Apr 5, 2017, 6:01 pm
[MGM] Aria Las Vegas - REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
May 17, 2018, 1:38 pm
#76
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: PHL
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador, AAdvantage Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 263
I just completed a short stay here using the Chase LHRC Rate. The benefit sheet for it is attached below.
I did get upgraded from a Strip View room to Corner Room. But it was a one night midweek stay, and even then I needed a little luck. The rooms were big but not exactly luxurious; I would have been disappointed if I paid a big premium for it over the base rooms.
All in all, the hotel is resoundingly mediocre. The rooms and common areas are sterile, but the pool is a lot more fun than the pictures look online. The buffet is above-average by Vegas standards, but nothing earth shattering.
I did get upgraded from a Strip View room to Corner Room. But it was a one night midweek stay, and even then I needed a little luck. The rooms were big but not exactly luxurious; I would have been disappointed if I paid a big premium for it over the base rooms.
All in all, the hotel is resoundingly mediocre. The rooms and common areas are sterile, but the pool is a lot more fun than the pictures look online. The buffet is above-average by Vegas standards, but nothing earth shattering.
Aug 8, 2018, 12:52 pm
#77
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 9
Elite night credit on comped stays
Stay at Aria for 5 days, but the room is comped through the casino. Is it possible to still get Hyatt elite night credit for the stay? Thanks
Aug 8, 2018, 1:20 pm
#78
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 156
I received elite night credits from my comped Aria stays.
Nov 21, 2018, 1:42 pm
#79
formerly a193991
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Zulu Romeo Hotel
Programs: Hyatt LT Globalist; LX SEN (*A Gold), AA LTG, SBB-CFF-FFS First Class GA
Posts: 4,579
M life Rewards Gold Exclusive Black Friday Tier Discount
hurry, for bookings next October
hurry, for bookings next October
Nov 21, 2018, 6:46 pm
#80
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: United 1K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum; Hyatt Diamond/GLOB
Posts: 738
Apr 20, 2022, 10:53 pm
#81
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: BA Gold, QF Platinum, SQ Silver
Posts: 286
Our recent stay at the Aria- prepare to haggle
I’ve stayed at this property before about five years ago and was thoroughly disappointed back then. I am glad that I’ve decided to give it another go as my recent experience was much, much better.
As a Hyatt Globalist, you get matched to MGM Gold status which in theory comes with various benefits such as free Valet parking and an upgrade to “a preferable room”. While valet parking was easy to obtain (you basically have to queue at the MGM membership desk to obtain a physical Gold card which you then use at the parking pay station to wave the valet fee) and actually a benefit that’s better than what you get with Hyatt itself (free valet only usually applies for redemption nights), the “upgrade” turned out to be a bit of a scam: Upon inquiring at checkin at the special Gold and above “Invited Guests” about an upgraded room, this sets in motion a thoroughly planned machinery to SELL you an upgrade as they see this request as a way to make money. As a Hyatt guest, I am used to these upgrades to being free so I had no idea and the ensuing haggle about possible upgrades had all the hallmarks of a used car dealership, including the check in clerk “checking with the manager to see if we can do something for you” and then later whispering to me that he can go down a little bit more even but “please don’t tell anyone”. I observed many other guests at this special counter falling into the same trap and found the whole process rather shameful and nasty. I should have known- it’s Vegas, after all.
After endless haggling which would put a Thai market to shame, we finally settled on an upgrade. We haven’t been to Vegas in years so while I knew I was getting played, I was also keen to get a cool room so I was willing to pay the price. I ended up with a Tower suite on level 18 for which I forked out 200 US$ a night (plus taxes etc.) in addition to the 140 US$ base that I had booked my basic strip view King for. Now- the suite was indeed gorgeous but I constantly had that sour feeling in my mouth thinking that for $340 a night total, I could well have gotten a room at the Waldorf Astoria next door as well and being Diamond with Hilton too, who knows what room I would have ended up with. I also really hated the haggling itself, the insincerity of the whole process and the fact that an “upgrade” gets presented as a MGM gold benefit but when you ask for one, they tell you that the so-called free upgrade will only be a “higher floor” but then happily hard sell you into a much more expensive room. I’m sure that regular Vegas guests will be used to this but I obviously wasn’t.
