This month’s blog begins with Melissa Calinao, who’s an In-Room Dining Events Manager at Wynn and Encore. I was put in contact with Melissa, so she could help arrange the 2econd Friday Special Event which was to take place at Encore. I immediately felt at ease with Melissa; her emails were personable, and always answered in a really timely manner.
I reckon how quickly an establishment answers emails is a pretty darned good indicator of how good that establishment is. While thinking about this, I remember back to dealing with Mandarin Oriental. Oh, lordy, they were answering emails usually within an hour of me sending them. And, as some readers may know, my emails can be, occasionally, pretty pointless, so to get any response at all is sometimes beyond what is perhaps merited.
If there was a 2econd Friday Special Event, there was surely cake involved. I suggested to Melissa I could pop along to Encore, to get a chat about said cake, and the event in general. She was more than happy with that. The next day, there we were, in a stunning suite at Encore, looking out across The Strip to the progressing Resorts World, and chatting about cake. What a delightful way to spend half an hour.
This face-to-face meeting with Melissa scores even more points with me than perhaps it could’ve. I was in communication with another resort on The Strip, about arranging a similar 2econd Friday Special Event, and again I suggested popping along to the hotel for a chat about the event. Jeez, the reply I received didn’t even mention my proposed meeting. Either the person didn’t read my email properly, or if they did, they “couldn’t be bothered” meeting me in person. Hmm, thumbs down for that.
Big thumbs up to Melissa, and to everyone at Encore who was involved with organizing the 2econd Friday Special Event. We had a great time. There were Special Guests aplenty (Monica and Steve, Steve and Wendy, Wendy and Ian, Jo, Josephine, Chris, Beth and Erik, Tony, and Very Special Guest, Joe Camper. Beth managed to move up a rank, to Special Guest Plus, when she performed the all-important task of cutting the cake. There was a Definitive Dozen quiz. Someone from the Neon Museum didn't seem to have the historical knowledge of Las Vegas that perhaps one might have imagined. That was all forgotten, though, when Joe Camper was able to identify (from photographs) all 12 members of the Definitive Dozen, which year they opened, and who built them. Nice work, Joe. After that pretty tough memory feat, I wonder if there’s potential for an even tougher physical feat, such as one-armed push-ups.
Oh, and also big thumbs up for the suite. Wow, that suite was certainly the sweetest suite 2econd Friday has stayed in, so far. Will it get any better than that. Dear MGM Resorts International, we would be more than happy to stay at The Mansion, for the Grand Finale of 2econd Friday.
The musical connections continued, this month. Last month, Hard Rock had followed Aria. Yip, very good. And then this month, Encore followed Hard Rock. Did David Bowie come back on for an encore, when he played the Joint, at Hard Rock, in 2004? I don’t know, I wasn’t there. Did Pet Shop Boys come back on for an encore, when they played the Chelsea, at The Cosmopolitan, in 2016? Yes, they did indeed. Oof, and before that encore, the second-last song of the normal set was a fantastic version of “Left To My Own Devices”, drenched in 303. In fact, let me include that as a Bonus Tune, below.
To finish this month, let me end with some nice words from Melissa:
“2econd Friday sounds like quite an adventure. I love the idea of experiencing different hotels based on more than just location and room rate; it sounds like it would make your stay much more of an "experience".”
After those nice words about 2econd Friday, here’s Melissa back with some nice words about Wynn (from May 2020):
“I work for an amazing company that has shown us in so many ways that we are appreciated. I am proud to be part of this "family" and I am excited to get back in the office and start setting up parties ASAP.
I hope you all come to visit us soon and enjoy everything we have to offer.”
Opening Date: 22nd of December, 2008
Tune: “Something Good 08” by Utah Saints
Bonus Tune: “Left To My Own Devices” (from the 2016 tour), by Pet Shop Boys
Dress Code: Fashion Forward