With its gaming venues and reasonably priced $9.99 steak and lobster dinners, Las Vegas may have drawn tourists once. But today’s Las Vegas Strip is a roadway dominated by expansive luxury resorts, and accompanying hotel bills nearly call for a jackpot at a slot machine to offset the cost impact.
Among this sea of more modern Las Vegas hotels, MGM Resorts’ Aria Resort & Casino is unique in that it was among the first to depend less on a theme (no circus gimmicks, Italian-inspired water features or false Parisian architecture here, thank you very much). Rather, this glossy, glassy facility is primarily about enticing visitors with a profusion of cafes and restaurants, pools, a spa and, naturally, a large casino floor.
Before the pandemic, Aria was one of my preferred lodging choices in Las Vegas; hence, I checked in early this month to find any changes in the last several years. In this Aria Las Vegas review, we’ll be exploring what it’s like to stay there.
What Is the Aria Resort & Casino?
Moving to a stay at Aria after three nights at Caesars Palace just up the Strip was like feeling whiplash in Vegas resorts. This is not a critique of Caesars; rather, the resort mostly follows its Roman concept, which surely keeps the facility crowded with visitors.
Aria, however, makes a point of avoiding leaning into the several themes its rivals or sister properties embrace, such as the Bellagio (Italy’s Lake Como), Paris Las Vegas (France), Luxor (Egypt) or Excalibur (medieval times).
Rather, this MGM Resorts-affiliated property is the namesake of Aria Campus, a high-end hotel and casino complex including Aria Resort & Casino, Aria Sky Suites and Vdara Hotel & Spa. The Shops at Crystals, a luxury shopping centre with stores including Dior and Gucci, link to the hotel.
The Aria is set back farther than any of its siblings and rivals, even if it sits on the Las Vegas Strip. Nonetheless, the Aria Express Tram links guests from Aria and the Shops at Crystals to the Bellagio and Park MGM (both part of MGM Resorts along with Aria).
Aria did lean into any theme when it first launched in late 2009, and it was its high-tech features—something I observed throughout my visit among signs all around the property asking customers to text a digital concierge or use a tablet in their room to contact staff and make bookings. More on that later.
Related Article: To see how Aria compares with other family-friendly options in the city, check out our guide on family-friendly hotels in Las Vegas.
How To Book the Aria Resort & Casino
MGM Resorts and Hyatt have reciprocity, so there are several ways to reserve a stay at Aria and collect on-property elite amenities and reward points. As a World of Hyatt Explorist member, I booked my Friday and Saturday night stay straight through Hyatt for a Deluxe Strip View King guest room, which averaged $435.44 per night, including taxes and fees.
On the weekends, room rates are higher; the advantage is that, as an Explorer, I also receive MGM Resorts Gold status when I book directly.
With waived resort fees and an improved room upgrade—the check-in agent moved me up to the 33rd floor instead of a room on the 21st floor that was originally available—I saved $90 throughout the two-night stay. Also in the lobby for MGM Gold members and above is a separate check-in desk that helped me save some time upon arrival.
Luxury on the Strip
Years ago, when I visited Aria, my cab driver said, “glassy and classy” when she dropped me off at the resort. That term still holds true as the hotel’s curved glass towers are modern among the several architectural forms defining the Las Vegas skyline.
Aria wouldn’t fit the ultra-luxury atmosphere of the nearby Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas or the Wynn and Encore resorts farther north on the Strip. Aria still has a high, less-chaotic air than some of the other Las Vegas casinos, though.
Except for the food hall and outlets of on—the-go companies like Starbucks and Pressed Juicery, New York’s renowned Carbone restaurant and celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten have venues on the property and you will be hard-pressed to find a reasonably priced lunch here. Though it would make your wallet sad, the rates definitely contribute to a sense of exclusiveness around some areas of the resort.
Still, this is a Las Vegas resort; during the daylight, Aria’s expansive pool decks and casino floor are the scene of lots of noisy fun.