Now that we got that out of the way, the actual stay itself was expensive but awesome: The suite was huge and had amazing wrap around windows from which we could see the strip (from the lounge room) as well as the hinterland (from the bedroom) alongside plenty of car park roof tops etc. that you can hardly avoid in Vegas. The bathroom had both a shower (a bit plain and no proper rain shower head) and a bathtub as well as dual sinks as well as one of those hilarious Japanese butt-sprinkling toilets, alongside a further standard toilet in the hallway. Most impressed however I was with the super comfy bed and more so the service which had been the issue in my previous stay. Daily housekeeping was offered without issues and done to perfection (this was not necessarily the case in the many Hyatt properties we stayed during our trip) and our time by the pool was nice as well. Unfortunately, staying in a “Tower suite” you don’t get access to the “Sky pool” which is reserved for guest staying in a “Sky suite” only but we found the main pool good enough. We did, however, get access to a special lounge which offered free coffee and some danish bakery for breakfast but nothing much else- meh.
We did encounter massive problems trying to get some wine glasses for our room but thus seemed to be an issue very common in hotels here in the US: Not sure whether it’s for safety reasons or the US-typical aversion towards potential lawsuits if someone hurts themselves on a glass splinter, or if really everyone here only drinks Bud Light and hence wine glasses are so exotic (surely that’s just a cliché, not?), or perhaps they were trying to force us into paying a tray charge for two empty glasses (they did mention this alongside other things during our ordeal)? After several attempts to obtain proper glasses, we finally managed to get some on the very last night but it was an unnecessarily complex endeavour while they could just offer two glasses in the room to begin with like most hotels outside the US do as standard.
All in all a great stay in a great room which given the circumstances was probably worth the upgrade fee. Might try a different property next time though in order to compare- or we might just be back, our stay was great after all.
As a Hyatt Globalist, you get matched to MGM Gold status which in theory comes with various benefits such as free Valet parking and an upgrade to “a preferable room”. While valet parking was easy to obtain (you basically have to queue at the MGM membership desk to obtain a physical Gold card which you then use at the parking pay station to wave the valet fee) and actually a benefit that’s better than what you get with Hyatt itself (free valet only usually applies for redemption nights), the “upgrade” turned out to be a bit of a scam: Upon inquiring at checkin at the special Gold and above “Invited Guests” about an upgraded room, this sets in motion a thoroughly planned machinery to SELL you an upgrade as they see this request as a way to make money. As a Hyatt guest, I am used to these upgrades to being free so I had no idea and the ensuing haggle about possible upgrades had all the hallmarks of a used car dealership, including the check in clerk “checking with the manager to see if we can do something for you” and then later whispering to me that he can go down a little bit more even but “please don’t tell anyone”. I observed many other guests at this special counter falling into the same trap and found the whole process rather shameful and nasty. I should have known- it’s Vegas, after all.
After endless haggling which would put a Thai market to shame, we finally settled on an upgrade. We haven’t been to Vegas in years so while I knew I was getting played, I was also keen to get a cool room so I was willing to pay the price. I ended up with a Tower suite on level 18 for which I forked out 200 US$ a night (plus taxes etc.) in addition to the 140 US$ base that I had booked my basic strip view King for. Now- the suite was indeed gorgeous but I constantly had that sour feeling in my mouth thinking that for $340 a night total, I could well have gotten a room at the Waldorf Astoria next door as well and being Diamond with Hilton too, who knows what room I would have ended up with. I also really hated the haggling itself, the insincerity of the whole process and the fact that an “upgrade” gets presented as a MGM gold benefit but when you ask for one, they tell you that the so-called free upgrade will only be a “higher floor” but then happily hard sell you into a much more expensive room. I’m sure that regular Vegas guests will be used to this but I obviously wasn’t.
Now that we got that out of the way, the actual stay itself was expensive but awesome: The suite was huge and had amazing wrap around windows from which we could see the strip (from the lounge room) as well as the hinterland (from the bedroom) alongside plenty of car park roof tops etc. that you can hardly avoid in Vegas. The bathroom had both a shower (a bit plain and no proper rain shower head) and a bathtub as well as dual sinks as well as one of those hilarious Japanese butt-sprinkling toilets, alongside a further standard toilet in the hallway. Most impressed however I was with the super comfy bed and more so the service which had been the issue in my previous stay. Daily housekeeping was offered without issues and done to perfection (this was not necessarily the case in the many Hyatt properties we stayed during our trip) and our time by the pool was nice as well. Unfortunately, staying in a “Tower suite” you don’t get access to the “Sky pool” which is reserved for guest staying in a “Sky suite” only but we found the main pool good enough. We did, however, get access to a special lounge which offered free coffee and some danish bakery for breakfast but nothing much else- meh.
