Aria: Inside of City Center’s new luxury hotel

by Grant Martin on

The hottest new development in Las Vegas, City Center, is in the midst of a rolling opening this year, a sprawling glass and steel complex in the heart of the south strip. Among the most recent additions is Aria, an MGM hotel and casino billed as chic luxury. Gadling stopped by for a look last month.

In 2010, we’re at the point in hotel design where oversight is just not made. Rooms, environments and features – especially at an MGM property — are all engineered to suit a target demographic, and any missing or superfluous facet is as such for a reason. Aria’s rooms and hotel strike me as perfectly engineered for my friend Bruce’s mom.

The rooms, to start, are gorgeous, well appointed (and stocked,) clean, wood and white, with very tasteful art, floor to ceiling windows, automatic curtains and enough digital gadgetry to make any technophile dance with glee. Perhaps the best part of the room is the digital control that rests on the nightstand between the beds, a touch screen from where lights, curtains, music and television can be coordinated.

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It is a handy but clumsy and slow interface, with frequent delays in response, breaks in communication and the occasional curse word. One accustomed to the speed of an iPod touch or iPhone, for example, might feel frustrated at the speed of the interface, while those less familiar with the technology will likely be more patient. That said, its novelty is outstanding, and once calibrated to its idiosyncrasies, most users should be happy.

A connectivity panel further enhances the multimedia capability of the room, with space to plug in HDMI, RCA, mini-jacks and to also charge USB devices. Once connected, it’s reported that external devices can be controlled through the bedside touch panel, though we were unable to locate cables to connect our iPhone.

And speaking of iPhones, AT&T reception at City Center is atrocious. Whether this is by design or because there is too much bandwidth strain in the area is unclear, but it’s something to keep in mind in case you have an important call to make.

Inside of the sprawling first-floor casino, trademarks of the standard MGM properties are apparent, a semicircular floor with satellite drinking and entertainment establishments scattered about, clean, well integrated design and generally smooth flow. Pursuant to their apparent targeted demographic, a steady, mid volume stream of adult contemporary music is pumped through the public areas (of note, Sarah McLachlan, Shawn Colvin, Rob Thomas,) enough to get a mid-life pair of vacationers in the mood for white wine or maybe make a teenager cry. And though we were unable to participate in much of the food, drink and nightlife options, the $24 morning buffet was delicious, well attended and refreshing, with rays of sun reflecting in from an adjacent courtyard.

It is these glimpses of sunlight that are perhaps my favorite part of the Aria Hotel and City Center in general, a real contrast to much of the Las Vegas architecture of the 90’s. With numerous angles, glass and mirrors, the entire campus seems to glow with energy, from the luxury mall on one shoulder to the well appointed (free) art gallery on the other. For these reasons its at least worth walking through the complex to absorb the grandeur.

New York City’s Jane hotel, from $69 through March

by Amy Chen on

Shoebox-size hotel rooms in New York City are notoriously overpriced, especially since you’re usually too busy running around the city to spend enough time in them.

The Jane hotel could be the antidote — now through March, the starting price has dropped down to $69 for a single room (compared to $99). A room with bunk beds now starts at $79. Note: these 50-square-foot rooms have communal bathrooms and are extremely narrow — the wall-size mirror can only do so much to conjure airiness. The rooms, which were modeled after train and yacht cabins, do at least come with built-in drawers underneath the twin beds and overhead luggage racks so you’re not tripping over your stuff.

If you’re claustrophobic, though, you may be happier booking one of the 250-square-foot Captain’s Cabins for $179 (normally $250-$300), which have private bathrooms.

For once, these prices match the size of the rooms. Besides, The Jane’s location in the West Village really makes it hard to justify spending too much time in the tiny rooms anyway.

Always request the first or second floor – Hotel tip

by Gadling Staff on

As a firefighter, I know a little something about fires. And as a road warrior, I know a little something about hotels. Let me share with you a tip that only I would know.

Always request a room on the first or second floor. If there’s a fire, you can safely jump from the second floor. Jumping from a higher floor dramatically increases the risk of serious injury.

Let your kids run before getting to the hotel – Traveling with kids tip

by Dede Bonelli on

Kids may have pent-up energy if they’ve spent a long time on a plane or in the car. If you remember to let them stop at a playground or a mall on the way to the hotel, or use the pool right away when you arrive at the hotel, you can help them tone it down when they’re in the hallways or the room.

Others will appreciate if you teach your children not to make excessive noise because they may be resting.

Luxury hotels still discounting in 2010

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you didn’t book a luxury trip last year, don’t worry; you didn’t miss your big opportunity. Without a doubt, 2009 was hell on the luxury travel market. It was rough on just about every luxury business, frankly. And while the economy looks like its taking a step in the right direction this year, it’s not doing so fast enough for luxury travel providers. Look for another year of discounts, according to industry tracking firm Rubicon. Properties like the Four Seasons, St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton and Mandarin Oriental are going to have to bite the bullet again in 2010.

According to Rubicon, luxury hotels are booking more business at this point in the year than they did in the same period in 2009 – but only 4.6 percent more. Meanwhile, the average rate they’re fetching is off 13.2 percent. Clearly, the upscale properties are buying guests with discounts. Of course, luxury on sale still isn’t cheap. You’re looking at $325 a night instead of $389 a night a year ago, Rubicon reports, based on bookings made as of February 1.

“Hotel companies are not rushing to lift the rates and slow that tide of recovery,” Rubicon CEO Steve Swope told USA Today. “So the other good news is: there are some real bargains out there for consumers. Now’s a good time to get out and travel. In another 18 to 24 months, the rates seen today are not going to be there anymore.”