Spacious Room With a View
Since my last visit to Aria came before my time working as a hotel reviewer, I was excited to get back here. The room sizes really astounded me, and that still holds true today.
Thanks to the double vanity, my panoramic room had enough area for stowing luggage—two closets plus a dedicated, built-in shelf for storage—and a marble bathroom perfect for couples or friends visiting.
From my room, The Cosmopolitan, Planet Hollywood, MGM Grand, Vdara, the Waldorf Astoria, Park MGM Las Vegas, Tropicana, Mandalay Bay and Delano were all clearly seen from the panoramic view of the southern Las Vegas Strip.
I am also clearly an aviation enthusiast, thus I spent some time staring at the views of planes arriving and departing at adjacent Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) using my flight radar app on my phone.
Aria is in the highest level of resorts I have visited in Vegas based on its expansive design for a non-suite guest room and amazing views. Still, the room also clearly seemed to need a revamp.
The room had a cozy king-size bed with blackout shades under control by a wall-mounted switch. Curiously, they could be closed from a nightstand switch but only opened from one out-of-bedside reach in the guest room foyer.
One morning, breakfast options took several minutes to show up on the tablet, which was used for making restaurant bookings and accessing hotel information and was somewhat glitchy. More than Aria’s apparently excellent digital concierge system, Google was my friend during this stay.
One of the reading lamp lights wasn’t working, which I assumed would have been checked during turnover before I arrived. Many of the light switches also seemed to be as erratic as the tablet or lacked functionality entirely. The TV in the hotel room had device connectivity, but I stayed with reading from my phone or laptop.
Two big chairs, a workstation, and the hotel minibar comprised the setup. After looking at some of the minibar rates, I could have used a fainting couch, though. A package of cashews or almonds would almost cost $25. Want one liter of Fiji water? That comes out to be $24.75. I strongly advise grabbing drinks and snacks at the CVS close by on the Las Vegas Strip on the other side of the Waldorf Astoria.
Behind a glass door was a big soaking tub and shower (Aria uses KiNU goods). These designs usually seem a bit useless since, when you shower, you wind up wetting the tub for no apparent reason. Given my constant caution in trying not to slip while rinsing off, a grip mat on the shower floor would have also been great. There’s a separate water closet behind a frosted glass door.
One of my sink drains was clogged, but because the other sink ran flawlessly, I didn’t bother phoning maintenance during my stay; once more, something you would have expected to have been observed at turnover.
Another minor stand-alone issue that might cause general frustration at a hotel that stresses its tech capability in many advertisements across the resort is the somewhat erratic bathroom lights; you would have to press a button several times to get the light on in the shower.
In a few years, I believe the hotel will need an interior design make-over overall. The linens all seemed dull and in need of replacement, or at least an iron; the furnishings and dark wooden cupboards all felt like they were teetering on the junction of outmoded and wear-and-tear.
Although wear and tear is unavoidable at a frequently visited hotel in Las Vegas, a hotel like Aria should start considering this sooner rather than later before long-time visitors start seeking elsewhere for a stay.
Expensive Eats and Drinks
Mealtime at Aria can be tense, as the minibar would advise, especially if you’re attempting to eat on a budget.
My “affordable” dinner at Din Tai Fung, a well-known Taiwanese dumpling and noodle restaurant opening a Las Vegas location at Aria in 2020, came to $92.50 for a yuzu margarita, pork xiao long bao (soup dumplings), steamed shrimp and pig dumplings and spicy noodles.
Though I felt a touch rushed (I was in and out in less than forty minutes), the lunch that the extremely nice waiter recommended was great. Watching the cooks create the dumplings in the showcase kitchen next to the restaurant was entertaining, though.
I wanted to check how effectively the “Fine Dining Priority Reservations” benefited from MGM Gold status worked on a last-minute booking, so I deliberately didn’t reserve anywhere ahead of my arrival. It didn’t exactly pull miracles for me since I didn’t find any availability at Carbone or Salt & Ivy, a clearly popular breakfast place based on the Saturday brunch wait that challenged any TSA security line around the holidays.
