| Aria Resort & Casino | |
|---|---|
| Aria Resort & Casino as seen from front entrance | |
| Address | 3730 Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, Nevada 89158 United States |
| Opening date | December 16, 2009 |
| No. of rooms | 4,004[1] |
| Total gaming space | 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) |
| Permanent shows | Viva Elvis |
| Notable restaurants | American Fish by Michael Mina Sage Julian Serrano Bar Masa Jean Georges Shaboo Sirio |
| Owner | MGM Resorts International and Infinity World Development[2] |
| Architect | Pelli Clarke Pelli[1] |
| Website | arialasvegas.com |
Aria Resort & Casino is a luxury resort and casino located within the CityCenter complex on the Las Vegas Strip. Aria consists of two curved glass and steel highrise towers adjoined at the center. It opened on December 16, 2009 as a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Infinity World Development. At 4,000,000 sq ft (370,000 m2) and 600 ft (180 m) in height, it is the largest and tallest structure at CityCenter.
The resort's 61 and 51-story towers contain a AAA five diamond[3] hotel with 4,004 guest rooms and suites, 16 restaurants, 10 bars and nightclubs, and a casino with 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) of gaming space. It also has a 215,000 sq ft (20,000 m2) pool area with 50 cabanas, an 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) salon and spa, a 300,000 sq ft (28,000 m2) convention center and a 1,800-seat theater which currently hosts Viva Elvis by Cirque du Soleil.
Among the most notable aspects of Aria is its incorporation of technology in the exterior and interior design of the hotel,[4] specifically for the reduction of energy consumption. It is the largest hotel in the world to have earned LEED Gold certification.[5] On account of its smart rooms which automatically adjust curtains, turn off unused lights and electronics, and regulate the temperature when a guest enters or leaves a room, Aria was described in Popular Mechanics as possibly "the most technologically advanced hotel ever built".[6]
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Aria was conceived by MGM Mirage (now MGM Resorts International)[7] as part of the broader CityCenter development project, which was announced on November 10, 2004. The Architectural design of Aria was conducted by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, and construction began in early 2006 on a plot of land located between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo. This site was previously occupied by the former Boardwalk Hotel and Casino, retail stores and a large parking lot - all of which were excavated beginning in April 2006. Following excavation, Aria's foundation was poured in June 2006. Vertical progression commenced in September 2007, at which point construction workers built upwards at a rate of one floor every seven days until reaching the final height of 61 floors.[8]
Amid ongoing construction in 2007, Infinity World Development, a subsidiary of Dubai World,[9] invested about $2.7 billion to acquire a 50-percent stake in the CityCenter project. From this point on, Aria was jointly owned by MGM Resorts International and Infinity World Development; though the structure of the joint venture maintained that MGM Resorts International would be solely in charge of Aria's operations and management. The economic downturn and its ripple effects - including litigation - threatened to halt construction of Aria at one point in early 2009;[10] however an additional funding arrangement was made allowing construction to continue on schedule.[11] The resort opened on December 16, 2009, in the same month as several other CityCenter properties such as The Crystals, an attached retail shopping complex.[12][13]
The completed structure comprises two curvilinear glass towers, measuring 61 stories tall.[14] At the base of the connected high-rise towers is a casino and a three-story lobby that incorporates natural materials including foliage, flowers, glass, wood, and stone.[15] Aria's design is described as not adhering to an overarching theme, in contrast to themed resorts prevalent on the Las Vegas Strip.[16][17] It was named Aria due to its placement as the central feature of CityCenter, as arias are focal points in operas.[18]