We did encounter massive problems trying to get some wine glasses for our room but thus seemed to be an issue very common in hotels here in the US: Not sure whether it’s for safety reasons or the US-typical aversion towards potential lawsuits if someone hurts themselves on a glass splinter, or if really everyone here only drinks Bud Light and hence wine glasses are so exotic (surely that’s just a cliché, not?), or perhaps they were trying to force us into paying a tray charge for two empty glasses (they did mention this alongside other things during our ordeal)? After several attempts to obtain proper glasses, we finally managed to get some on the very last night but it was an unnecessarily complex endeavour while they could just offer two glasses in the room to begin with like most hotels outside the US do as standard.
All in all a great stay in a great room which given the circumstances was probably worth the upgrade fee. Might try a different property next time though in order to compare- or we might just be back, our stay was great after all.
Apr 21, 2022, 1:48 am
#82
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: United-1K, Marriott-Titanium Ambassador, Hyatt-Globalist
Posts: 215
I’ve stayed at this property before about five years ago and was thoroughly disappointed back then. I am glad that I’ve decided to give it another go as my recent experience was much, much better.
As a Hyatt Globalist, you get matched to MGM Gold status which in theory comes with various benefits such as free Valet parking and an upgrade to “a preferable room”. While valet parking was easy to obtain (you basically have to queue at the MGM membership desk to obtain a physical Gold card which you then use at the parking pay station to wave the valet fee) and actually a benefit that’s better than what you get with Hyatt itself (free valet only usually applies for redemption nights), the “upgrade” turned out to be a bit of a scam: Upon inquiring at checkin at the special Gold and above “Invited Guests” about an upgraded room, this sets in motion a thoroughly planned machinery to SELL you an upgrade as they see this request as a way to make money. As a Hyatt guest, I am used to these upgrades to being free so I had no idea and the ensuing haggle about possible upgrades had all the hallmarks of a used car dealership, including the check in clerk “checking with the manager to see if we can do something for you” and then later whispering to me that he can go down a little bit more even but “please don’t tell anyone”. I observed many other guests at this special counter falling into the same trap and found the whole process rather shameful and nasty. I should have known- it’s Vegas, after all.
After endless haggling which would put a Thai market to shame, we finally settled on an upgrade. We haven’t been to Vegas in years so while I knew I was getting played, I was also keen to get a cool room so I was willing to pay the price. I ended up with a Tower suite on level 18 for which I forked out 200 US$ a night (plus taxes etc.) in addition to the 140 US$ base that I had booked my basic strip view King for. Now- the suite was indeed gorgeous but I constantly had that sour feeling in my mouth thinking that for $340 a night total, I could well have gotten a room at the Waldorf Astoria next door as well and being Diamond with Hilton too, who knows what room I would have ended up with. I also really hated the haggling itself, the insincerity of the whole process and the fact that an “upgrade” gets presented as a MGM gold benefit but when you ask for one, they tell you that the so-called free upgrade will only be a “higher floor” but then happily hard sell you into a much more expensive room. I’m sure that regular Vegas guests will be used to this but I obviously wasn’t.
Now that we got that out of the way, the actual stay itself was expensive but awesome: The suite was huge and had amazing wrap around windows from which we could see the strip (from the lounge room) as well as the hinterland (from the bedroom) alongside plenty of car park roof tops etc. that you can hardly avoid in Vegas. The bathroom had both a shower (a bit plain and no proper rain shower head) and a bathtub as well as dual sinks as well as one of those hilarious Japanese butt-sprinkling toilets, alongside a further standard toilet in the hallway. Most impressed however I was with the super comfy bed and more so the service which had been the issue in my previous stay. Daily housekeeping was offered without issues and done to perfection (this was not necessarily the case in the many Hyatt properties we stayed during our trip) and our time by the pool was nice as well. Unfortunately, staying in a “Tower suite” you don’t get access to the “Sky pool” which is reserved for guest staying in a “Sky suite” only but we found the main pool good enough. We did, however, get access to a special lounge which offered free coffee and some danish bakery for breakfast but nothing much else- meh.
