Encore Boston Harbor Is a Wynn for New England

The Encore Boston Harbor—which houses the New England city's first casino—has opened its doors. In addition to a 210,000-square-foot gaming area, the hotel features 671 guest rooms, plus 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space, which includes a 37,000 square-foot grand ballroom.

The team behind the $2.6 billion Wynn Hotel development says it is the country's most expensive resort development of 2019. Construction work began in 2016 with a $68 million site remediation project. It took about 18 months to fully prepare the 33-acre site that once contained a chemical manufacturing plant.

Today, the hotel, which overlooks Boston Harbor and the Mystic River, incorporates a robust water transportation system, upscale accommodations, and its signature casino. In addition to lavish indoor spaces, the Encore features pedestrian and bike paths, viewing decks, waterfront dining, and lush green spaces.

Designed by Roger Thomas, executive vice president of Wynn Design, the Encore incorporates structural details and design elements that Thomas used for properties in Las Vegas and China. Suffolk Construction, with headquarters in Boston, handled the project's construction management.

Thomas described the decor of the new Encore property as “evoca-tecture," an intentional combination of drama, mystery, delight, and joy.

“If you walk into a room, and you're the first there, I never want you to feel lonely, or like you're waiting for everybody," explained Thomas in a recent interview with Mass Live. “I want the room to have enough in it that you're just kind of looking around while everybody gets there because the party has already started."

Construction work in progress. A 6.5-acre harbor walk surrounds the Encore Boston Harbor, and is open 24/7, offering a park-like setting for guests to enjoy views of the water and the harbor. Lifescapes International directed the landscape architecture. The property is actually located in Everett, Mass., right on the border with the city of Boston. Construction work began in 2016 and was completed earlier this year.

Water transportation. Water shuttles built by Boston BoatWorks transport guests and employees from docking points across Boston directly to the Encore's marina.

Let the games begin. The Encore's casino includes 3,100 state-of-the-art slot machines and 231 game tables. The two-level casino also offers private gaming rooms with secluded terraces, as well as an 88-table poker room.

For deep pockets. A high-limit gaming salon for high rollers is located away from the hubbub of the main casino.

Where the action is. The aptly named Center Bar is located right in the middle of the casino. Another bar, the Garden Lounge, is perched above the hotel's lobby.

What are the odds? The On Deck Burger Bar offers gourmet burgers and sporting events streaming on multiple screens. The bar also features panoramic views of the casino floor.

Time for a bite. The Garden Cafe—overlooking the hotel's garden lobby—provides a quiet interlude for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Among the other dining options at the Encore are the Rare Steakhouse and the Sinatra, one of two restaurants in the world with permission from the singer's family to use his name.

Multipurpose meeting space. The Picasso ballroom can accommodate up to 2,819 guests for a reception. The hotel's meeting and event space includes 15 distinct dining and lounge venues, including 21,000-square-feet of seasonal outdoor event space overlooking the property's scenic gardens and the harbor.

Relax and unwind. The hallway leading to the hotel's spa transitions guests into a 19,512-square-foot facility that offers massage, body treatments, facials, and hydrotherapy. Guests also can enjoy a massage in the comfort of their room or suite. A 3,648-square-foot fitness center offers a wide range of equipment along with daily classes, including spin, yoga, Pilates, conditioning, and meditation.

Comfy accommodations. The Encore has 207 premier king rooms. The hotel says that the 650-square-foot rooms are not only the largest standard hotel rooms in the city, but anywhere in New England.

How suite it is. There are 18 two bedroom residences at Encore Boston Harbor, each featuring spectacular views of the water and the city skyline. Rooms throughout the property boast floor-to-ceiling windows, and state-of-the art technology, such as custom designed voice-activation system controls.