By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Hotel Overview
This resort makes it easy to relax with ocean views from every room, multiple pools and hot tubs with stunning ocean views, a wide variety of fresh food and good drinks. Pros- Stylish Airport Transportation, Good Elite Recognition, Great Ocean Front Location, Ocean Views and Hot Tubs in every room, Champagne Welcome Amenity, In-Room Tablet, Wide Variety of Dining Options, Amazing Seafood, Good Alcoholic Drinks, Multiple Pools and Hot Tubs, Swim-Up Bar, Complimentary Room Service, Friendly Service, Hard-Working Staff Cons- Poor Concierge Service, Chaotic Airport Pickup, No Complimentary Water Sports, Awkward Check-Out Process Relaxing in Cancun Report Relaxing in Cancun Overview Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Washington Dulles Review Delta 737-800 IAD-CUN Flight Review Hyatt Zilara Cancun Review Location The Hyatt Zilara Cancun, which opened in 2013, is located in the Hotel Zone about a 20 minute drive from the Cancun International Airport and 15 minutes from downtown Cancun. Zilara is Hyatt's adult-only all-inclusive brand which in 2020 has 3 locations: 1) Cancun Mexico, 2) Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 3) Cap Cana, Dominican Republic all of which are owned and Managed by Playa Hotels and Resorts. I found the location to be good because it was directly on the beach but still close to the nightlife in downtown Cancun. 
Map of Hyatt Zilara Cancun Location
Airport Transportation
About one week before our arrival we reached out to the resort to schedule airport transportation to our hotel. We were quoted a cost of $90 one way or $150 roundtrip. Because we had a group of 5 guys this came out to a reasonable cost of $30 per person which we decided was a good deal. Upon exiting the arrivals area about Cancun International Airport (CUN) we were greeted by a chaotic scene. Surrounding us were at least a hundred different people aggressively trying to sell airport transportation services or pickup people with prearranged transportation. As we waded through this crowd of people and looked at all of the signs we did not see a sign with my name or the Hyatt Zilara sign. After about another 15 minutes we spotted the driver who apologized that he wasn't waiting for us upon arrival but explained that there were no parking spots available. We waited for about another 20 minutes until the final member of our group arrived and then we headed towards the hotel. Our transportation to the hotel was a luxurious black Lincoln Navigator with space for six passengers and a driver. When we entered the SUV our driver offered us a cold towel and cold water. We really appreciated this after standing in the hot sun for almost an hour. The luxurious ride was a nice start to our Hyatt Zilara experience, after a poor airport pickup experience at CUN. CUN really needs to improve the airport pickup experience and I would strongly recommend any larger groups staying at the Hyatt Zilara Cancun to arraign transportation ahead of time to avoid the chaos of the airport pickup. 
Hyatt Zilara Cancun Lincoln Navigator
Check-In
Hyatt Zilara Cancun Driveway
Upon arriving at the resort all our suitcases were taken and would be delivered to our rooms later.
Hyatt Zilara Entrance
As we entered the resort we were very impressed by the decor, which reminded me of a hacienda with an interior courtyard stain glass ceiling, and the atmosphere of the resort felt very cool. We headed to the standard check-in area and after recognizing that I was a Hyatt Discoverist, the lowest level tier of World of Hyatt elite status, we were ushered to a private check-in area for World of Hyatt elites.
Standard Check-In Area
All of the members of our group were shown to seats in this area and were offered champagne. I was again greeted as a Hyatt Discoverist and was told that I had been upgraded from an Junior Suite to an Junior Ocean View Suite. The other two Junior Suite Double Rooms we booked were also on upper floors with better ocean views. This was the first time I had stayed at a Hyatt as an elite and I was impressed by the Hyatt elite recognition. Overall, I was very impressed by the elite recognition and I felt we were treated like kings.
Junior Ocean View Suite Upon entering the suite I was again impressed that I was greeted with a welcome amenity of Champagne and macrons which I assumed was due to my Hyatt elite status. The champagne was good and the macrons were delicious. The continued elite recognition left me really impressed by Hyatt. 
Welcome Amenity
My Junior Ocean View Suite was a 653 square foot room with a king bed at the center facing the ocean. The bed was comfortable and had an impressive headboard with a mirror in the center.
