As promised, a few notes on my stay at Aria--

1. I had called to confirm the reservation and the agent specifically invited me to use Invited Guest Check-In upon arrival, so that feature is definitely honored.

2. I was supposedly given an upgrade to a "city view" room, but it's a pretty lame upgrade, since that apparently covers a room on the 5th floor that's otherwise no better. Still, the room was nice, no real complaints.

3. Breakfast was explained as an $80 credit ($20 p.p. for 2 nights), which was handily useable on day of arrival as well (since I got in very early). The $100 promo credit and $25 Visa Signature credits did not apply automatically but were quickly corrected at checkout.

4. The Aria buffet for brunch was somewhat disappointing...I had been before and keep wanting to like it, but it's just not thrilling. In my estimation the Wynn is probably the best buffet in Vegas these days.

Given that the Signature $100 credit offer is over, I don't know if I'd bother to stay at Aria on Visa Signature again--especially since Aria is offering a $100 credit for directly booked rooms for the next few months. The Invited Guest Checkin is nice on the weekend, and the upgrade could possibly be nice if you booked a view room to start and possibly got a suite upgrade*, but the direct book resort credit offer is a better total value. And in Vegas in general, FHR at other properties is probably better if you have access to both. (Though for most of the Vegas FHR properties, that also raises the question of whether you want to go to the spa.)

*Would be curious to hear more experiences with attempting to get suite upgrades at Aria--I know sometimes properties under FHR-type programs will erect barriers between certain room types where they won't actually upgrade you to the next room type up and will instead just give you a higher floor or something and claim it's an upgrade.