Aria, the only CityCenter property to house a casino, is among the few (as in 2 percent) "elite" buildings to have received a Five-Key rating from Green Key Global's Eco-Rating Program. One of the largest buildings in the United States to receive LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, as part of the CityCenter complex it's also the first Las Vegas Strip resort-casino to feature an on-site cogeneration power plant -- an 8.5-megawatt affair that re-uses waste heat spun off from the power generation to provide all of the development’s hot water. (As an aside, downtown's diminutive but historic Golden Gate does exactly the same thing, only it's even more eco-friendly, having discovered a natural geothermal supply to tap into in its own back yard.)
That's just one of the "eco-friendly" design initiatives built into CityCenter to maximize energy and water efficiency, among other things. One of those "other things" is the air-conditioning system in the casino.
The typical Las Vegas resort building is cooled with "forced-air" ventilation, meaning the plumbing system is located at roof level and cool air's "pushed" down to fill the rooms below, although people occupy only the bottom-most six feet of space. Aria, however, turned things upside down and uses a "displacement" ventilation system, which works from the ground up and uses a lot less energy. Apparently, this also provides for cleaner air, on account of the rising warm air "pulling up" pollen, "dust" (as we all know, a euphemism what's primarily comprised of dead skin cells!), and other nasty particles, out of the immediate environment of breathing gamblers. Even the slot machines here are equipped up-draft ventilation systems in their bases!
Historically, outright smoking bans have been the kiss of death for a casino's bottom line, but Aria did the next-best thing and included a non-smoking pathway that allows casino guests to walk from the registration lobby to the elevator bank without exposure to tobacco smoke. The pathway is clearly marked, and non-smoking slot machines and gaming tables on each side create a 20-foot buffer zone. In addition, to protect them from second-hand smoke, Aria's dealers are shielded behind an "air curtain" -- basically a wall of air, shooting up from the table, that creates an invisible barrier to smoke (and, presumably, other undesirables, like bad breath and all but the most violent of coughs and sneezes).
Clean-air consciousness at Aria commenced way before the casino opened, however. During the construction phase, the developers selected only paints, sealants, adhesives, carpet, and composite-wood products that contained no toxic substances that could later be released into the air. The same materials and supplies are still used for any necessary touch-ups and renovations. Construction workers on CityCenter were strictly limited to designated smoking areas, eliminating the potential for wallpaper and carpet to absorb tobacco smoke, in order to protect the air quality in guest rooms and public areas from the get-go. And we're assured that all cleaning products used on site conform to strict health and environmental standards throughout all of CityCenter's properties.
As a caveat, however, we would note that, like so many other Las Vegas resort-casinos, Aria does make use of a signature scent that's pumped through the air-conditioning system. (In fact, make that several scents: The hotel and casino features the bespoke "Asian Garden" aroma, while in the spa you'll detect "Jade Garden" and, in Crystals shopping mall, a perfume called "Orchid"). We can't vouch for the ingredients in any of these pumped-in perfumes, but we're aware from a previous LVA Reader Poll, among other things, that some patrons are definitely bothered by these casino smells and, while Aria's air is almost certainly some of the cleanest and best-smelling of any casino in town, to deem it totally "fresh" -- as in, akin to something you might inhale atop a Swiss Alp -- would seem to be ever-so-slightly disingenuous.
