HomeTravel & LeisureLas Vegas Travel › The New Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas
 
 
 

Blackjack? Check. But Sin City’s new Aria Resort & Casino, part of CityCenter, is also quite the destination for dining, pampering and all-around luxuriating.

It’s no secret that our neighbor to the northwest, Las Vegas, has quite the reputation - and it can sometimes have more to do with bachelor parties than high-end hospitality. However, with the opening of Aria Resort & Spa, Sin City has taken quite a sumptuous turn. The 61-story gaming resort opened in late 2009, also signifying the debut of CityCenter, Vegas’s luxe city-within-a-city complex. (Vdara Hotel & Spa, the soon-to-open Harmon Hotel and the city’s first Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas make up the remainder of CityCenter’s resort offerings; the residences of Veer Towers and the retail and entertainment district of Crystals round out CityCenter.)

Though Aria is right off The Strip, near Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, visitors feel glittering light-years away upon stepping into the contemporary lobby. Two things every guest will notice upon entering Aria: the delicious vanilla scent that fills the air and the gorgeous sculpture of the Colorado River, made of reclaimed silver by Maya Lin, that hangs above the reception area. After making their way to their room (unfortunately, everyone has to go through the casino to get to the rooms; fortunately, the vanilla musk masks any trace of cigarette smoke), guests are awe-struck by the dark woods, clean lines and masculine aesthetic of Aria’s interior.

For the most regal of retreats, Aria’s Sky Villas are one- and two-story suites that have up to 7,000 square feet of living - and living it up - space. These villas, which are located on the top floors of the resort, may feature two or three bedrooms, several lounging spaces, a massage room and sauna, a fireplace, an in-suite elevator and eye-popping views of The Strip and far-off mountaintops. Such deluxe accommodations will cost a pretty penny: one evening in the Sky Villa can run $15,000.

Another way to feel completely transported is by taking a turn at The Spa at Aria. Stealing a little peace and quiet on the Ganbanyoku stone beds or in the Shio salt-infused room makes guests forget about the cha-ching of the slot machines. To ease tired muscles from a day of lugging bags from Prada at Crystals or from a night of dancing at the on-site Haze nightclub, the Thai poultice massage is just the ticket. The treatment employs poultices infused with lemongrass, ginger and prai extracts to alleviate tension and tightness.

If choosing among The Spa at Aria’s many ahh-inducing treatments proves to be difficult then so will deciding where to dine among Aria’s nearly 20 restaurants. Two favorites are American Fish by Chef Michael Mina (Valley dwellers will know him as the man behind Bourbon Steak) and Sage, from acclaimed Chicago chef, Shawn McClain. American Fish offers out-of- this-world seafood while Sage dishes up high-end fare for those with an adventurous palate (think foie gras crème brûlée and blue cheese ice cream). To sooth a sweet tooth, the hand-crafted chocolates and bite-sized wedding cakes at Jean Philippe Patisserie are not to be missed. Thai spa treatments and foie gras—how’s that for living it up, Sin City-style?

Aria Resort & Casino
www.citycenter.com