Artwork is incorporated throughout the lobby and interior of the building. The main entrance contains a lighted water feature called "Lumia" which syncs water bursts to music.[19] Maya Lin, designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., created an 87 ft (27 m) reclaimed silver sculpture of the Colorado River called Silver River which is suspended behind Aria's hotel registration desk.[8] A result of its design, Aria is the largest hotel in the world to have received LEED Gold certification.[5]
Aria contains 4,004 hotel rooms within its 4,000,000 sq ft (370,000 m2).[20] The suites make up 568 of the rooms, and a portion are referred to as Sky Suites. Sky Suites are categorized separately since they are accessed via a private entrance and elevator, and include transportation between the hotel and airport in limousines fueled by compressed natural gas.[21] At the time of its opening in 2009, Aria was the 9th-largest hotel in the world as measured by the total number of rooms.[22]
All rooms have a touch-screen automation system which automatically adjusts curtains, turns off unused lights and electronics, and regulates the temperature when a guest enters or leaves the room. Room dimensions begin at 520 sq ft (48 m2). The standard suites range in size from 1,050 to 2,060 sq ft (98 to 191 m2).[6][20][23] The two top floors of the hotel consist of a separately designated room category entitled Sky Villas, which range from 2,000 to 7,000 sq ft (190 to 650 m2) in size.[24]
The only casino within the CityCenter complex is located at Aria. Its 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) of gaming space includes slots, poker, table games, and a race and sports book.[20] The gaming machines are controlled and monitored by a 3,000 sq ft (280 m2) data center and are changed to play the most popular games based on real-time data collected about the performance of each machine.[6] Exterior windows are present along the edges of the casino floor and skylights are part of the ceiling in the high-limit gaming area, differing from traditional casino design which historically omits natural light.[20][25] Lemongrass, the first Thai restaurant to be opened on the Las Vegas Strip, is one of multiple restaurants located within the casino area.[26]
A three-story 300,000 convention center includes four ballrooms (three with fully functioning theatrical stages), 38 meeting rooms and a three-story 400 ft (120 m) long window overlooking the pool. As of 2009, the window was the largest glass-curtain wall of its type ever constructed in a public building. An additional 900,000 sq ft (84,000 m2) is allocated for back-of-house areas, offices, and a subterranean parking garage.[27]
Located at the base of the Aria Casino is the 17,000 square-meter Pool Deck containing one large pool surrounded by tropical landscaping and multiple smaller pools. The general Pool Deck has a security kiosk and retail shop at the entrance as well as the Breeze Cafe, Pool Bar, and 34 cabanas. The Pool Deck structures were designed by Graft's Los Angeles[28]office with structural engineering provided by Geiger Engineers[29], exclusive of the Liquid Pool area. The cabanas are structural steel covered with tensile fabric. The Breeze Cafe and Pool Bar are sweeping canopies created by layering stucco on top of unusual curved steel skeletons. A separate outdoor pool area called LIQUID Pool Lounge was opened in March 2010.[30]
There are 16 restaurants as well as 10 bars and clubs within Aria, covering a total of about 250,000 sq ft (23,000 m2).[31] Julian Serrano, a tapas restaurant in the lobby named after its chef, was noted as one of Esquire Magazine's "20 Best New Restaurants in 2010".[32] Sage, described as a contemporary American restaurant, is also located in the lobby area.[33] Among the other restaurants led by celebrity chefs are BARMASA, a modern Japanese restaurant by Masa Takayama; a steakhouse run by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Michael Mina's seafood restaurant, American Fish.[20][34][35]
An 80,000-square-foot (7,400 m2) salon and spa covers two floors of Aria, and a coed balcony attached to the spa overlooks an outdoor infinity-edge pool.[36]
Cirque du Soleil, CKX, Inc. and its subsidiary Elvis Presley Enterprises created a permanent show at Aria celebrating Elvis' music entitled Viva Elvis by Cirque du Soleil.[37] The show premiered on February 17, 2010 and consists of music, singers, dancers, acrobats and multimedia components that pay tribute to the King of Rock 'n' Roll.[19] Aria contains multiple bars, lounges and nightclubs, including the Elvis Presley-influenced Gold Boutique Nightclub and Lounge—the theme of which is based on Elvis' former Graceland home.[19]
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