City Center Las Vegas: A Resort & Casino, A Hotel & Spa, A Mandarin Oriental, Two Leaning Towers and One "Blue" White Elephant (Just The Facts At A Glance)

The City Center complex (photo: MGM)

This post covers City Center's various buildings at a glance.

• The glittering mega block that is City Centers sits on 67 acres between the Monte Carlo and Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
• Construction broke ground on April 3, 2006 and opened on December 3, 2009.
• 78,000 tons of steel used for City Center, enough to build 10 Eiffel Towers; and enough concrete to build a 4-foot sidewalk from Las Vegas to New York and back. The 2.7 million square feet of glass used is enough to enclose 12 Luxor Hotels.
• Occupies 1,200 feet along the Las Vegas Strip.
• Approximately 2,400 residences in total between Veer Towers, Vdara and Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas.
• Employs 12,000 permanent employees.
• The only resort property on the Strip to feature its own fire station.

Visiting City Center today, I learned there are no public areas at the Veer Towers as it should be since this is strictly a residential tower. Though non-guests can stroll through the lobby of the Vdara, there really isn't much to see there. Like the Mandarin Oriental, public areas are very limited. Non-guests to City Center should make the complex's restaurants, Crystals shopping center, the Aria casino and showroom as their primary destinations. Valet and self-parking is free. The Aria Express connects visitors and guests to the Bellagio and Monte Carlo. A pedestrian bridge connects City Center with the Cosmopolitan and Planet Hollywood.

Click on the following links for more information:
The Crystals (overview of City Center's shopping attraction)
City Center, Las Vegas: A City Within Itself (overview of the complex)

ARIA RESORT & CASINO

The 61-story Aria viewed from the Las Vegas Strip.

The hotel's porte cochere
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

• Opened December 16, 2009
• 61-story gaming resort with 4,004 rooms, including 568 suites, ranging from 520 to 2,000 square feet.
• Two curved towers joined make up the four wings of the hotel.
• Features 16 restaurants and 10 bars and lounges.
• Mainstay show is 'Viva Elvis by Cirque due Soleil' (opened February 19, 2010 & closing August 31, 2012) to replaced by 'Zarakana by Cirque du Soleil' (opening Nov 1, 2012).
• Features 150,000 square foot casino.
• Pool deck measures 215,000 square feet featuring three primary pools and Liquid (an adults-only pool).
• Two-level 80,000 square feet spa with 620 treatment rooms and the country's first Japanese Ganbanyoku Stone Beds.
• Fun facts: The concierge staff offers assistance in 16 languages including Mandarin, Korean, Russian, Serbian, Armenian, Dutch and Albanian. Construction workers added one floor to Aria every seven days from September 2007 to the topping out in September 2008. There are approximately 21,000 pillows in the hotel tower.
• Slot machine bases in the casino were specifically designed for the Aria to serve as air-conditioning units cooling guests from the ground up.
• Visit arialasvegas.com for more information.

From the Aria entrance guests get a view of all of City Center's
buildings including the Harmon (left) and Vdara (right).

The back view of the Aria as seen from Vdara.
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

THE HARMON

The Harmon: the most expensive billboard on Las Vegas Boulevard.
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

Original plans for the building included 400 hotel rooms and 207 condominium residences on 49 floors. Due to construction defects, the height was reduced to 26 stories. The exterior is complete but the interior remains unfinished. MGM Mirage which owns City Center is seeking court permission to demolish the structure. Click HERE for the post "A White Elephant in Las Vegas is Blue" to learn more about the ill-fated project.

The south face of the Harmon as viewed from the pedestrian bridge
to Crystals.

The Veer Towers (left) and Cosmopolitan tower of the 26 stories
of the Harmon.

The side of the Harmon facing Las Vegas Boulevard.

(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

VDARA HOTEL & SPA

The curved Vdara tower faces south.
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

• Click HERE to read a previous post about the infamous "Vdara Death Ray".
• Opened December 1, 2009.
• 57-stories offering 1,495 condo-hotel units and suites ranging from 500 to 1,650 square feet.
• Spa & Salon Vdara is an 18,000 square-foot, two level spa.
• Lobby lounge called the Bar Vdara.
• Pool features 19 cabanas, one primary pool, semi-secluded plunge pools and a high-energy bar and lounge.
• Visit vdara.com for more information.

VEER TOWERS

The Veer's twin leaning towers.
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

• Opened July 14, 2010
• Comprised of two 37-story glass towers inclined at five-degree angles.
• Each tower houses approximately 335 modern condominium residences ranging from 500 to 3,300 square feet.
• Amenities include an infinity-edge pool, sun deck, recreations rooms, media rooms, fitness center and business center.
• Visit citycenteronsale.com for more information about all residences at City Center.

Veer Towers surrounded by the Mandarin Oriental (left), Aria and Harmon
(right) and Crystals (forefront). View from Planet Hollywood.
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

MANDARIN ORIENTAL, LAS VEGAS

The north side of the Mandarin Oriental.
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

• Opened December 4, 2009.
• The first Mandarin Oriental to ever open in Las Vegas.
• 47-story, non-gaming hotel and residences.
• Features the restaurant Twist by three-star Michelin Chef Pierre Gagnaire.
• Accommodations include 392 rooms and suites
• Spa at Mandarin Oriental inspired by 1930s Shanghai and reflecting the glamour and fusion of the era.
• Pool facility features 20 cabanas, two lap pools and the Pool Cafe.
• The top floors of the hotel are occupied by 225 luxury condominiums.
• Visit mandarinoriental.com for more information.

The Mandarin Oriental and Veer Towers occupy one corner
of City Center. The Crystals fronts the Veer.
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)