We did encounter massive problems trying to get some wine glasses for our room but thus seemed to be an issue very common in hotels here in the US: Not sure whether it’s for safety reasons or the US-typical aversion towards potential lawsuits if someone hurts themselves on a glass splinter, or if really everyone here only drinks Bud Light and hence wine glasses are so exotic (surely that’s just a cliché, not?), or perhaps they were trying to force us into paying a tray charge for two empty glasses (they did mention this alongside other things during our ordeal)? After several attempts to obtain proper glasses, we finally managed to get some on the very last night but it was an unnecessarily complex endeavour while they could just offer two glasses in the room to begin with like most hotels outside the US do as standard.
All in all a great stay in a great room which given the circumstances was probably worth the upgrade fee. Might try a different property next time though in order to compare- or we might just be back, our stay was great after all.
As a Hyatt Globalist, you get matched to MGM Gold status which in theory comes with various benefits such as free Valet parking and an upgrade to “a preferable room”. While valet parking was easy to obtain (you basically have to queue at the MGM membership desk to obtain a physical Gold card which you then use at the parking pay station to wave the valet fee) and actually a benefit that’s better than what you get with Hyatt itself (free valet only usually applies for redemption nights), the “upgrade” turned out to be a bit of a scam: Upon inquiring at checkin at the special Gold and above “Invited Guests” about an upgraded room, this sets in motion a thoroughly planned machinery to SELL you an upgrade as they see this request as a way to make money. As a Hyatt guest, I am used to these upgrades to being free so I had no idea and the ensuing haggle about possible upgrades had all the hallmarks of a used car dealership, including the check in clerk “checking with the manager to see if we can do something for you” and then later whispering to me that he can go down a little bit more even but “please don’t tell anyone”. I observed many other guests at this special counter falling into the same trap and found the whole process rather shameful and nasty. I should have known- it’s Vegas, after all.
After endless haggling which would put a Thai market to shame, we finally settled on an upgrade. We haven’t been to Vegas in years so while I knew I was getting played, I was also keen to get a cool room so I was willing to pay the price. I ended up with a Tower suite on level 18 for which I forked out 200 US$ a night (plus taxes etc.) in addition to the 140 US$ base that I had booked my basic strip view King for. Now- the suite was indeed gorgeous but I constantly had that sour feeling in my mouth thinking that for $340 a night total, I could well have gotten a room at the Waldorf Astoria next door as well and being Diamond with Hilton too, who knows what room I would have ended up with. I also really hated the haggling itself, the insincerity of the whole process and the fact that an “upgrade” gets presented as a MGM gold benefit but when you ask for one, they tell you that the so-called free upgrade will only be a “higher floor” but then happily hard sell you into a much more expensive room. I’m sure that regular Vegas guests will be used to this but I obviously wasn’t.
Now that we got that out of the way, the actual stay itself was expensive but awesome: The suite was huge and had amazing wrap around windows from which we could see the strip (from the lounge room) as well as the hinterland (from the bedroom) alongside plenty of car park roof tops etc. that you can hardly avoid in Vegas. The bathroom had both a shower (a bit plain and no proper rain shower head) and a bathtub as well as dual sinks as well as one of those hilarious Japanese butt-sprinkling toilets, alongside a further standard toilet in the hallway. Most impressed however I was with the super comfy bed and more so the service which had been the issue in my previous stay. Daily housekeeping was offered without issues and done to perfection (this was not necessarily the case in the many Hyatt properties we stayed during our trip) and our time by the pool was nice as well. Unfortunately, staying in a “Tower suite” you don’t get access to the “Sky pool” which is reserved for guest staying in a “Sky suite” only but we found the main pool good enough. We did, however, get access to a special lounge which offered free coffee and some danish bakery for breakfast but nothing much else- meh.
We did encounter massive problems trying to get some wine glasses for our room but thus seemed to be an issue very common in hotels here in the US: Not sure whether it’s for safety reasons or the US-typical aversion towards potential lawsuits if someone hurts themselves on a glass splinter, or if really everyone here only drinks Bud Light and hence wine glasses are so exotic (surely that’s just a cliché, not?), or perhaps they were trying to force us into paying a tray charge for two empty glasses (they did mention this alongside other things during our ordeal)? After several attempts to obtain proper glasses, we finally managed to get some on the very last night but it was an unnecessarily complex endeavour while they could just offer two glasses in the room to begin with like most hotels outside the US do as standard.
All in all a great stay in a great room which given the circumstances was probably worth the upgrade fee. Might try a different property next time though in order to compare- or we might just be back, our stay was great after all.