Junior Suite King Bed
Near the sliding glass door was a table with two chairs, where my welcome amenity sat, and a flat screen television.
Junior Suite King Room
On both sides of the bed were side tables and on the right side was a desk with a wooden chair. At the foot of the bed was an ottoman which I really liked using to change my shoes.
In-Room Tablet
A really impressive feature of the resort was the tablet next to my bed which reminded me of the Aria. This tablet contained the schedule of the all of the resort's activities, information on all of the restaurants, and most impressive was the ability to order room service from the tablet. I really appreciate it when hotels embrace technology to improve the guest experience and I can say that Hyatt Zilara Cancun did just that.
Mini-Fridge
The room also had a dresser near the entrance which contained a mini-fridge and had a Nespresso machine on top. The mini-fridge came stocked with juice, beer, soda, and water. While I could order whatever I wanted at the restaurants or via room service I still appreciated having some beverages in the room in case I got thirsty.
In-Room Hot Tub
One very impressive feature of this resort is that all of the rooms contain an in-room hot tub. While I didn't get to use it one of my traveling companions who did use the hot tub said it was really nice.
Sink
The bathroom was split into two with one half having a sink, shelving, and a closet that contained a safe. Inside the closet was an iron, ironing board, and two robes.
Shower
The second half had a room with a walk-in shower, toilet, and phone. A cool feature of the shower was a window which allowed the person showering to have an ocean view. I really appreciated these great design touches.
"Magic Box"
Another impressive feature of the room was something the resort called the "magic box". It was located next to the entrance of the room and allows room service delivery and return with complete privacy. When room service was delivered a light turned on and you could retrieve the room service from the magic box. When we were done you simply returned the empty dishes to the magic box.
Balcony
I was really impressed that all 310 junior suites and suites at the Hyatt Zilara Cancun had at least a partial ocean view and a balcony. I loved the balcony in my room and it had a table and two chairs and I found the ocean view from my room to be spectacular. However, I didn't notice a significant difference in the view since all of the rooms face the ocean and my room and my traveling companions' rooms were on the same floor. The balcony also had a hammock which could be strung up. I didn't try it but my traveling companions said it was lovely.
Ocean View
The only part of my room I didn't like was the location. I loved the good view and being on a higher floor. However, I actually ended up finding the upgrade annoying because my suite was located at the other end of the resort far from my traveling companions. This meant more privacy but also long walks every time I needed to go back to my room. Overall, I was left very impressed by my Junior King Ocean View Suite. Having a private hot tub, a king bed, balcony, and ocean view made this a great room.
Dining One of the most important aspects of an all-inclusive resort is the dining and this is an area where the Hyatt Zilara shined. This was my first stay ever at an all inclusive and I was unsure what to expect especially when it came to food and drinks. The dining options at the resort left me very impressed. Hyatt Zilara Cancun had a wide array of dining and drinking options with six restaurants, one cafe, four bars, and 24-hours a day complimentary room service. During our two night stay we were able to try all of these dining options with the exceptions of La Adelita Cantina, which is only open for dinner, and Chef's Plate, which is the only dining option requiring a reservation and only accessible to guests stay in full suites. Pelicanos The first dining option we checked out was Pelicanos which is located next to the main pool and overlooks the ocean. Pelicanos offered stunning ocean views and a relaxed setting for a meal. Pelicanos is a Caribbean fusion restaurant with a heavy focus on fresh seafood. During our stay it was only open for breakfast and lunch. Since our stay its hours have expanded to include dinner. 
Pelicanos
Some of the highlights of my meals at Pelicanos were the grilled grouper, the shrimp cocktail, and the chocolate platanos (plantains). The grouper was one of the best I have ever had which is a strong statement coming from someone who grew up in the Caribbean.
Grouper
Pelicanos was our most visited dining option during our stay because of the good drinks, stunning views, and fresh seafood.
Shrimp Cocktail
Marie Marie
For dinner on the first night we went to Marie Marie. This is a gourmet Mexican restaurant which is only open for dinner. The restaurant shares a building with Cantina La Adelita and is located in a more secluded area of the resort near the outdoor hot tubs. 
