CityCenter, and who it works for
Aria is the centrepiece of CityCenter, the modern complex set back from Las Vegas Boulevard between Bellagio and Park MGM. The setback matters: the hotel entrance is a curving driveway off Harmon Avenue, not the Strip itself, so the front door is calmer than at Bellagio or Caesars but you walk five to ten minutes through the Shops at Crystals or along the tram to reach the Boulevard. Once you are on it, Bellagio, Cosmopolitan and Planet Hollywood are all close.
Aria suits people who want a contemporary hotel rather than a themed one: business travellers, couples in their thirties and forties, gym-goers and anyone who has stayed at Bellagio and wants something quieter with a better bathroom. It is less suited to first-timers who want the fountain-and-volcano version of Las Vegas, and to anyone who dislikes walking through a mall to reach the street. What to see and do at CityCenter, including the public art, is in our Aria destination guide.
Rooms: Strip view, Mountain view and the tower sides
The standard Deluxe room is about 520 square feet with floor-to-ceiling glass, automated curtains and lighting that respond when you enter, a bathroom with a soaking tub and glass shower, and a tablet-driven control system that has been simplified since the early years. Rooms have been refreshed in phases through the 2020s and are consistent; renovation lottery is less of an issue here than at older resorts.
The building is a curved slab, so views are the choice. Strip view rooms face east toward Planet Hollywood and the Boulevard, with the Cosmopolitan's towers partly in frame; the higher the floor the more you see. Mountain view rooms face west over the pool, the Waldorf Astoria and the Spring Mountains, which is the better sunset and the quieter side. On the lower floors either view is mostly of other buildings, so floor matters more than side. Tower Suites add a living area and a better view; the Corner Suites on the ends of the slab have two exposures and are the best value upgrade. Ask for a high floor away from the elevator core.
Sky Suites: the hotel within the hotel
Aria's upper floors are the Sky Suites, run as a separate product with its own entrance and driveway on the south side, a private lobby, dedicated concierge and limousine transfers from the airport on certain rates. Sky Suites guests have their own lounge with breakfast and evening drinks, a separate pool with its own bar and cabanas, and priority at the spa and restaurants. The one-bedroom suites start around 900 square feet and go up from there; the two-bedroom Sky Villas are a different price bracket.
It is one of the better club-level products on the Strip because the separation is real rather than a roped-off lobby corner. The premium over a Deluxe room is substantial, typically several hundred dollars a night, so it makes sense for a special-occasion stay or when an MGM Rewards offer prices it close to a standard suite. If you want space without the club-level trappings, a Tower or Corner Suite in the main building is the cheaper route.
Fee, parking and the tram
Aria is an MGM property in the luxury tier, so the resort fee runs roughly $50 to $60 plus tax per night as of 2026. Check the official site for the current figure; MGM Rewards Gold and above have it waived under the program rules. It covers Wi-Fi, the fitness centre and the pools.
Self-parking at MGM resorts is roughly $18 to $30 a night as of 2026, free for MGM Rewards Pearl and above at various points and subject to change; check the current policy. Aria's garage is under the property and the walk to the elevators is shorter than at most Strip hotels. Valet is at the main entrance for a higher fee. If you are carless, the free CityCenter tram runs from Aria to Bellagio in one direction and to Park MGM and the Crystals stop in the other, which puts two more resorts within a few minutes. The general fee picture is in our resort fee explainer.
The pools
Aria's pool deck faces west behind the tower, with three main pools, hot tubs and a large cabana row set among trees and water features. It is guests-only, and the tone is resort rather than party; music is present but not loud. On summer weekends it fills, and the Strip's usual chair economics apply: by mid-morning the shaded loungers are gone unless you rent a daybed. The adults-only Liquid pool operates as a small dayclub in season with its own admission and DJs; it is contained and does not overwhelm the main deck.
