Residential Resort

And, five minutes in a crowded showroom doesn’t count.

Now, thanks to conscientious designers such as Roger Thomas, vice president of design for Wynn Design and Development, and Kay Lang, president and CEO of the Los Angeles-based Kay Lang + Associates which specializes in four- and five-star hospitality and high-end residential design, you can literally try furniture — as well as decorating styles — at your own pace before you buy.

Furnishings selected, and often designed, by Thomas fill the hotel suites, restaurants and common areas of Wynn Las Vegas, where guests can literally sleep on, sit on and use a piece for hours or days before they decide to purchase it.

"Today, residential design is looking at hotels to be the leaders in residential style," Thomas said. "I’m delighted that happened. It gives our guests a chance to test drive the style before they take it home as an enhancement to their own lifestyle and as a memory of their magical time at Wynn."

Thomas said this trend has switched from the 1950s and ’60s when hospitality designers looked to residential designs for inspiration — or more accurately the opportunity to create an escape from home. "Look at Caesar’s Palace; nobody had crushed purple and orange velvet at home. They created an escape."

Now, instead of escaping, hotel guests are being welcomed as if they are staying in a room at a friend’s home, which stems from — at least in Thomas’ work — the desire to create memories. "I’m not trying to create a beautiful room. I’m trying to create beautiful memories."

It’s the same philosophy he used decorating his own home. "Waking up at my home is like waking up on vacation, and who wouldn’t want to wake up on vacation every day?"

Lang agreed. She said most people visit a luxury resort when celebrating something special — a birthday, a honeymoon, a family reunion. "We are reminded of those fabulous vacations with those hotels, as well as the hospitality. That’s why people are drawn to incorporate the same things in their own home," she said.

Thomas said re-creating the look of a hotel room at home is like hiring a great interior designer without having to pay for the services.

For example, Thomas and his team at Wynn spent 2½ years developing a bed "that is comfortable and delicious. We tested each component together and separately so that it sleeps the way we want it to sleep." He said they also tested the pillows and duvets to ensure the combination wasn’t too hot in the summer or too cool in the winter.

He does the same for all chairs, whether they be for the resort’s suites or to be used in one of the many restaurants. The design team considers "hundreds of thousands" of possibilities regarding seat depth, height, padding in the cushion, arm to seat ratio, etc.

If visitors to the Wynn Las Vegas find they love something in their suite after spending hours or days enjoying it, chances are they will continue to appreciate the item in their own home, Thomas said. That is the primary factor behind Wynn LVNV, the residential design store at the resort where guests can purchase items they found at the property or specifically selected for the boutique by Thomas.

"Most people who go furniture shopping look at furniture like paintings. They will look at a chair for five seconds, maybe for two or three minutes if they’re really interested in it. If it’s in a restaurant, you’ve experienced that chair for one hour or one and a half hours," Thomas said.

And, at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, they can literally experience the hotel lifestyle by purchasing a residence at the property and accessing services such as housekeeping, valet and in-room dining, as well as choose from three interior finishing schemes created by Lang. The 24th through 40th floors are actually condominiums and penthouses.

Lang said she designed the interior finishes to replicate the same type of modern, urban appeal found in the hotel rooms.

"I wanted to blend haute couture and the Zen mood with a contemporary aesthetic."

Although the views play an important role in both the hotel rooms and residences at Mandarin Oriental, Lang said that if visitors pay attention to the small details that make those places so special and use them in their own homes, they can re-create the feeling and experience.