Marie Marie Entrance
The restaurant had a very romantic atmosphere with dark mood lighting, a fountain, and candlesticks in the shape of a heart.
Marie Marie Decorations
I found the beef tacos at Marie Marie to be okay and I thought the ones I had in Mexico City were much better. However, the pork ribs I ordered fell off of the bone and were amazing while the flan was small but sweet and tasty.
Pork Ribs
The service at Marie Marie was outstanding. The servers checked on our table often and brought out additional appetizers and drinks that we didn't even order. Overall, I found Marie Marie to have a great atmosphere particularly suited for couples but my traveling companions and I still enjoyed the ambience, delicious food, and good service.
Marie Marie Dining Room
Spice
On our second morning at the resort we had breakfast at Spice the resort's buffet which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I didn't find the breakfast buffet at Spice to be impressive. 
Spice Brunch
While the buffet had many options including some Mexican dishes such as tacos, frijoles, quesadillas, and Conchas most of the food was American cuisine. This included pancakes, toast, and eggs. I found the American food I tried including pancakes and an omelet to bland. The most impressive part of the buffet was the fresh fruit and fruit juice station which included mango, guava, and orange juice.
Spice Breakfast
Asiana
During the second night of our stay we had dinner at Asiana the resort's Asian restaurant focused on gourmet contemporary Asian Cuisine. The restaurant is located in a more secluded area on the side of the resort not facing the ocean near Marie Marie. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and has two levels. 
Asiana Entrance
The top level, where we ate, served a full menu including sushi while the bottom level had a hibachi grill with a cooking show but required a reservation. We were not told about the cooking show at check-in so did not make a reservation but still enjoyed our dinner at Asiana. I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai and Korean Beef. The Chicken Pad Thai was okay but the Korean Beef was delicious. I loved the sauce the Korean Beff was soaked in. Asiana also had a menu offering Asian drinks including Sake. My traveling companions and I really enjoyed the Sake. The service at this restaurant was fast but indifferent. I liked Asiana but would probably opt for the lower level hibachi cooking experience if I returned to the Hyatt Zilara Cancun.
Asiana
Room Service
We ordered room service multiple times during our stay at the resort. I found room service to be a great feature because it was complimentary and convenient. Room service was very easy to order through the tablets in each room. I loved the use of technology to streamline and simplify the process. 
In-Room Room Service Odering
The only downsides to the room service were it did not allow the ordering of alcohol and it was slow. The first time we ordered it took 40 minutes. The highlight of my room service orders was the breakfast I ordered on our final morning in Cancun. It was very relaxing to order room service while I sat looking out over the ocean. The salmon omelet with fresh guava juice was very good and capped off my great dining experience at the resort.
Room Service Breakfast
Casa del Cafe
The resort also had a cafe called Casa del Cafe which had coffee, hot chocolate, and numerous deserts including a large variety of ice cream. It is located just off of the lobby and is open from 7am-10 pm. 
Case del Cafe Sign
I loved having access to ice cream and hot chocolate for most of the day. Also, like most of the resort it offered stunning ocean views and we sometimes sat on the couches drinking our warm drinks or eating ice cream and staring at the ocean.
Ice Cream
Trades Winds Swim Up Bar and Tequliria Beach Lounge
One my favorite features of the resort is the swim up bar Trade Winds located in the same building as Pelicanos in the infinity pool. The staff here was friendly and the drinks were very good. I especially loved the mango margaritas. I really appreciated that the resort did not water down the drinks which was something I feared staying at an all-inclusive. 
Trade Winds Swim Up Bar
The resort also has a beach bar called Tequliria Beach Lounge. I checked out the bar once and didn't find the tequila collection or drinks to be any better than what was served at other bars around the resort. I would only recommend visiting this bar if the other bars are busy or if you are already at the beach.
Time Out Time Out is the resort's 24 hour lounge. The lounge serves drinks and appetizers from 11 am-11 pm. It featured numerous televisions showing sports most of the day. It also had games such as pool, table tennis, checkers, and poker. During our visit it was under renovation so the bathrooms and the courtyard were closed. Timeout was never full when we went inside and we did not spend a lot of time here but it is a good option if you want to watch a particular game, play a game, or want some down time. 
