Aria is the name of the MGM Mirage CityCenter's centerpiece megaresort, a 61-story 4,004-room hotel-casino. Aria means "air" in Italian; it generally connotes an expressive melody, usually performed by a singer.
Aria features two distinctive and eye-catching curvilinear glass towers. The press release on Aria touts the use of open space, such as the three-story lobby, and natural light, including in the hotel hallways and guest rooms, which are designed to provide corner-window views from floor-to-ceiling glass.
The lobby will feature some of City Center’s $40 million in fine art -- for example, Maya Lin’s 133-foot silver cast of the Colorado River (her first work displayed in Las Vegas). Artist Jenny Holzer’s 250-foot LED sign will be on display at the north-valet parking area.
Aria will also boast a huge 150,000-square-foot casino, the only casino at CityCenter. CityCenter’s Cirque du Soleil theater at Aria will host a show based on the music of Elvis Presley. The spa will be large, with 62 individual treatment rooms and three suites, designed to accommodate couples, treatments, bachelorette parties, and small group events. Also at the spa: a full-service salon, barbershop, fitness room, and exercise studio. Adjoining Aria will be the Crystals, CityCenter's 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment district.
An aboveground people mover system will connect Aria with Bellagio and Monte Carlo.
As for dining, all we know is the vague hyperbole from the press release: "The resort casino will feature a variety of dining experiences, from the casual comfort of bistros and cafes to culinary masterpieces from world-renowned chefs and restaurateurs."
CityCenter is planned to open in stages. The 50-story Vdara Tower, with 1,543 condo units, will be first, debuting in August 2009. Aria will be last, with a scheduled grand opening in December.
