Most know better than to take casino boss Steve Wynn literally when he makes statements like those uttered at a Nevada Gaming Commission meeting in March, when he called Wynn Las Vegas "the most expensive, the most complex, the most ambitious structure ever built in the world, including the pyramids of Egypt."

That was Wynn's colorful mix of ego and enthusiasm speaking -- the kind of hyperbole this town encourages in its casino bosses.

Recent visitor comments have been more insightful. Several guests on opening night acknowledged the beauty and grandeur of the property yet pointed out numerous similarities to Bellagio, Wynn's previous creation. Those include the parking garage (Bellagio's has been called one of the best-designed in Las Vegas); a glass-ceiling atrium offering natural light and fresh flowers near the entrance (Wynn's is a bit closer to the casino floor, offering slot players some connection to the natural world); wide aisles around the casino floor and an arcade of high-end retail shops that curves out to the Strip.

Customers have also been charitable in pointing out the resort's unique features. Besides Wynn's more dramatic color scheme, the most obvious is a tree-covered mountain facing the retail shops and restaurants, offering views of several waterfalls and other water features that are hidden from Strip-trolling tourists.

A quick scan of early online customer reviews are mixed, with several otherwise positive reviews of the resort marred by specific problems that read like those of any other Las Vegas hotel.

Rooms not made in time for check-in, wait times for restaurants, little in the way of mid-roller complimentaries were among the complaints.

Others said the resort was overrated and the staff -- while friendly to guests -- was harried and disorganized in the first few days of opening. With many already comparing Wynn Las Vegas to Bellagio, the differentiating factor for tourists will likely become service.

"I thought I was going to be blown away by this resort but I actually like the Bellagio better," according to one review posted on TripAdvisor.com. "It has similar pools, a better comp system and restaurants which are open after 10:30 p.m. that serve excellent food. The only thing Wynn beats it in is the rooms."

If Wynn is to be taken for his word, he will learn from these comments before they take on a life of their own.

The resort's Le Reve show by Cirque du Soleil creator Franco Dragone had some scratching their heads in confusion, as did the public waterfall show called "Lake of Dreams."

Such criticism probably won't ruffle Wynn, who may take the word "arty" as a compliment suited to his guests' cultivated tastes.

While he can't micromanage a 2,700-room property with some 9,500 employees, he has a seasoned executive team accustomed to his management style -- a group that is probably more self-directed than in years past.

Some customers were equally specific in their praise.

"Although Wynn has managed to print his name on more things within the hotel than even Donald Trump could dream up, he didn't forget that you are supposed to be the focus of his hospitality," another customer wrote on TripAdvisor.com.

The guest was impressed by details including customers' names emblazoned on room keys, LCD screens on in-room phones and the room television welcome screen. This guest was happy to receive a $100 credit for undergoing a lengthy check-in process and another $50 after a several-hour wait to unclog a toilet.

Another frequent guest at Bellagio and the Venetian called the property "by far the most luxurious property on the Strip."

"I think the only reason we would stay at either one of those properties from here on out is if the Wynn was sold out on the dates we were going," the guest wrote.

"While you need to be a high roller or in a suite in one of the other luxury hotels to get special treatment, this is not the case here. Even in one of their most basic rooms you are given preferential treatment. Hotel guests can pass the line to get into the nightclub, get reservations at the restaurants ahead of anyone else, bypass the taxi line out front."

Other potential reviewers -- the local press -- were treated more favorably by Wynn and his handlers this time around.

Ever the showman, Wynn kept many details of the resort under wraps until a tour for local media a few hours before the post-midnight opening April 28. Press kits also were unavailable prior to the tour. While he got flack for his secrecy, the property tour was a far cry from the Bellagio opening, when local media weren't allowed into the property beforehand.

National and international media weren't invited to the press tour at all. Photographers of all stripes were not allowed to take pictures until earlier this month, when Vanity Fair released an exclusive article and photo spread on the property.

That didn't stop an intrepid reporter for the Sunday Times of London from sneaking into Wynn Las Vegas weeks before opening. Reporter Brian Schofield talked his way past security and stepped into a service elevator to get a peek at the hotel rooms.

"The cloak of secrecy surrounding this week's launch has made the conclave of cardinals look like the Big Brother auditions," he wrote in a positive story about the resort.

At Wynn Resorts' annual shareholder meeting last week, Wynn explained the lack of preopening details of the resort by saying press releases and other announcements would have done little "to further the understanding of what the experience would be like."

"It didn't lend itself to verbalization," he said of the resort.

More likely, Wynn was attempting to maintain an element of surprise while stoking the press' and readers' curiosity. Given the traffic so far in the resort, the tactic seems to be working.

Liz Benston covers gaming for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-4077 or by e-mail at benston@lasvegassun.com.