Time Out Sign
Lobby Bar
The Lobby Bar was located just off the lobby behind Pelicanos. The bar was a fun place to hang out especially in the evenings when it filled up with other guests. In this space there were televisions with sports on and the area also hosted a lot of the nightly entertainment. 
Lobby Bar
Activities
The activities at the Hyatt Zilara make it clear that this a place to relax. If you are a person who wants to be very active during your vacation this is not the spot for you. The resort has multiple pools, a beautiful beach multiple hot tubs, and numerous daily activities. Two of the activities we did not check out were the Sky Gym and the Zen Spa. The gym looked nice from the outside and the spa offered massages with a view of the beach. 
Sky Gym
Beach
The beach at the Hyatt Zilara Cancun is beautiful but the ocean is very rough and not pleasant to swim in. The beach does have cabanas which are complimentary and do not need to be reserved. We went swimming in the ocean one time during our stay. What was also really disappointing was that the resort did not offer any complimentary water sports such as kayaking. I assumed this was because of safety concerns due to the very choppy water near the beach.
Hyatt Zilara Cancun Beach
Pools and Hot Tubs
Where we spent the majority of our time during the day was in the pool and in the hot tubs. The resort has two outdoor pools and multiple hot tubs. The first pool is a lap pool located next to Pelicanos and the second pool is an infinity pool also located next to the Pelicanos. On our first day the resort lap pool had a foam party which looked like a ton of fun and the pools were definitely the center of activity during the day. Both of the pools featured cabanas which were also complimentary and did not require reservations. Staff constantly passed by the cabanas to see if guests wanted anything to drink. I really liked that these cabanas came at no additional cost since so many resorts use this an opportunity for an upcharge. 
Infinity Pool
There were multiple hot tubs but we liked the ones that were more private located on the side of the resort not facing the ocean. These hot tubs were fun because for the vast majority of the time we were the only guests using them.
Glow Party and Michael Jackson Show
The resort had nightly entertainment and during our stay the two shows were a glow party and a Michael Jackson show. The glow party was held on the first night of our stay in one of the resort's ballroom. The resort did a good job turning the ballroom into a fun glow in the dark party. 
Glow Party
The party had many interesting decorations and characters. It seemed the staff were going for a trance dance party look. Overall, we really had fun at this party and I think the staff did a good job making sure the scenery was fun and the drinks were easily accessible.
Glow Party
The Michael Jackson show was held in the lobby during our second night. I thought the dancers in the show were very good but found the show itself to be short. I also thought it was distracting that the resort left the televisions on during the show. After the show ended the lobby bar had live music and became a hub of activity.
Michael Jackson Show
Service
The service at the Hyatt Zilara Cancun was great. The staff in the restaurants and at the bars seemed to go out of there way to make sure that guests had fun. For example, on our first day at the resort the champagne welcome amenity in my friend's room was already hot so he called down to ask for another bottle and the staff were happy to accommodate his request and sent up a cold bottle of champagne. Also, during our dinner at Marie Marie the waiter sent over appetizers that we hadn't ordered for us to sample and made sure that the drinks kept flowing every time we were empty. The staff at the pool were also great. It seemed that they were everywhere and any time a member of our party needed another drink they were ready to serve us. What I found most surprising about the service is that all of resort fees and gratuity are already included in the rate so staff were unlikely to get additional tips but were very quick and hard working. The biggest service downfall at this resort was the concierge service. About a week before our stay I reached out to the resort asking about their airport transportation options and any recommendations on nightlife in Cancun and I never heard a response. So about two days later I ended up having to call the resort to arrange the transportation. When we checked in at the resort I asked the staff member about nightlife options in Cancun and was given the generic answer of Coco Bongo but no other options. The resort really needs to step up their concierge services including responding to guest in a timely manner and providing additional information about activities outside of the resort. One additional item to note is the awkward check-out process at the resort. While many resorts allow you to leave the resort without formally checking out, this resort required a slip of paper saying you had checked out before you could leave the property. Take Away The Hyatt Zilara Cancun has a great location, impressive design elements, and all of the rooms have amazing ocean views which makes it easy to enjoy yourself in Cancun. The resort also features a wide array of fresh and delicious food and good drinks in addition to multiple pools with stunning ocean views and relaxing hot tubs. The staff is friendly, hardworking, and constantly makes sure guests are enjoying themselves. All of this added up to make the Hyatt Zilara Cancun one of the best resorts I have stayed at and I would strongly recommend staying here if you are looking for a relaxing resort vacation with beautiful ocean views.
