Harbor casino

What was your first impression? As you drive along I-93, curving your way out of the city, the only way you’d miss Encore Boston Harbor is if you were futzing with CarPlay and not paying attention to the massive building looming in the distance—there’s even an official highway sign trumpeting the brand-new casino-resort. If the curved bronze glass looks familiar, that’s because it’s identical to the ritzy Wynn Las Vegas (this is its East Coast sister). Jutting up from a stretch of waterfront that’s sparsely scattered with low-lying buildings and factories, Encore is a 33-acre property where flowers miraculously bloom all year in Massachusetts and no surface is untouched by something gold. Park the car in a multi-lane valet operation (trying not to let the neighboring Mercedes Maybach shake your confidence) and four uniformed bellhops descend, NASCAR-pit-crew style, to sweep your luggage away. Inside, a huge carousel—made entirely of silk flowers and crystals—holds court in a light-drenched central atrium with intricate mosaic floors.

Give us a sense of the scope of this place? The first thing to know about Encore Boston Harbor is that it’s not coy about its price tag; everything from the press release to its official Instagram handle drops the figure “$2.6 billion” like it ain’t no thing. The big, bold numbers pervade every element of this project: a 210,000-square-foot casino, 15 dining outlets, 671 guest rooms and suites (including a 5,800-square-foot Presidential Villa), 50,000 square feet of event space, a 450-seat buffet restaurant, and a staff that will eventually number 5,500 (including hundreds of graduates from The Greater Boston Gaming Career Center at Cambridge College, which Encore helped develop in order to cultivate an East Coast casino workforce). Even the carousel, designed by Preston Bailey, who did the floral sculptures at Wynn Las Vegas, has astronomical stats: 15,000 pounds, 83,000 flowers, and 11,000 jewels. This is the fourth Wynn Resorts property worldwide (in addition to Vegas and Boston, there are also two in Macau), and fans of the brand will recognize the maximalist, ultra-opulent design aesthetic as the seemingly budget-less work of Wynn’s Roger Thomas.

Tell us about the rooms. At 1,350 square feet, our Signature Harbor View Suite, one of 63, felt (and probably was) larger than most city apartments. The space was awash in creams and whites, from the white-lacquer desk and marble surfaces to the geometric headboard and carpeting. There was lots of gold, lots of mirrors, and several gold-trimmed mirrors. Covered in 507-thread-count sheets, the king-size Wynn Dream Bed was crisp and comfortable. But the suite’s standout feature was the bathroom; even with dual sinks, a deep soaking tub, and a separate shower stall and water closet, the floor space was so large it could have easily fit another king bed. The toiletries, cleverly arranged in a three-drawer white jewelry chest on the counter, were simply amazing, with everything from hairspray and shaving cream to makeup remover and shoe polish. Extra credit goes to the no-fuss lighting panels, a grid of nine, clearly labeled buttons with prompts like “ALL ON,” “DRAPES CLOSE,” and “SHEERS OPEN.” The same commands (as well as room temps) could be controlled via the in-room iPads, as well as via voice commands on an Amazon Echo.

Is there a charge for Wi-fi – and is the quality good? The Wi-fi is free and works brilliantly.

How are the restaurants? If you aren’t coming to hit the casino, you should still have this place on your radar for the F&B. The restaurants vary wildly in formality and culinary bent: go big (and spend big) at Rare, an elegant and celebratory steakhouse offering some of the finest cuts of meat in the world, including the only authentic Japanese Kobe beef in Boston; enjoy some chef-driven New England seafood by James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schlow at the brand-new Seamark Seafood & Cocktails; or indulge in Southern Italian specialties at Fratelli, a joint venture from Frank DePasquale and Nick Varano, two titans of Boston’s Italian food scene. Don’t leave without a good, old-fashioned cup of Joe at the onsite Dunkin’ (the only 24/7, 21+ Dunkin’ in the area), or an Everett-brewed beer from Night Shift Brewing Kitchen & Tap. Just note that Fratelli, the aforementioned Dunkin’, and a burger bar On Deck are only accessible through the gaming floor, which means nobody under twenty-one is allowed. A good compromise is Red 8, which is adjacent to—yet not actually in—the casino; feast on steamed barbecue pork buns and beef chow mein while peering in on the action.

Did anything stand out about the service? This is a casino, so there are security guards everywhere. But that’s where the similarities to Vegas (notorious for its not-always-great hospitality) ends. The hotel hired largely for personality and charisma—then trained the technical skills later—and it shows. So unless you act like a drunken fool and cause a ruckus on the gaming floor, you’re probably in for jovial and pleasant encounters with staff, from the jocular elevator attendant who befriended our kid, to the landscapers who stopped to say “good morning”—shovels in-hand—as we strolled the grounds. Service at the restaurants was uniformly terrific; a special shoutout goes to Sandra at the Garden Café, who, on our second morning in a row, produced iced coffee and fresh fruit before we even asked for it.

Tell us about your fellow hotel guests. Unlike Vegas, you won’t see anyone too nutty here, which is good or bad, depending on your perspective. Instead, the crowd is a mixed bag of gray-haired local gaming enthusiasts in Red Sox and Bruins T-shirts; international families in Boston for the first time, either visiting Encore after checking off Boston’s key sights or touring area universities with their high schoolers; and 20-something couples, drinks in-hand, psyched to have a reason to wear that one Vegas-y outfit without leaving New England. We spotted one Sweet 16 party, and there’s a big after-work scene among locals, as well. On weekends, the casino floor buzzes into the wee hours—thanks, in part, to a law that allows alcohol to be served to active gamers until 4 am (two hours later than normal).

What about the neighborhood? Everett, Mass. is pretty residential, and Encore is a 10- or 15-minute Uber to most central points in Boston proper. But the resort also runs regular water shuttles to a couple of piers in the city.

Is there anything you'd change? Warm hospitality aside, this hotel is a bit tough with young kids, which we happened to have. Some restaurants don’t allow little ones under 5, and, again, all of the ones in the casino are all 21-and-over. We didn’t see many and babies and toddlers here, but the demographic that probably has them—couples in their 30s and 40s—seemed excited to have hired babysitters, anyway.

Anything we missed? A massive spa and wellness floor is just as decadent and intricately designed as the rest of the property, with spa lockers clad in white faux alligator skin and trimmed in gold. Treatments run the gamut, but the HydraFacial, which uses serums and vacuum pressure to moisturize and tone skin and unclog pores, is particularly helpful in counteracting the effects of a drink-dine-repeat casino stay. Should you need, say, a full-length ball gown with sequins and feathers, you’re in luck: The Wynn Collection boutique, which is filled with all sorts of jewel-encrusted Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choos, stands poised to drain your bank account. And finally, it’s lovely to step onto a casino floor and not feel like you're choking; unlike its Vegas counterpart, Encore Boston Harbor is completely smoke-free.

Bottom line: Worth it? Unless you’re an avid gambler with very deep pockets and very few limits, Encore Boston Harbor is probably about right only for a night or two. The rooms are large, incredibly comfortable, and thoughtfully appointed; the brand’s signature, high-design opulence is apparent in every nook, cranny, trim, cladding, covering, surface, corner, and curve; the spa is an ethereal world unto itself; and there are vast, solid dining options staffed with affable hospitalitarians. It’s not everybody’s idea of chic, but it’s a lavish urban escape, particularly if you live around Boston and are yearning for a break from the norm—and maybe a break from the kids, too.