As a local I try to avoid the Strip at all costs, especially on the weekends. Saturday, I made an exception and came to Gold Lounge at Aria for the first time. The reason: my cousin was turning 30 and had driven out from San Diego for the weekend.
To be honest, I read a couple of random reviews prior to writing mine, and I have to say... some people are harsh! They complain about prices and about bouncers/hosts discriminating based on looks. HI. Welcome to Vegas! Get over it. If you cant afford $15 drinks and $20+ cover then you're in the wrong city or hanging with the wrong crowd. That being said... on to my review.
I arrived around 130 am and had no problem getting in. I mentioned I was local, they gave me a little ticket thing and I walked right in. I saw 1 large bar, a smallish dance "area" and several tables (all "reserved" of course). The music was decent (hip-hop and radio hits) when I arrived but switched to some annoying house-y techno an hour later (I guess they had switched over to their after-hours theme).
Major Downsides:
-Nowhere to sit and cool your heels even though they claim to be a "lounge". They kicked my companions off a "reserved" table even though the prior occupants left a good half-hour earlier and no one else was waiting for bottle service.
-Unisex restrooms...and only 4 stalls.
-annoying switch to house music
Upsides:
-no wait and no cover... at least for me.
-I didnt see any priority placed on girls dressed like hoochies. There was a nice mix in the crowd.
Bottom Line:
I had an alright experience. Not stellar. Not terrible. But I'm a n9ne girl at heart; I'll stick to my clubs and lounges at the Palms ;)