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By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further while traveling in comfort. Dining and Activities Overview "The dining destination" impressed with a wide array of high-quality food choices while the activities were expensive and the service was mixed Pros-Array of Dining Choices, Tasty and Creative Food, Fun Entertainment Options, Multiple Pools Cons- Expensive Entertainment, Lukewarm pools, mixed, pretentious day club, and mixed service Las Vegas Strip Trip Report Las Vegas Strip Trip Overview Aria Resort and Casino Deluxe Queen Room Review Aria Resort and Casino Dining and Activities Review Exploring the Las Vegas Strip American Airlines Boeing 737-800 LAS-DCA Review  Dining Aria's tagline is "The Dining Destination" and with an impressive array of about 15 dining choices the hotel delivered. We were intent on using every dollar of our $100 per room dining credit and $30 per person per day breakfast credit so were able to check out four of the dining location together. We got off to a quick start by checking out The Patisserie, located on the lobby level off of the casino, which is the Aria's French bakery.  The Patisserie The bakery is open 24 hours a day and featured coffee and all of the sweets you could desire including sweet and savory crepes, chocolate strawberries, gelato, and macaroons. I ordered the bananas foster and was so happy with my choice. The dish was sweet and lovely. The Patisserie is definitely worth a trip for breakfast, lunch, or a snack.  The Patisserie For breakfast we checked out the Aria Cafe where we could use our $30 per person breakfast credit. Aria Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch and is located on the lobby level off of the casino. I generally liked the atmosphere of the Cafe as it had a large water feature and large window letting in natural light. One interesting thing about the cafe's location is that it has a view of valet parking area in front of the hotel lobby and felt very Las Vegas with a bunch of luxury cars parked out front.  View from Aria Cafe We ate at the Aria Cafe for breakfast three times during our stay and each time I was impressed by the wide array of high-quality food options and the creativity of the dishes. Throughout my stay I never got bored with the selections and found the prices to be reasonable for Las Vegas allowing us to stretch our breakfast credits. One thing to note is that the credit did not include tax and tip.  Aria Cafe Breakfast Menu My favorite breakfast item on the menu was the red velvet pancakes. This dish featured chocolate chips melted onto red velvet pancakes and was simply amazing! I also ordered freshly squeezed orange juice with breakfast on my first morning at the Aria Cafe and was so impressed that had had it for all three breakfasts.  Aria Cafe Breakfast This was my third trip to Las Vegas and the first time I had the opportunity to check out a Las Vegas buffet. The Aria's buffet is simply called The Buffett at Aria. The Buffet is open for breakfast, brunch, and dinner and located on the second level of the Aria. We went to The Buffet for dinner once during our stay.  The Buffet Entrance Overall, I thought The Buffet's food quality was okay, however, what it lacked in food quality compensated with selection. The buffet featured numerous stations including a Fish Market, Pizza, Carvery, Asian, and Latin. The item I liked the most were the fresh cuts of meats but I would probably skip doing a buffet next time I am in Las Vegas.  The Buffet at Aria The final dining location we tried together was the Burger Lounge. This is Aria's casual take away grass fed burger place located on the lobby level right off of the casino floor. One cool feature of this restaurant is that it lets customers watch the chef's preparing the food.  The Burger Lounge I ordered the special which came with a burger, fries, and a drink. I thought the burger was okay while I loved the fries and the shake. I found the Burger Lounge to best choice for an affordable dinner at the Aria. Activities Like many of the Las Vegas resorts Aria's main activity is gambling in the casino. However, when I go on vacation gambling is never my main focus so I will discuss all of the non-gambling activities we experienced at the Aria. The Aria only has a handful of non-casino activities including a Game Room, Jewel Nightclub, multiple pools, and the Liquid Day Club. We never made it to the Jewel Nightclub and checked out the pricing at the Game Room but found it overpriced so I will focus on the