First and foremost - I have stayed at most of the major hotels on the strip, paid for many upgrades to "strip view" rooms/suites over the years and none have been as amazing as the view from this room. The pictures don't do it justice, you literally look OVER the Bellagio from your 50th floor perch, and can see the entire lake, fountain show and everything north of Paris (everything South of Paris is obstructed by the Cosmopolitan next door, but you won't care. Seriously, this is the ultimate braggy "post a picture of your view on Instagram and make your friends hate you" type of shot (I did, and they do!).
The room itself was a little smaller than the pictures reflected but plenty of room for my Wife & I (I would estimate it's between 1.5-2x the size of a standard hotel room). We loved how the suite is split by the TV column, allowing for us to store our things in the "living room". The bathroom is large with a large looking standard tub, separate stand up shower and single sink vanity. The bed and pillows were very comfortable, we found them both soft but not too soft. In the kitchenette, the unit has a microwave, small fridge and two burners that we did not use. There is a small table also in the kitchenette as well.
The Vdara building is beautiful and as this was my first stay at a "non-gaming" property (no casino), I may not go back to casino hotels. It was SO nice to come back to a luxurious, quiet place after a long day or night on the strip. The Vdara is just steps away from the back entrance of Aria, about 1 block total to the side entrance of the Cosmo, and there is a tram that can also take you to the Bellagio or Park MGM (although the tram was not operational as of 12/28/20 due to COVID). It's funny because I always thought the Vdara was situated poorly on the strip but I was dead wrong - it's an excellent location and contrast to all the craziness of the strip, while being short walks to everything in any direction. The building also has a market, bar, and
Starbucks in the lobby but only the market was open (again, due to COVID). Market had all the usual, plus small bites and pastries from the pastry shop in Aria. The building security were also top notch, very welcoming and friendly but a clear and needed presence, especially at the elevators. There were also plenty of taxis around the Vdara at all times and a nice, designated rideshare pick up right out front.
So there you have it. The host (Michael) was very pleasant to work with and very communicative leading up to our stay. No housekeeping or kitchenware (pots/pans, plates, etc) but we didn't need either (technically you can request housekeeping but for a fee, I think $40/day which pretty much wipes out the benefit of avoiding a resort fee, so I would only use if necessary). However, they were happy to bring towels, TP, etc. up for no charge (just remember to tip!).
Book this place and thank me later!