Q: positive

A: I had to come out to Vegas for business to attend CES. I hadn't been to Vegas in nearly 20 years and I wanted to see as much of it as I could (had to have a bit of free time too - why not?) since so much had changed. I split my stay between the Downtown Grand at Fremont and the rest of my time on The Strip at Aria so I could get the "full experience." The difference, as expected, was night and day. I travel on business a lot, and stay in a lot of nice hotels. But Aria was something completely off of my radar. Check-in: Aria check-in was smooth as silk. I had booked through the hotel's website (got a great deal, too) and I was able to take advantage of the Express Check-In, so I was able to bypass the extremely long line. I was on my way to my room in less than five minutes. Room: After taking a ride up to the 25th floor and went inside, I found the room to be simply spectacular. It was very, very spacious and the decor was very tastefully done. When I stepped further into the room, the lights and tv came on to the services/apps screen and the curtains automatically opened to reveal the most gorgeous view of the city that I'd even seen (I had a king Deluxe with City View). It was facing the Monte Carlo and the MGM and the intersection of Las Vegas Blvd and Harmon. With the mountain range out in the distance, the view was stunning. Gorgeous. I was a little kid at Christmas! The bathroom was very nice and upscale (the shower experience was one of the best I've had in a hotel). The bed was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in, and the layout of the room was just perfect. I've read a lot of complaints about the Smart Room system being sluggish and ineffective, but I didn't have that problem at all in my room. It was very responsive, relatively easy to navigate and just a pleasure to deal with. I never wanted to leave the room LOL! Casino: I'm not sure what the complaint from other reviewers was about all of the electronic slots and electronic gaming on the floor, but nearly every casino in America has moved over to this style of play. But there were still plenty of table games to be had, with lots of poker, blackjack, several craps and roulette and other table games available. My only complaint was the smokiness. While far less smoky than the other casinos I visited, it was still a little more than I cared for (I wonder how well a smoke-free casino would be received?). I had far greater success in winning when I played at the casinos downtown rather than at the casinos on the Strip (which I came to learn as a general rule; casinos downtown have less of a buy in, the slots are looser and there's a greater percentage of winning than playing at the casinos on the Strip). I had fun on the Aria floor, but I'd recommend the Golden Gate on Fremont. Dining and nightlife: I didn't frequent a lot of the restaurants within the hotel simply because of a lack of time, though I did check out a couple, including The Buffet and the Cafe. While the food in The Buffet was okay, it was way overpriced. I found selections at other casinos to have much more variety, much better food, and at a far more reasonable price. I did not go to any of the clubs within the hotel, again primarily due to time, but also because they seemed to cater to much much younger crowd. And played music that didn't really do much for me. I like house and dance, but I'm more of a jazz guy. Shopping: Pretty much anything you want, it's all right there in the hotel. Back in the day, the hotels were pretty much islands to themselves but now, you can almost move from one to the other and never really have to go outside. It was great. Check-out: Quick and painless. Aria gives you a ton of options for checking out via email, mobile device, etc. But I wanted to get some clarity on the bill so I went to the front desk. I was seen in no time and the attendant was quick and courteous. BE WARNED: If you pick up ANYTHING in the mini-bar for longer than 20 seconds, you'll get charged for it. They have sensors in the doors and on the outside items that "assume" that you've picked it up to use and/or take with you. Be sure you read over your bill before check out. Overall, totally impressed. I truly did not want to leave. Unless someone gives me a reason to go to another hotel or Aria gives me an excuse to leave, the Aria will be the ONLY hotel I stay on my trip to Vegas. Totally worth every penny.

Q: negative

A: Over priced, bad service. Tiny portions, avg tasting, will not be back!

Q: negative

A: Order my family's meal at 3 PM so it'd be ready at 5 PM the same day. Came it at 5:05 and they didn't have anything ready. The workers weren't rude, but they weren't the nicest either.

Q: positive

A:
Hello friends, This place was (only because I moved across town) one out my two favorite spots to go to. It seems before you finish placing your order the food is coming out of the kitchen. This was the main reason I was a fan of Pandas Den (PD). The portions are pretty big. The wings WERE big as well but my last visit...well not so much. They wouldn't dare let you drink be 1sip away from full. On my last visit, the corner booth was Rank!!! Go enjoy, TTFN