Some of you may be old enough to remember the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire when Renée Zellweger says to Tom Cruise, “you had me at hello.” Well, that’s how I feel about Aria Sky Suites in Las Vegas. I’d stayed at Aria Resort & Casino back in 2013 and had a chance to take a peek at the Sky Suites. For me, the experience was like taking a woman to the vault for a private showing of high end jewelry and then when she asks about the price of the jewels she is ushered back to the front of the store where the very nice jewelry is on display. What’s on display on the outside is not in the same league as what’s behind the velvet curtain. Guests step behind the velvet curtain when they check into Aria Sky Suites. Not literally, but figuratively. I felt like I had arrived and gone to heaven; or what I believe to be right up there with a heavenly experience.
Aria Sky Suites is an exclusive boutique hotel hidden inside the high-end Aria Resort – sort of reminds me of those Russian nesting dolls.
Don’t get me wrong. The rooms at Aria Resort & Casino are very nice, as are all of the restaurants, the swimming pool, fitness center and reception area. There’s also a VIP check-in area for M Life members if you like that sort of high roller experience – and who doesn’t want to be a VIP in Las Vegas? But Aria Sky Suites kicks it up a notch with its discreet check-in, note the fresh orchids on the counter, the private elevator, Sky Suites pool and fine art collection. Feeling hungry? The Sky Suites lounge is open from 6:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Here you’ll find bottled water, soda, coffee and tea, as well as fresh fruit and snacks. From 4:00 – 9:00 p.m. red and white wine is available, along with non-alcoholic beverages, cheese, croissants, cookies and French macaroons. All of this is complimentary, of course.
The green experience begins as soon as you step off the plane and into McCarran International Airport. You’ll be picked up by a limousine driver whose vehicle is fueled with compressed natural gas. Don’t forget that Aria was one of the first hotels in Las Vegas to achieve LEED gold certification. With 442 rooms and 19 villas you’ll have your choice of mountain or city views; and each room has a corner view.
My room, #3301, came with something special that is unique to Aria Sky Suites and Aria Resort & Casino, the Crave tablet. The high tech tablet offers a very hyper-personalized style of luxury. The tablet, on display in each of the 4,000 hotel rooms in the resort, controls the temperature of your room, the lights, curtains, when you would like to wake up and even what music you would like to wake up to.
My favorite feature of the tablet, the dining options. Select from the full, in-room dining menu, order breakfast delivery for the following morning or you may pre-order food to-go at select restaurants downstairs – no more waiting for room service. Need extra towels after a day at the private pool, use the Crave pad. You can also use the tablet to request turndown service or read the news via the PressReader applications. And like any smart tablet, Crave speaks multiple languages from Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese to French, German, Italian and Spanish. Now if only this piece of equipment worked at my house!
Speaking of room service, I opted for breakfast delivered to my room because no one can beat these floor-to-ceiling windows with desert or mountain views. The Sky Suite rooms begin on the 25th floor, so as they say in show business, there isn’t a bad seat in the house.
Insider tip
Use your M Life card to accumulate points toward future stays. The card is free and you’ll earn rewards for everything MGM-owned, from hotel stays and dining to entertainment and spa experiences. (In case you’re wondering, I’m not getting a kickback for MLife referrals, it’s simply a smart move to use your card and get rewarded.)
For additional insider tips follow Luxury Travel Writer @Nancydbrown on Twitter and follow Aria on Twitter. Aria Las Vegas Resort & Casino and Aria Sky Suites are AAA Five Diamond properties.
Need to know:
Rooms start at $300 per night and move up to $600 and higher for the penthouse panoramic suite. Transportation to and from the airport is complimentary. You’ll have 24-hour access to concierge service. Sorry to say the hotel is not pet-friendly. Don’t even think about taking home that Crave tablet – what turns on in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Check in: 3:00 p.m.
Check out: 11:00 a.m.
If You Go:
Aria Sky Suites (877) 580-2742
3730 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Hotel review written by and photos courtesy of Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip, Travels from Northern California. I was a guest of MGM Resorts while covering the opening of The Park Las Vegas in Nevada.