Steve Wynn, along with rival American casino magnates Sheldon Adelson of Las Vegas Sands Corp and Kirk Kerkorian of MGM Mirage, were the successful bidders for three gaming concessions that were opened for tender by the Macau SAR, effectively ending Stanley Ho's 40-year monopoly and setting Macau on track to be Asia's glitziest gambling capital.

The son of a bingo parlor owner, Wynn is credited with spearheading the resurgence of Las Vegas in the 1990s with his ultra-luxurious family-friendly developments: the Bellagio, Mirage and Treasure Island, and all their attendant volcanoes, indoor forests and multimedia lakes. Wynn Las Vegas, opened in 2005, was his most expensive resort yet, ringing in at a whopping USD 2.7 billion and provided the model for Macau.

The 600-room Wynn Macau has an intimate, sophisticated feel, decked out in bold purples and chocolate-browns with nods to Macanese and Asian heritage in the ancient stone lions that guard the VIP entrance, the 18th-century Portuguese embroidered silk panel in the lobby, cloisonne camels standing in the pool, and oversized chandeliers in fortune-bringing red Murano glass throughout.

Whether or not you have a fortune to blow on the tables, every guest is made to feel like a high roller. Little luxuries like the touch-pad lighting and drapery controls by the bedsides and enormous bathrooms with deep-soaking tub, TV and silky soft robes feature in every room, spiraling to unabashed extravagance in the suites, which come with retractable televisions at the foot of the bed, 'his' and 'her' bathrooms and in-room spa therapy suites.

"We are the first to create the new Macau, setting the benchmark for the transformation from just gambling to gaming entertainment," says Wynn Macau's president and general manager, Grant Bowie. 'Entertainment' comes in the form of fine-dining establishments such as the Cantonese Wing Lei, Japanese Okada and Il Teatro Italian restaurant, all of which have proven popular with Hong Kong residents who take the ferry across to Macau just for a great meal. True, Vegas-style theatrical extravaganzas are not yet part of the scene, but the spa and luxury retail sectors are booming, with Wynn's designer shopping esplanade home to Macau's first Chanel, Bulgari, Tiffany & Co, Prada, Fendi and Rolex-only boutiques.

"In ten years Macau will resemble Vegas on steroids," reckons Brian Summers of Thornburg Investment Management. With Wynn Macau's Phase II set to open later this year, adding 40,000 square meters of gaming space and more food, beverage and retail amenities, not to mention his purchase of a 22-hectare site on the up-and-coming Cotai Strip, casino whiz Wynn is banking on it.

Wynn Macau
Location: Rua Cidade de Sintra, Nape
Tel: 85328889966