Mikes Las Vegas

I have been waiting to set foot in City Center since June of 2006 when work started on the project. Expectations were set high as this property is the most costly one to date in Las Vegas, not to mention it’s a very large structure. City Center has a nice flow that as Steve Wynn said it best “connotes expectation”. Curves have been around Las Vegas for a very long time and although Wynn would like to think he created the very first arabesque building in Las Vegas it was Jay Sarno with Caesars Palace who did so. Wynn just made it better, and Aria tried to keep up with Wynn. Everything about Aria is curved, the taxi pick up and drop off as well as the road leading into the property. The commercial for Aria also puts the idea of curves in your mind as you watch it. With all this expectation one that had been gathering for the past 4 years I had to make City Center one of my first stops on my recent trip to Las Vegas. Our very first stop of the trip was Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. Since Wynn has yet to disappoint me with any of his properties past and present, I use his properties as the standard for Las Vegas greatness! Why start at Encore when this is a review of Aria? Well the answer is simple, City Center as a whole was billed as a ultra modern resort, so it’s only logical that it is compared with other ultra modern resorts. Not to get too much into the details of Encore but light is as much a part of this resort and casino as is everything else in the building. The norm for any casino is to hide the people in the casino, we can’t know the time of day or we may not keep playing craps or any other casino games provided. Wynn is trying to change the norm, by letting light inside the casino, this being the case I expected something similar of Aria. Light seems to be the enemy of Aria’s casino, its dark, and it’s been done before. All that you have to do to experience Aria’s casino is go to The Mirage or MGM Grand and it’s the same thing! I expected something new and exciting maybe something to that makes you feel as though something will be around the corner but it was a big letdown. With expectations set so high for this property I was really disappointed that it wasn’t something more. The Building feels like I am in any other big city which is what City Center wanted to be and with this they did a good job, I was just a little let down by the inside. As soon as we walked in we walked the casino checked out the shopping and then went past the lobby, followed by restaurants. It was a quick trip do to the downer atmosphere inside. Something that Las Vegas is known for is being new and exciting and this just didn’t fit the bill. In the rush to get this project done it feels as though things still aren’t complete. This said I want to re-review this property again when I make my return trip. Maybe it was the 55 degree weather or the fact that there was no one in there that made it disappointing, so I want to give it a fair chance next time around.

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