Sky Suites guests have a separate, much quieter pool on the same side. Season typically runs from around March to October with reduced hours in the shoulders; confirm dates. Because the deck faces west, afternoon sun is strong and morning is the pleasant time. It ranks solidly in our best resort pools guide, behind Wynn and Bellagio for scenery but ahead of most for space.
Gym and spa
Aria's fitness centre is one of the top three on the Strip along with Wynn and the Venetian: a large, light-filled room over two levels with a long cardio floor, a full free-weight area with racks and platforms, cable machines and a stretching zone. It is included in the resort fee and opens early. Classes are offered on a schedule that changes.
The spa is the reason many people choose Aria. It is large and calm, with a heated stone ganbanyoku bed room, a salt room, a co-ed relaxation lounge, plunge pools, steam and sauna, and an outdoor terrace. Day access to the facilities has been sold to hotel guests, and sometimes to non-guests on quiet days; ask for the current policy. Treatments are priced at the top of the market but the facility time that comes with them is generous. It is one of the highest-rated in our resort spa guide.
Dining on the property
Aria has a strong restaurant list that changes periodically, so check current openings. Anchors include Carbone (New York Italian, hard to book on weekends), Bardot Brasserie (French, good for brunch), Jean Georges Steakhouse, Catch (seafood and sushi with a scene), Din Tai Fung (dumplings, with lines) and Javier's (Mexican). Aria Café is the all-day fallback and Aria Patisserie does coffee and pastries.
For cheaper eating, the Proper Eats Food Hall across the tram at Park MGM has a range of counters, and the Shops at Crystals next door have a few restaurants at the high end; our Crystals guide covers them. The Bellagio tram makes that hotel's dining a ten-minute trip. There is no buffet at Aria; the Bacchanal at Caesars and the Buffet at Wynn are the nearest big ones. Reservations for Carbone and Catch on weekends should be made when you book the room.
Casino, arrival and checkout
The casino is large, high-ceilinged and lit by daylight from the atrium, which makes it one of the more pleasant floors to cross. Table minimums are in line with Bellagio: high after dark on weekends, moderate midweek. The poker room is a fixture and the high-limit salon is off the main floor. Because the elevators for the main tower are close to the lobby and the restaurant corridor runs along the edge, non-gamblers can avoid most of it.
Check-in is 3 p.m. and checkout 11 a.m. The lobby is large and the MGM app's mobile check-in and digital key work well here, so the desk queue is often short outside Friday afternoons. Early check-in is granted when rooms are ready; if not, the bell desk holds bags and the pool and gym are open to you. Late checkout to 1 p.m. is generally free for MGM Rewards Gold and above under current rules and available for a fee otherwise; ask the night before. Sky Suites guests check in at their own lobby.
MGM Rewards, pros, cons and verdict
Aria earns and burns MGM Rewards like Bellagio, MGM Grand and the rest of the portfolio. Gold is the tier that matters: waived resort fee and free parking under the current program, plus late checkout and a separate check-in line. Status matches from certain other programs get you there quickly; the matching partners change, so check. Member rates and offers by email are frequently lower than public rates, so join before booking. Our Bellagio stay guide is the natural comparison within the same program.
- Pro: consistent, modern rooms with the best bathrooms in the MGM portfolio.
- Pro: top-tier gym and spa, and a large pool deck.
- Pro: quieter arrival than the Strip-front resorts, with a free tram to Bellagio and Park MGM.
- Pro: strong restaurants and cheap eats a tram ride away.
- Con: luxury-tier fee and paid parking.
- Con: five to ten minutes from the Boulevard itself.
- Con: no buffet, and lower-floor views are of other buildings.
As of 2026 a Deluxe room runs roughly $180 to $320 midweek and $350 to $600 on weekends, before the fee and tax, typically a little below Bellagio. Sky Suites start several hundred dollars higher. Verdict: for a return visitor or a couple who will actually use the room, gym and spa, Aria is the best-value luxury stay on the center Strip. First-timers who want the iconic view should pay the extra for Bellagio.
