Aria Revisited


I have stayed at Aria many times over the past five years. The reasons are pretty simple: location, location and then there’s location. My loyalty became cemented when MGM partnered with Hyatt, and I could get Hyatt points for staying (as I’m a complete points whore). I also have the Hyatt credit card, which grants Gold MLife status for the life of the card. (Hyatt has one of the most lucrative hotel loyalty programs – but that’s a whole different discussion).

I booked three nights at a casino host rate of $129 on Saturday night and $79 each for Sunday and Monday, plus the dreaded resort fee of $32.48 per night. Also included was a $100 resort credit to be used only at Aria. Those were great rates; granted it’s August but it’s a lot of room for the price.

Another privilege of being Gold MLife is getting to use the “Invited Guest” line. I always feel fancy when standing in that line, but know it’s only in my head (it can be a really slow line…maybe because “Invited Guests” are high maintenance?).

The desk agent gave me the typical Gold upgrade to a strip-view room instead of a mountain/I-15 view. He offered a corner suite for an additional $75 per night, but ince I was traveling alone, I didn’t see the need. And, it would blow the good deal I initially got.

I was assigned room 18090, which I finally found. Aria has a very abstract design, and this carries over to the hotel hallways. For the three days I stayed there I had to read the directional signs every time I went to my room – and I don’t drink! I liked the view, but prefer being on the other side of the curve of the building to get a Harmon Corner view – I love the light play that the giant billboard provided in the room at night.

Upon entering the room, the TV comes on to play some annoying new-age music, the drapes open and the AC kicks in. It’s kind of like the room is saying “welcome.” Every room I have ever stayed in at Aria has the same setup – foyer with a bath to the left and armoire/closet thing to the right and the bedroom straight ahead.

The bathroom has two sinks on a nice-sized vanity, a separate cubby with the “pooper” in it and a shower/tub combo that’s quite spacious.

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The amenities include Aria’s branded body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash as well as bar soap. The fragrance of the lotions and potions is quite nice…whiffs of citrus and green tea (neither being overwhelming). There was also a vanity kit that contained an emery board, shower cap, sewing kit and makeup remover wipes (which can be used to wipe down germ-laden surfaces like the TV remote). Vanity kits like that annoy me – they seem so impersonal. Can’t they do a little presentation instead, like a Q-tip jar and a cotton ball jar? Am I asking too much? Yes? Ok.

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The bedroom featured a king bed with a seemingly 40-pound comforter (really, it’s super heavy), two accent pillows, four bed pillows and a superfluous (also very heavy) throw at the end. I think it’s time for Aria to get with the current hotel trend and use coverlets.

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The bed itself is one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept on – it’s like crack for sleeping…soft yet firm, and seems to envelope you. Generally speaking, sleeping in the room is quite nice: it’s quiet. I always turn the air handler fan to “ON” instead of “AUTOMATIC” for white noise. Darkness and the correct temperature is attainable as long as the drapes are kept closed when the sunlight is direct. It never got really cool in the room although I had it set to 60 degrees. The coolest it registered was 70 degrees.

Located on one side of the bed is the device that controls things in the room: opening/closing the blinds, turning on/dimming individual lights, the TV (there’s also a separate, presumably-germy remote), hotel services, room temp and wake-up. I do love using the wake-up feature as it can be set to open the drapes and turn on lights and TV at the appropriate time. That seems very luxurious to me.

I have mixed emotions about the device itself. A cord anchors it, so it’s not really easy to use while lying in bed. And the touch sensitivity isn’t stellar. It’s older technology, so maybe they will be upgraded at some point.

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Side note: some parts of the hotel, particularly the hallways, could use some work. The carpet is, in some places, torn, worn and dirty, and the walls are pretty scuffed up, too. Hotels of this caliber–Forbes Four-Star, and AAA Five Diamond–typically upgrade their soft goods at the 5-7 year mark. Since Aria is almost six years old, perhaps there is a plan in place to address these kinds of things. End of side note.

The bedroom also contains a safe (in a bedside table) and a desk/fridge/mini-bar combo. The fridge/mini-bar contains the usual suspects of over-priced fare, such as liquor, snacks, and soft drinks. There was also an intimacy kit that included a “Couple’s Erotic Vibrating Ring”, a “Mini Multi-Speed Vibrator”, condoms and “Liquid Pleasure Personal Lubricant”–for only $25! I guess vibrating stuff is a thing now.

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Not apropos of the intimacy kit, the mini bar also had a jar of Naked Infusions Gourmet Salsa for sale. I thought it was an unusual, tiny and expensive  item, priced at $6 for four measly ounces. That doesn’t include the bag of chips (ugh, didn’t get the price).

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Housekeeping at Aria is very thorough. The room attendants put my stuff on Aria doilies to make everything look neat. I’ve learned to call housekeeping each day to request that my room be serviced by noon, to be assured that my afternoon nap won’t be disturbed. Otherwise, stay-over rooms are cleaned last. I did not order room service because I’m not that kind of baller.

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Sometimes I will order a pot of coffee instead of trekking to the Starbucks (on the Promenade Level) and waiting in the serpentine line. Or, the longer trek to the Roasted Bean near the main valet entrance. The coffee has always been strong, hot and promptly delivered. It’s $9 for one person, which doesn’t seem exorbitant…until the service charge (22%) and gratuity are added.

The pools (there are three, but only two can be used by the hoi polloi – the other is for Sky Suites guests) can be very crowded on the weekends. A sun bed is hard to find, and the pools themselves are a stew of poorly designed tattooed bodies and the shimmer of floating sunscreen. Ew.

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Speaking of design, I’ve always found Aria to be a beautiful property. So much thought was put into every aspect of design: many different floor textures, random ceiling heights, unusual applications of wood. But wait, there’s more: gorgeous baskets dripping orchids all along the front desk and unexpected surprises (check out the moving light wall downstairs at the North Valet pick-up).

All in all, I enjoyed my time at Aria. I would like to see a less-expensive food outlet (breakfast every day was an Egg White Delight at McDonald’s at the Monte Carlo Food Court – don’t judge). But I understand that’s not in the business model for a swank place. Additionally, a large swath of slot machines, my game of choice, have been removed from the casino floor. Granted, this isn’t a function of the hotel and its services, but it did slightly lessen my overall enjoyment. And you can’t beat that location!

[Image credit: Bob Z]

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