If you’re looking for something heartier than Starbucks, I suggest simply sitting at the bar at Catch just off the lobby for a complete breakfast.
The arrival check-in agent suggested Jean Georges Steakhouse. I assumed at the time he was trying to take me to the most costly hotel location for dinner (The restaurant is among the few in the United States recognized to be serving authentic Kobe beef). Alas, it was available, so on a Saturday night, I went to supper solo.
Assuming I went the “bargain” option at the luxurious restaurant, I ordered a $23 wedge salad, a $74 8-ounce filet mignon, and a $21 side of crispy potatoes topped with chili yogurt and herbs. Though I was startled to see a gin martini here for “only” $20 when a glass of 2021 George Pinot Noir Ceremonial sold for $25, by no means was this cheap. Complementing the dinner were a scoop of ice cream ($8) and a double espresso ($7).
Was it worth it? There were some really great points: I loved the four sauces that came with the steak—habanero sauce, soy miso, barbecue, and bearnaise—and the staff was incredibly attentive without being suffocating.
Having said that, I ordered my steak medium and discovered it was teetering into the well-done zone—a cooking error I would guess a customer would not be too happy about paying $67 per ounce for the A5 Certified Kobe Beef on the menu.
Fast Casual Options That (Mostly) Won’t Break the Bank
Proper Eats Food Hall has taken over the buffet since my last trip to Aria. Laughing Buddha Ramen, Egghead, Lola’s Burgers, Proper Bar and even a speakeasy: Easy’s Cocktail Lounge combines fast-casual choices for all taste palettes.
To help reduce wait times, the hotel features signage everywhere, stressing how simple it is to order from a self-service kiosk or from your phone. But I observed during peak hours that these functions were turned off, so you still had to wait a long line at Egghead. Once more, with the technology problems!
One day at Lola’s, for $33.81, I picked a burger, chips and soft drink, including tax and tip. With no sit-down service and essentially quick food, that’s pretty hefty, and I knew Aria was getting to me when a voice inside my head said, “Well, that’s not bad, relative speaking, compared to everything else here.”
I ducked into an In-N-Out farther down the Strip before I flew home to make sure I wasn’t allowing the luxury costs to run to my head. There came to just $9.75 a burger, fries, and a soft drink.
For those in a little hurry in the morning, Aria’s second-floor Starbucks mobile ordering always functioned. A healthy alternative is also the Pressed Juicery across the hall; but a pricey one since a wellness shot of ginger and lemon juice plus an acai bowl amounted to $16.50.
Fitness and Poolside Fun
Though I didn’t schedule a treatment at the Aria Spa & Salon, I passed every day of my stay en route to the gym. Both areas are really contemporary and elegant, and outside the gym, there is a pleasant seating area with a fireplace.
The hotel fitness center, facing the pool area, is spacious and has all the cardio and weightlifting tools one needs for a range of workouts. To cool off after exercise, there’s even a rock-climbing wall and basins loaded with cold towels.
Every morning, shortly before the pool’s 9 a.m. opening hour, I emerged from the gym to find an incredibly long queue of people jockeying to secure the loungers outside. This discouraged me from visiting the pool daily until things cooled off in mid-afternoon. There are three pools in Aria; one is a private pool for visitors from Sky Suites only.
By visiting just the “regular” pools both afternoons, I felt like I was not missing anything. Although Sin City’s iconic pool parties are all the talk, Aria’s pool scene was a peaceful place to read a book, sip a small margarita ($21.82) and listen to early 2000s Gwen Stefani music belt out over the speakers.
Aria Las Vegas Review: Botton Line
Aria Resort & Casino arrived at the height of the Great Recession at possibly a misplaced time. Although late 2009 was probably not the ideal location for a luxury casino resort in Las Vegas, its elegant restaurants and lodging attracted high-end guests and found success and a following.
The resort is currently riding high on luxury, but indications point to a refresh needed sooner rather than later. Nobody, after all, wants to remain at the hotel depending on tales of the glory days. If MGM has foresight now, there will still be plenty of reasons to visit Aria for years to come.