A massive new complex has a centrepiece that brings the glamour back to Las Vegas, writes Rob McFarland.
IT'S 11pm and I've just walked into the foyer of Aria, the 4004-room hotel centrepiece of the new CityCenter development in Las Vegas. Given there are several hundred people milling around, interspersed with a dozen security guards, I automatically presume there's been a bomb scare or a fire alarm. When I question a nearby staff member, he just smiles wryly and says, "No sir, they're all waiting to get into the club."
Since opening in December, Aria's Haze nightclub has been the hottest spot in town. A warehouse of a venue, it has two levels of exclusive bottle-service-only booths where celebrities regularly blow thousands of dollars on a night out.
Great heights... the Aria Hotel's curving exterior.
If clubbing isn't your scene, Aria has 17 restaurants (yes, 17), eight bars, a new Elvis-themed Cirque du Soleil show called Viva Elvis, a beautifully appointed spa and, of course, a casino.
Which is all very impressive but, essentially, it's still the same tried-and-tested formula used by most of the city's leading hotels.
Look closer, however, and there are many innovative touches. Normally, hotels in Vegas force you to walk through the casino to get anywhere; Aria Resort and Casino has a separate, raised promenade level that allows you to access many of its facilities without having to battle your way past the blackjack tables. The hotel has an unusually large amount of natural light and its design is positively conservative by Vegas standards. From the outside, Aria resembles a curved, shimmering shard of glass; inside, the rooms are stylish havens of beige and chocolate. A high-tech room management system allows you to control everything from a panel by the bed - the bed itself is the most comfortable I've ever slept in. You don't so much lie on it; it devours you.
Venture outside and next door is Crystals, a high-end shopping centre with pretty much every luxury brand you can think of: Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Bulgari, Versace and Porsche are here. The Roberto Cavalli store has its own catwalk and Tiffany & Co disciples will faint when they see the brand's 1000-square-metre, two-level flagship store.
But that's just the beginning. Opposite is Vegas's first Mandarin Oriental hotel, behind is the non-gaming, 1495-room, all-suite Vdara hotel, next door is boutique hotel The Harmon and slap-bang in the middle of the complex are two 350-suite leaning residential towers called Veer. Welcome to CityCenter - the largest privately funded real estate development in US history.
When CityCenter's owner, MGM Mirage, announced in 2004 that it would redevelop 27 hectares of prime real-estate in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip, the company was understandably bullish. Back then, the city was the fastest-growing metropolis in the country, visitors were flocking to see shows they couldn't see anywhere else and hotel occupancy rates were at 95 per cent. What could go wrong?
How about a global financial crisis? The GFC hit Vegas hard. People stopped visiting, occupancy rates plummeted and those who did visit kept their hands in their pockets.
In March 2009, CityCenter came within hours of going bankrupt. A law firm was hired to prepare a possible bankruptcy filing and only hasty, last-minute negotiations saved the complex from becoming the largest privately funded real estate failure in US history.
Despite these problems, CityCenter opened on schedule. Only one development has been delayed, the Harmon; the rest are open for business. This is no mean feat, particularly when the strip is littered with failed developments, such as the empty shell of the 3815-room Fontainebleau resort, which went bankrupt in June 2009.
MGM Mirage made grand claims for CityCenter when the complex was first announced and in most respects it has been true to its word. Perhaps most impressive are the green credentials. CityCenter is one of the largest developments in the US to have been awarded Gold certification by the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. During construction, 230,000 tonnes of waste was recycled or reused, including 90 per cent of the imploded Boardwalk Hotel that had previously been on the site. Inside CityCenter, you'll find designer low-flow bathroom fittings and specially coated heat-reflecting windows; outside, there's extensive use of locally quarried stone and a fleet of natural gas-powered limos.
Last year, Las Vegas had only four centimetres of rain, so water consumption is a huge issue. CityCenter has installed a conservation system that is expected to save 190 million litres of water a year.
MGM Mirage also spent $US40 million on contemporary art; some pieces are truly stunning. Hanging above Aria's reception is a dazzling sculpture of the Colorado River made from 1600 kilograms of reclaimed silver. Outside Vdara, there's a 22-metre-long explosion of canoes, kayaks and rowboats, by Nancy Rubins. Tucked in a small square next to Crystals is a Henry Moore sculpture. It's refreshing to see art on this scale in public, not hidden in boardrooms.
MGM Mirage's vision for CityCenter is a "city within a city". In that respect, it has succeeded. During my four-night stay, I barely scratched the surface of all there is to see and do. More importantly, a benchmark for hotel design has been set. It'll be interesting to see how the industry responds.
The writer was a guest of Hawaiian Airlines and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Trip notes
Where
Aria Resort and Casino, CityCenter, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd, South Las Vegas, Nevada.
How much
Deluxe rooms at Aria are priced from $US149 ($170) a night. +1 866 359 7111, citycenter.com.
Top marks
The high-tech "welcome" when you first enter the room. The lights come on, the curtains draw back and background music starts to play.
Black mark
A 10-minute wait to check-in.
Don't miss
Watching the sunset over the mountains from the outdoor raised pool in Aria's spa.
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