text: I will preface my review again with the fact that the wife and I go to Vegas about times a year We have been a lot more often as of late on family business The point of my preface is to let you the reader know I am not easily impressed with hotels and casinos I am jaded My fascination and bewilderment have long ago given way to degeneratism That being said the Aria at City Center has rekindled my interest in the posh possibilities that Las Vegas holdsnnWe were offered complimentary nights after staying at the dreadful Monte Carlo a month prior also in the MGM group of hotelcasinos I was unsure what to expect but figured what did we have to lose The place was band new how bad a room could they give us for free We arrived late Fridayearly Saturday groggy from the drive out in the rain There was just a few people in line waiting to check in We got to the counter and I promptly tried the good old trick which did not work this time We were simply offered the same room on a higher floornnAfter settling up at the front desk we made our way through the casino toward the guest elevators Along the way I noticed a lot of interesting slots some old favorites some new but right now all I can wish for is sleep We arrived up to our room and upon entering the lights slowly came up the drapes opened and soft music was playing in the background Now that is what I call a greeting Hardly comparable to the smack in the face of stale smoke you get upon entering rooms in some of the older hotels nnAs mentioned in other reviews the electronics in this room were nothing short of awesome Although I could not help but imagine an elderly guest trying to figure out the controls I found them easy to use and was very impressed I would have been more impressed if the touch screen controller were wireless but hey you cannot have it all The bed was incredibly comfortable the bathroom had a separate yet together tub and shower as you can see from others pictures The wifi signal was strong and the internet service was fast Everything was really topnotch I have not been this impressed since my first stay at Red Rock and this blows it away no comparisonnnSaturday night we ventured into the casino We were disappointed to see table minimums all set at or higher I will be honest I like to play tables but the thing I fear most is losing so fast I do not have time to have fun We decided to explore the slot options instead There were many machines on the floor beckoning and plenty of denominations to choose from The slots all seemed a little tight but not too bad I think we lost a little but not enough to complain Cocktail service at the slots was a tad slow but the drinks were healthy in both size and alcohol content I much prefer the nice sized tumbler you get at Aria to those little dinky glasses you get at most places on the strip I am a big fella and those go down in two or three sipsnnCocktail service definitely improved at the tables We were lucky enough to find a minimum card poker table which promptly went to once my wife sat down and took a break from the slots Dealers were friendly as was the pit boss who promised a good rating I hope he was not lying because I already want to go backnnWe unfortunately did not get to dine at any of the restaurants The only meal we had at the Aria was the buffet for brunch Sunday morning which was part of our offer and also complimentary I was not impressed with the buffet for breakfast especially for the price of for of us I am glad it was free I would not have been happy to have paid for itnnIn summary because let us face it I have rambled long enough this place is impressive Any opportunity to stay here should be seized I know I will return Thanks Aria