Aria's pools and the Liquid Day Club. Aria has a large number of pools including two main pools for all guests and the Sky Pool exclusively reserved for guests of the Sky Suites. The pools were shallow and meant more for relaxing than swimming. The pools are surrounded by a large number of loungers and cabanas. The loungers are free and the cabanas have an additional cost and must be reserved. The Aria also had hot tubs which were completely unnecessary on these 100 degrees plus summer days in Las Vegas. My biggest compliant about the pool was how hot it was. The pool deck was so hot that walking barefoot on the deck could burn your feet. The pool water provided no relief because it was lukewarm. I really wished that they would cool the pool temperature on the hot summer days.  Aria Sky Pool The Aria also features a day club call Liquid Pool Lounge which also features a pool. This day club normally has a cover, however, because we were hotel guests we had complimentary general admission. The day club is located next to the Sky Pool and features a large pool, a live DJ, cabanas and a bar. When we went to the pool mid-day we were the only guests in the pool. It was fun to have a private pool and DJ for thirty minutes. The DJ spinning beats was very good and we enjoyed hanging out in the pool listening to her beats.  Liquid Pool Lounge The biggest downside to Liquid Pool Lounge was the pretentious atmosphere and high cost of using the cabanas. From the minute we walked in it was clear that the staff was only interested in serving guests with cabanas and were worried about us messing up the look of the club. On several occasions the staff came by and asked if they could clean up our clothing or fold out towels to keep up the look of the club. As time went by the day club's cabanas filled up with big spenders who ordered rounds of bottles and were treated well by the staff.  Liquid Pool Lounge Service
Service during our stay at the Aria was a mixed bag. For example, we called the concierge during our stay to find out about the location of various activities and the cost for entry into the day and night clubs for hotel guests. The concierge was friendly and efficiently answered our questions, however, there was a long wait to answer our call. At check-in the staff seemed fairly robotic and did not impress. At the restaurants we found some staff to be very friendly while others were okay. The treatment we received at Liquid Day club though was symbolic of staff at the Aria. No one was rude to us but it was clear that they cared most about serving those who they thought were big spenders. Summary Overall I was impressed with the Aria's hotel rooms and dining but not impressed by its activities. The quality and wide variety of the Aria's dining was impressive and set it apart from other hotel's on the Las Vegas Strip. If I find myself in Las Vegas again and was able to find a deal through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection I would certainly consider staying at the Aria Resort and Casino again. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further while traveling in comfort. Hotel Room Overview The central location, Invited Guest Check-In, and comforts of the Deluxe Queen Room made for a great stay at the Aria Pros-Central Location, Invited Guest Check-In, Large Base Room, Large Bathroom with a Shower Tub Combo, Technology Integration Cons- Poor View, Awkward Room Layout Las Vegas Strip Trip Report Las Vegas Strip Trip Overview Aria Resort and Casino Deluxe Queen Room Review Aria Resort and Casino Dining and Activities Review Exploring the Las Vegas Strip American Airlines Boeing 737-800 LAS-DCA Review Location The Aria is a AAA Five Diamond resort centrally located on the Las Vegas Strip across from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas resort. The resort is a part of MGM Resorts and was developed as a part of the City Center development which includes luxury shopping and dining. The resort opened in 2009 and is one of the newest resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. We ended up really appreciating the resort's central location since it allowed us to easily walk the strip and check out other hotels and resorts in Las Vegas and attractions such as the Bellagio Fountains.  Map of Aria Resort Location Invited Guest Check-In I took a Lyft for the approximately 10-minute drive from the Las Vegas McCarran Airport and enjoyed seeing the other resorts on the strip including the Bellagio, MGM Grand, and the Cosmopolitan where I stayed during my last trip to Las Vegas.
