I love Vegas and was itching to go visit again, but was a bit worried about the Sin City vibe being crowded and overwhelming during peak spring break season, so I wanted to stay at a hotel that wouldn’t be swarming with crazy college kids who can’t hold their liquor taking up my pool lounging space with their antics. I wanted to plan a fun girlfriend weekend with my bestie for some good food, sunshine, relaxation and a little bit of pampering. In the past, we’ve both done the “typical” Vegas, this time we wanted a trip that would help us relax, unwind and spend some quality time together in a really nice location.
I had heard the Aria was classy and in a great location on the strip, and since it’s a relatively new addition to the strip (about 5 years) I hadn’t had the chance to check it out. It’s a five star establishment, without the hefty five star price you’ll see with other hotels on the Vegas strip. If you’re like me, you would like a classy getaway, but also a good value for the money. This hotel can range from about $219 a night during the week and upwards for the weekend. I wanted a great girlfriend getaway for me and my bestie of 18+ years to catch up, and we ended up having a great weekend- mission accomplished!
The lobby of the Aria is gorgeous- thousands of colorful paper swans make a giant rainbow in the lobby. Fresh orchids are arranged at all of the check in kiosks, and fresh flowers dot the lobby area, it was such a gorgeous and relaxing entrance! If you’re looking for a primo spot on the strip which grants easy access to a variety of other locales, but still want a more relaxing, less smoky atmosphere to return to and unwind, the Aria puts you in the middle of the action on the strip, without feeling stuck in it.
The rooms were futuristic but comfortable- upon opening the door, the lights automatically (or automagically depending on who you ask) turn on and the curtains open. The lights and curtains are all controlled on the walls with various settings for night and day, and the tv can display your outstanding bill for the hotel and shopping..pretty snazzy!
The fridge was fully stocked with goodies on a 60 second sensor. While there wasn’t a coffee maker in the room, there was a Starbucks right down stairs above the Casino lobby.
I loved the bathroom- the shower and bathtub were behind a glass door. The toiletries also included a small travel kit with cotton swabs and other things.
Have you ever experienced turn down service? I love that. I adore it. We came back to our room to find some delicious chocolates on our pillow, slippers and soft music playing on the television set. I get giddy whenever I come back to the room and there are surprises waiting for me…including a late night bite of chocolate and slippers to lounge around in. Yes, yes and yes.
The Aria has a variety of restaurants throughout the casino area. The Jean Philippe Patisserie has tons of delicious desserts including macarons, tiramisu and gelato. We also hit up the Aria Cafe for lunch, but there were options for Mexican, Thai, a buffet and a Teppan Grill. The Crystal Shops are located right across from the lobby- so you can shop for Tiffany, an upcoming LouBoutin boutique and grab Starbucks there, or dinner at Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina. We browsed, but alas, did not partake in any of the high end shops this round, but did have a yummy Italian dinner at Wolfgang Puck.
We grabbed drinks at Sage, which was a really unique experience. Sage features a very big selection of absinthe, which you can see on the special absinthe cart in the above photo, but they also boast an array of seasonal cocktails to highlight some really fresh and unique flavors. The coolest cocktail we ordered was a mint cocoa sorbet which was made fresh, in front of us with nitrogen, a whisk and a very friendly bartender.
Our room had the city view, and it was lovely looking over the strip. As much as I’d like to say the location was super awesome to go explore the strip, during our weekend stay- we were enjoying the pool and on-site spa and seeing shows, we never went out on the strip a single time. I would love to go back and actually roam around the various spots on the strip since the location was really convenient…but the on-site amenities may mean that your weekend is better spent not leaving the ARIA.
We got really awesome facials, and spent the vast majority of our Saturday enjoying the private spa area that had several saunas, a fully stocked shower area with all the toiletries you’d ever need, several jacuzzis and a semi-private pool area for spa patrons to overlook the general pool area. Speaking of pool areas, the pool had a few jacuzzis, wait staff that were really attentive to take drink orders (I’d know, I ordered the world’s biggest daiquiri..om nom nom.)
I loved that the Aria had everything we needed in one spot. Spending an entire day at the spa was amazing- and there were plenty of restaurants to try, that if you happened to have an overly exciting night on the strip the night before, and needed time to nurse your head with some downtime and good food.
There were some great shops in the hotel with everything you’d need including a few shops with an awesome bathing suit selection. We had to pick up a pair of headphones and some snacks for the room, but the boutiques also had some great body products, selfie sticks and touristy things if you were so inclined. I almost bought a selfie stick…I got dangerously close.
Our stay at the Aria Las Vegas was fabulous- if you’re planning a weekend getaway or a really fun excursion- this spot is both centrally located and secluded at the same time for a paced stay that you can customize. Cocktails, sunshine and a wee bit of spa time did wonders for this lady, and I cannot wait to visit Vegas again for a perfected getaway.
I adore traveling- I find you can visit the same place a few times, and depending where you stay, you can have a completely different experience. I loved this trip to Vegas, it was a totally different experience than I’d experienced before, and while many people assume Vegas is all about shows and cocktails, it can really be a restful desert retreat. My soul got some much needed recouping time at the pool at the Aria, and I’m pretty sure that tiramisu gelato is my new favey-fave.
I already want to go back to Vegas and visit the Aria…. I miss it already!
Disclosure: We stayed as media guests at Aria, cocktails at Sage and spa treatment for one were complimentary, as always, all opinions remain my own.