Apr 21, 2022, 3:32 am
#83
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: BA Gold, QF Platinum, SQ Silver
Posts: 286
Apr 21, 2022, 8:10 am
#84
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Gold Country, California
Programs: Hilton Gold, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,199
Better Option
Next time try Vdara which is right across from Aria. Just checked out after a 3 night $99 per stay. It’s my new favorite Vegas hotel. (Previously Venetian/Palazzo was my choice..). My rate was 30% off and an upgrade. Booked a studio suite and was automatically upgraded to a one bedroom, full kitchen, dining area, 1.5 baths, huge shower, large tub, washer/dryer, 800 sq feet. Daily housekeeping, all employees super nice and friendly. Nonsmoking property. Loved Vdara! For restaurants and casino easy walk to Aria or Bellagio on the other side. Easy valet parking. Charge your food to the room from any MGM property and get Hyatt points. Free parking at any MGM property with the gold card.
Resolved myself to being Globalist for only one year (had 126 nights in 2021 which will never happen again). But after this stay thinking maybe I will go for it again. In-laws live there and I’m now retired so that helps.
Resolved myself to being Globalist for only one year (had 126 nights in 2021 which will never happen again). But after this stay thinking maybe I will go for it again. In-laws live there and I’m now retired so that helps.
Apr 21, 2022, 9:45 pm
#85
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TUS
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 552
Did you check in at the main reception desk (in the "Gold and up" line) or in a private space? I still have my Noir status and am trying to figure out if this place has a VIP lounge I can use for check in.
Apr 21, 2022, 11:30 pm
#86
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: United-1K, Marriott-Titanium Ambassador, Hyatt-Globalist
Posts: 215
I’m not apologizing for Aria’s lack of getting you some as they should since it’s the top 1 or 2 hotels MGM has but I wouldn’t let $5 make me angry.
Apr 21, 2022, 11:33 pm
#87
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: United-1K, Marriott-Titanium Ambassador, Hyatt-Globalist
Posts: 215
VIP check in for Platinum and Up is to the left of the main check in and has only been open weekends since Covid began. If you’re in a sky suite, there’s a different lounge altogether that’s open 7 days a week
Apr 21, 2022, 11:45 pm
#88
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: BA Gold, QF Platinum, SQ Silver
Posts: 286
The "lounge" straight opposite of that, which I could use as a Tower suite guest and is also available to anything above Gold, did not process check ins. But I believe for Sky Suite guests, there's a separate area and lounge altogether but I'm not sure if Noir guests have access to that.
May 12, 2022, 3:14 pm
#89
Join Date: May 2008
Location: SFO
Posts: 851
I just booked a stay at the Aria using Amex Plat 'Hotel Collection' link, which was half the MR points price of the FHR link. I'm sure I gave up some bennies doing this, but I'm now unclear on what stuff will cost what when I show up. The confirmation email is not explicit on this, and the email response I got from the Aria guest services basically said "we'll tell you when you check in" ...
So, what all costs extra at the Aria for someone with no status with MGM or Hyatt? I read somewhere the POOL even costs extra, which I'm baffled by. We do have a $100 credit for food, or other amenities but that is also not delineated as to what it can be spent on.
Appreciate any insight!
So, what all costs extra at the Aria for someone with no status with MGM or Hyatt? I read somewhere the POOL even costs extra, which I'm baffled by. We do have a $100 credit for food, or other amenities but that is also not delineated as to what it can be spent on.
Appreciate any insight!
May 12, 2022, 5:19 pm
#90
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
If you have no status, you will pay a resort fee, which I believe is $45/night + tax. This includes the pool, wifi, etc. and is not optional - all Vegas hotels charge this. There is also a parking fee if you have a car, but I think that's about it.
The $100 resort credit can be used for food, entertainment or spa services charged to your room. It cannot be used to pay the resort fees.
If you booked a refundable rate, you may want to compare it to the rate for booking direct on the MGM website. If you join MGM rewards, you get 15% off even with no status other than "member". You can then use your Amex MR for a statement credit to offset the cost.
The $100 resort credit can be used for food, entertainment or spa services charged to your room. It cannot be used to pay the resort fees.
If you booked a refundable rate, you may want to compare it to the rate for booking direct on the MGM website. If you join MGM rewards, you get 15% off even with no status other than "member". You can then use your Amex MR for a statement credit to offset the cost.
Last edited by Low Roller; May 12, 2022 at 5:31 pm