I arrived at the resort around 11:00 am and the check-in line was about 50 people deep despite a resort check-in time of 3 pm. This was definitely the longest hotel check-in line I had ever seen and I was thankful that one of the benefits I received booking through The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection was Invited Guest Check-In.  Aria Check-In Line The Invited Guest line is an elite check-in line normally reserved for elite members in MGM's M life rewards program. However, because of my booking I was able to skip the normal line and use the elite check-in line which I estimated saved me at least an hour checking in. The Invited Guest line had no wait and an agent greeted me and asked for my MLife Rewards number and I told her I have the benefit of the check in through my reservation. She found my reservation and handed me a paper confirming all of the benefits available through the program and apologized that no room upgrades were available. However, because of the program I was able to receive early check-in to my room. Finally, I added both my M life rewards and World of Hyatt rewards number to the reservation to make sure I could earn World of Hyatt points. One thing to keep in mind is that when booking through The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection there is no way to add an your membership number for World of Hyatt and you must add it along with your M life rewards number at check-in. Once the check-in process was completed we headed towards our rooms. Deluxe Queen Room The process for getting to our room after check-in was not clear since the entire first floor of the resort is really focused on getting people to and from the casino. As a first-time guest at this resort I think the hotel should improve the signage directing guests to the rooms. Once we found out where the elevators to the rooms were located there was a security guard stationed next to the elevators who ensured each time that a member of our group had an Aria room key card. Our Deluxe Queen room (6252) was located on the sixth floor and had an unimpressive view of the ceiling of the lobby and the Vdara resort pool. I hoped we would at least receive a room with a better view at check-in so I was disappointed with this unimpressive view. While we did not have a view I really liked the floor to ceiling windows and I thought the room was quite impressive for a base level room. The room had black out curtains which were great for sleeping and sheer curtains which were great for blocking out the strong Las Vegas sun. As a heads up because of the curvature of the hotel we could see into some of our neighbors' rooms and they could see into our so bear that in mind if you have all of the blinds open.  View from Deluxe Queen Room The 560 square foot Deluxe Queen room was significantly larger than two previous base rooms I had in Las Vegas. The room had two queen beds with comfortable Sealy mattresses and six pillows each. I loved that the hotel included so many pillows! At the back of the queen beds were padded headboards flanked by two lamps. In between each bed was a side table with an additional lamp and plugs. In front of the beds was a desk which I found to be very awkwardly placed since if anyone was sitting at the desk the television was blocked. Next to the desk was a mini-fridge and on top of the mini-fridge were absurdly priced snacks and water. One egregious example was the Fiji water which cost $18 per bottle. My advice, stay away from the mini-bar and snacks in the room.  Deluxe Queen Beds Where I really noticed the additional space in this room was in the bathroom. The bathroom had a number of features which are not common in a base hotel room including a double vanity and a large and luxurious shower/tub combo which a glass door. I really liked the materials the Aria used on the sinks, the shower, and the tub. These materials made the bathroom seem high-end. The hotel also did a great job of keeping the entire room in great condition and I did not notice scratches or blemishes anywhere in the room. One awkward feature of the bathroom was a telephone located next to the toilet. I never understand why hotels put phones next to the toilet. The Aria offered shampoo, conditioner, and body wash from Kinu Haircare which is an Australian company I had never heard of before this trip. The biggest issue I had with the bathroom was the size of the tub since it was so small I could barely fit in it.  Queen Deluxe Bathroom What impressed me the most was the technology in the room. For example, whenever we walked into the room the binds automatically opened. The room also had lightning fast free Wi-Fi which was easy to access. Also, the lights, blinds, and room temperature could all be controlled from either the television or from a tablet located on the side table between the two double beds. The tablet also contained information about the resort including hours of the restaurants along with information about entertainment and retail. The tablet also offered pre-ordering at some of the resort's dining including Starbucks and the ability to order room service. As part of the technology in the room a guest could attach devices to play through the room's entertainment system via numerous connections including USB, HDMI, VGA, AV, and S Video. I really appreciated the way Aria integrated technology into the room. The only complaint I had on the technology front was the lack of sufficient bedside plugs which is a complaint I have at a lot of hotels but something I wouldn't have expected at a modern hotel like Aria.  In-Room Tablet Take Away
The check-in experience using the Invited Guest Check-in was a breeze and further demonstrated the value of The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection for stays in Las Vegas. The Deluxe Queen room at the Aria Resort and Casino felt luxurious despite being the lowest category room at the resort. The view from the room was unimpressive but the resort made up for this by offering 560 square feet of space, comfortable beds, a large bathroom, and a room outfitted in the latest technology. I really liked the Aria's Queen Deluxe room and would consider staying in this room type at the resort if I was heading to Las Vegas for a group trip with multiple travelling companions. |
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