Aria Has A Credit Card

Editor'due south note: This postal service was originally published on Aug. 4, 2019.

There are tons of means to maximize your stay in Las Vegas, and nosotros've discussed them — from condition matches to luxury hotel programs designed to mimic elite benefits.

While there is a plethora of choices when it comes to booking hotels with your preferred loyalty program, using sites such as Fine Hotels & Resorts or the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection can be a skilful option for those without status, those looking for stays in boutique hotels or those taking advantage of cheap room rates in order to be paid to stay (yep, that's real).

A trip to Las Vegas earlier this year came most as an thought to leverage status matches for maximum benefits while in Sin City. And while that was successful, when booking my trip, I was not yet an aristocracy member, which meant I was out of luck when it came to perks such as belatedly checkout or room upgrades.

Booking

Luckily, as a holder of the Chase Sapphire Reserve, I have admission to the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection (LHRC) and concluded up booking a stay at the Aria, i of MGM'due south upper-tier hotels, for $179 a night. My room rate included a number of benefits: priority check-in line; early check-in, when bachelor; late checkout, when available; room upgrade, when available; $100 food-and-beverage credit per stay; and gratuitous breakfast for two (upwards to $30 each).

This was actually my first fourth dimension using the LHRC program, although I have benefitted from FHR and its benefits on a number of occasions.

So what was information technology like, at the Aria, with this program? Honestly? It was a resounding "meh."

Check-in

Admittedly, some of this may exist my fault, as during check-in I had forgotten almost the priority line I was supposed to be able to use and instead attempted to cheque in at the self-serve kiosk.

Still, I arrived at 3:25pm, tried to bank check in, and was told there was no room available for me. No, I'one thousand not talking about a room upgrade: I just straight up didn't have a room. I told the staff I had booked with LHRC, but they didn't seem to know what that was and never directed me to the priority bank check-in. They allow me know that I could sit down in the lobby for about an hour and that they'd text me when my room was ready.

Fortunately, another member of staff took compassion, grabbed my "room not available" receipt and went to the managing director to beg a room for me.

Room

The begging worked, and I found myself in a decidedly non upgraded king room, which I suspect was vacant because it was musty and smelled like mildew.

(Photo courtesy of Aria Resort and Casino)

The Aria bills itself as a high-class hotel, so the first of my stay wasn't dandy. While I was absolutely grateful for the staff member who helped me out, I was pretty bummed that information technology meant I was stuck in the room I received, particularly coming off a fabulous studio suite at Caesars Palace.

Though the room view was pretty nice — Though the room view was pretty dainty. (Photograph by Carissa Rawson / The Points Guy)

Still, the Aria had some of that wow factor, such as curtains drawing back when yous entered the room and a nifty tablet that immune yous to control everything (fifty-fifty room service!) in one spot.

Astonishingly expensive, even for a minibar. (Photo past Carissa Rawson / The Points Guy)

Nutrient and Beverage

The hotel itself was also really beautiful and boasted excellent dining. By sheer coincidence, TPG staffers Scott Mayerowitz and Zach Griff were also in Vegas and also staying at the Aria and also besides had booked via the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection.

You can't deny it's got style — Y'all can't deny it's got manner. (Photo courtesy of MGM.)

This meant we each had a $100 credit to use, and while the other two were staying for another solar day, I had just a unmarried dark in which to spend my hard-won credit. Luckily, Scott and Zach managed to snag a reservation for united states at Carbone, Aria'south high-end Italian restaurant.

It did not disappoint. Though I'thou unsure we actually needed a reservation, as information technology was quite empty, the ambiance was all smooth elegance and understated lighting.

(Photo by Carissa Rawson / The Points Guy)

As per our waiter's proffer, we ordered four dishes (yes, between the three of u.s.), and all of them were delicious.

Scott went with Carbone's specialty, the Veal Parmesan:

I enjoyed the ribeye Diana, cooked perfectly to medium rare:

And Zach ordered the catch of the day, fresh and perfectly seasoned:

(Photograph by Carissa Rawson / The Points Guy)

I don't have whatever photos of the spicy rigatoni vodka, as it disappeared near instantaneously. (It was that good.)

Alas, despite our all-time efforts (and even a cocktail), our bills only came to $85 each. I spent my remaining credit on a single canteen of water from the minibar on the way out.

As our room rates also included breakfast, we met up the post-obit morning time for breakfast at The Buffet at Aria. I was really impressed with this buffet. You hear a lot about the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, with its towering crab-leg spread and hordes of people, but near nothing is said well-nigh the food here. This was every bit adept, if non better.

What certainly was better was the complete lack of crowds. There was no wait, and the serving stations themselves were empty, which meant going upward to become your food was easy and quick, not something I tin can say about the Bacchanal.

Even better, the buffet here was cheaper: from ix:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., brunch ready you back $29.99. In dissimilarity, the Bacchanalia brunch is 11:00 a.m. to iii:00 p.m. and costs $32.99, non including the number of people you lot'll need to elbow out of the way.

(Photograph past Carissa Rawson / The Points Guy)

Overall Impression

The Aria itself is a beautiful hotel -- there'southward no doubt virtually that. The casino is lovely, the food is far above par, and the staff was squeamish (if clueless). I did manage to get late checkout, which I was pleased well-nigh, but the lack of room upgrade and failure to receive even normalcheck-in hours put me off.

And so I saw this:

And this:

Information technology turns out they didn't apply my nutrient-and-drink credit at all, although at to the lowest degree I wasn't charged for the breakfast. I'm more than than a picayune irritated about this, as it meant a phone call and an argument over something that should have been done properly in the commencement identify.

Overall, while I enjoyed the stay, I call back the Aria has got quite a long way to get when it comes to honoring the benefits it promotes via luxury hotel programs. Though I'd exercise information technology again (free money is free money, subsequently all), I'd hope that next time they'd exist amend prepared and better able to provide the perks they promise.