I was an invited guest before the grand opening to this hotel owned by MGM/Mirage/Bellagio. My wife absolutely loves this hotel and I would say it is definitely setting a new standard. Located in City Center in the heart of the Vegas Strip pulling up to the flag ship hotel (among 5 others) is breath taking. Everything is on the Grand Scale here in terms of size, design, and height.
When you walk into the Aria you discover huge open spaces where the ceiling doesn't seem to exist. I was upgraded to the Sky Suites which has a concierge floor and separate private entrance. All of the hotels have since copied the rooms from the Aria in design and layout not to mention decor. If you appreciate architecture this Aria Hotel takes the cake. Completely modern, it reminds me of staying in a luxury sky rise condo. Looking out from the bedroom window you will notice it slants outward and you are actually suspended over looking the valet which is very cool.
They have some of the most famous chefs and their flagship restaurants here as well as the Crystal Mall which rivals Michigan Ave in Chicago, 5th Ave in NY, or Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The tree house Mastro's was phenomenal in design and food. The Louis Vuitton store is the largest LV boutique store in North America.
Casino-wise I played a lot here and it lacks the table action of Caesars/Mirage but plenty of slots and a beautiful layout. It should be noted this is the only hotel in City Center with a Casino. The Buffet needs to be AVOIDED but the Cafe is fairly good. Monorail takes you to the Bellagio or the Monte Carlo. During my stay the pool was not completed. Solid 5 star Hotel/Resort geared toward the business class person and upper middle class to ultra rich. Even with this glowing review it is not on par with the Wynn/Encore/Bellagio.