alexa in-room entertainment services and room controls; standby valet parking access and a 24-hour elevator lobby security team. It is important to account for these fees in your budget, as they can be difficult to have waived — even though they should be for disabled guests who cannot use some of the included services.
Wheelchair Accessible Hotel Room
My guest room was located on the 52nd floor of the Encore Tower, number 5228. Classified as a Panoramic View Room due its high floor location, it was identical to the Resort King rooms found on lower floors. Both room types are spacious at 745 square feet, with separate living and sleeping areas.
As I opened the door to a room that is large enough to be a suite, I said the word “spectacular.” Encore’s luxurious rooms are refined, not gaudy. They promote a sense of tranquility and comfort that allows one to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
Each room at Encore features the Wynn Dream Bed, which is certainly one of the most comfortable beds in Las Vegas. The oversized pillows were surprisingly comfortable, contributing to some fantastic sleep. On the accessibility front, the bed was tall — 27 inches from the floor to the top of the mattress. There was 7 inches of clear space underneath the bed, suitable for most transfer hoists.
Similar to other luxury hotels on The Strip, each Encore room is outfitted with a tablet which can be used to control various room features, including lights, window shades and the thermostat. The tablet and dock is located on the nightstand, next to the bed.
Power outlets suitable for charging my power wheelchair were difficult to locate, but I eventually found one on the wall behind the nightstand. Electricity in the United States is delivered at 120 volts. Travelers from outside North America may need to use a step-up power transformer to charge wheelchairs that require 220-240V. Please see the FAQ on charging a power wheelchair in a foreign country.
A minibar refrigerator was located inside a cabinet across the room, which was set at an accessible height. No bending over to grab that $8 water! 😛
The room had a large closet, with a chest of drawers and a lowered closet rod. The clothes hangers were hanging from a higher rod, but I was able to reach them. An iron and ironing board are provided as well.
The high definition television is opposite the foot of the bed, atop a swivel stand. The swivel stand allows the TV to be turned to face either the bed or the sitting area, which is located on the other side go the partial wall.
The sitting area is spacious, featuring a sofa with ottoman, as well as a desk with two chairs. The desk was 28.5 inches tall with 26 inches of clear space underneath. The sitting room had large floor-to-ceiling windows with amazing views of the Wynn Tower and the Las Vegas Strip. I was able to see Treasure Island, The Mirage and Caesars Palace from my room. At night, the city lit up below and, when it was time to sleep, the blackout shades closed with the touch of a button.
Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom at Encore Las Vegas
The bathroom was beautiful, with double sinks and luxurious finishings.
One of the two sinks was wheelchair-friendly, with clear floor space underneath. In order to access the sink, I had to move a rug and a scale that were placed in that space. The sink counter height was 34 inches, with 29 inches clearance below.
In the photo above, you will see a soaking bathtub next to the sink. The tub was not ADA accessible, as there were no grab bars. This was not an issue for me, since the room also had a roll-in shower, which is my preference.
The roll-in shower was accessible, though its design is my least favorite. The shower, enclosed with a glass wall and door, made it difficult to protect my wheelchair from errant water, since I could not close the door. With no shower curtain to draw and the door blocked open by my chair, I draped a few towels over the chair to keep it dry.
The shower itself had all of the required features: a handheld shower spray unit, a built-in seat and grab bars. The seat surface measured 18 inches wide by 13.5 inches deep, and it was 17.5 inches high. The grab bars were set at 35 inches above the floor. Controls for the water were within reach, and a soap dish was attached to the wall.
The toilet was accessible, with space to park a wheelchair directly alongside the toilet for a safe, lateral transfer. The toilet seat measured in at a height of 18 inches, and grab bars were affixed to the adjacent walls at a height of 35 inches.
Accessibility in the Wynn & Encore Casinos
Encore and Wynn are separate hotels, but the resort is one. Each side has a casino, but you can gamble and get rated with the Wynn Rewards players card at both. I often hit a few slots on the Encore side after lunch, then played baccarat or craps on the Wynn side at night.
Wynn and Encore are posh casinos that attract high rollers from around the world. One night, I was playing at a $25 baccarat table and a woman sat down, proceeding to lose $700,000 over the course of the next hour. Her bets of $40,000 per hand put mine to shame.
Whether you are a high-roller or a low-roller like me, you can have a great time in the Wynncore casinos. Pit bosses, dealers and staff frequently asked if they could offer me assistance and made themselves available to help whenever I needed a hand with something. If there is something that will make the casino experience more accessible to you, just ask and the team will do their best to make it happen.
Restaurants & Dining
Encore and Wynn are five-star resorts, a rating that isn’t possible without world-class dining options. If you read my article about the 15 best restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip, you’ll have noticed that a number of Encore and Wynn restaurants made it on the list.
If you stay at Encore, you’ll be able to enjoy delicious meals at restaurants like Sinatra (Italian), Lakeside (Hawaiian seafood), Mizumi (Japanese), SW Steakhouse and my poolside breakfast favorite, Tableau.
The food is amazing, but the service will blow your mind. On my second night, I dined at Lakeside Restaurant and was approached by a manager, who welcomed me to the restaurant and inquired about my meal the previous night at Sinatra (it was excellent). Wynn’s attention to detail is astounding and the positive vibes probably make the food taste better.
Shopping
The resort has a lot of luxury and name-brand stores, spread across three areas of the resort. The first is The Shops at Encore, which are located in a corridor that connects the Encore and Wynn casinos. There, you’ll find shops like Chanel and Christian Louboutin.
On the Wynn side, you’ll find The Shops at Wynn and the Wynn Plaza Shops. At Wynn Plazs, you’ll find designer stores like Hermès, Le Labo and Rimowa, while the Wynn Esplanade features stores like Cartier, Dior, Prada and Rolex.
For the complete shops list, visit the Wynn website.
Location & Transportation
Encore and Wynn are situated on the Las Vegas Strip, which means the resort is close to many public transportation options. “The Deuce,” a city bus route that connects all of the casinos, stops within feet of the resort’s entrance on the Las Vegas Strip. Nearby crosswalks and elevated walkways (with elevators) allow pedestrians to access other resorts including The Palazzo and The Venetian.
Wheelchair accessible taxis can be ordered on demand, with wait times of under 15-20 minutes. For more information on accessible cab operators, fares and wait times, read the article on Las Vegas wheelchair taxis.
Final Thoughts
Encore Las Vegas is proof that luxury hotels can be wheelchair accessible, that the two need not be mutually exclusive. The property’s ADA guest rooms are equipped to meet the needs of many disabled people and the 5-star resort, world-class restaurants and impeccable service standards guarantee that it will be a vacation to remember.
