Looking out of room 2506 at ARIA RESORT & SPA in Las Vegas gives a distorted view of life – but then being in Aria anywhere is terribly-Vegas, vaguely unreal (the image above was taken at 0556). The 54-floor, 4,000-roomer has two lobbies, Main and North, separated by a winding internal walkway going right through the casino.
To get to your room, you need the right, of four, elevator blocks. At your floor you probably then have up to a ten minute walk to your room (Girlahead was first allocated a far-end room but someone had left the door lock across so she managed to get changed, to a room directly across from the elevators). Rooms are practical rather than stylish. Dark striped carpet, walls mostly wood-look. Dark brown furniture. Automatic minibar and pay-for water. No tea or coffee.
At least the room key gives free access to the gym (6am-6pm, good Technogym). Adria is 200m from its sibling Vdara, and 10 minutes’ walk from Bellagio. And for those who love Starbucks there must be four outlets in the building, and there are dozens of restaurants, from Carpone through to a 24-hour Patisserie.
BUT, let us credit the good things. Need something, say from Housekeeping, and it arrives within ten minutes. And the thousands of staff are perpetually smiling. Well done, Aria.
