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.
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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. 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. 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.
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 
Las Vegas Strip
Introduction
During the summer of last year, I headed without Christina, to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. This was as my third time in the city, my first trip to Las Vegas during the summer, and my best trip to Las Vegas yet. However, I left the city having had a fun time but with the feeling that I don't want to go back to Vegas for a while. This feeling was driven by the several factors including the fact that this was my second year in a row going to Las Vegas, the dire summer heat, the high prices of going out in Las Vegas. In my last post I talked about the benefits and the process for booking hotels through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. In this trip report I will show you how we were able to save a significant amount of money booking the Aria through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. I plan to focus this trip report on my review of the hotel and my overall impressions of Las Vegas, and the experience flying out Las Vegas McCaran (LAS) airport. Booking Hotel In my last tips post I talked about the benefits and the process for booking hotels through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. In this trip report I will show you how we were able to save a significant amount of money booking the Aria through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. Having been to Las Vegas two previous times I knew the importance of staying on the strip because of savings in both time and money. Las Vegas blocks are large and staying as close to the center of the strip as possible was particularly important in the summer heat.
On my previous trips to the city I stayed at Bally's, which was cheap but unimpressive, and at the Cosmopolitan, where we got a great group rate and I was impressed. However, on this trip I was looking forward to putting the benefits of the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection to use. I searched for hotel's located center strip with good benefits through the program. I ended up going with the Aria which was a fantastic decision. We ended up paying $549 per person over the course of our three night stay. While this price was on the higher end for Las Vegas hotels we were dead center on the strip, staying a luxury resort with lots of amenities, and were able to save money by booking rooms with two beds and using the Luxury Hotel and Resort collection benefits. Booking through the program offered an array of the benefits including free breakfast for two daily (maximum $30 per person), and $100 food and beverage credit per stay. I found all of these to be very valuable and the benefits ended up savings us about $140 per person on dining over the course of our stay. In my upcoming posts I will walk through how to maximize each of these benefits. At check-in I also added my World of Hyatt number hoping to earn Hyatt points through the MLife and World of Hyatt partnership. In the end the stayed booked through Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection was eligible for World of Hyatt points and I earned 9,631 base points on my eligible spending for both rooms and 963 bonus points due to my Hyatt Discoverist status.
Booking Flights
Heading to Las Vegas on a summer weekend from Washington D.C. can be quite expensive and since I had been burned the year before waiting for a price decrease that never came I booked about three months out this time around when I found a reasonable price. There are non-stop flights to LAS from Baltimore Washington International on Spirit and Southwest, Washington Dulles on United, and Ronald Regan Washington National (DCA) on American Airlines. Since DCA is my home airport and I had elite status with American Airlines I decided to go with the non-stop flight on American Airlines for $560 roundtrip. While this was a lot for a domestic economy ticket it actually was a good deal on this route since it was about $150 cheaper than my ticket the year earlier to Las Vegas, which included stops. Moreover, during the summer non-stop tickets with American Airlines on this route can be over $700 even when purchased months in advance. I ended up earning 2,475 AAdvantage base miles plus 990 bonus miles due to my American Airlines Gold elite status. 
DCA-LAS-DCA (Flight Routing Map generated using the Great Circle Mapper-copyright Karl) L. Swartz
Summary
In this trip report I plan to utilized the tips I shared in my post on the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection in order to demonstrate how you can get value from the program. I also plan to share my thoughts on Las Vegas as a destination, share the activities I participated in while in Las Vegas, and my thoughts on flying non-stop out of LAS to DCA. I hope will you enjoy coming along with me on my adventure to Las Vegas. |
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