Zarkana Closes - Postmortem Review

April 30, 2016 marked the final performance of the Cirque du Soleil show Zarkana.

As I had wrote in a previous blog post - the show and showroom itself are being removed to make way for an expansion of the Aria Convention Center. In that blog post I said that I had always wanted to see Zarkana, and its closing might give me extra incentive to actually see it.



I did in fact see Zarkana during my recent stay at Aria. I really enjoyed the show and thought it was just as good - if not better than - the other Cirque shows I've seen (Mystère, Kà, and Zumanity).

Zarkana didn't really have a strong plot or theme. Similar to Mystère it was more or less a collection of acrobatic acts and live music that Cirque shows are known for.

While I don't think that hurt the production value of the show - it probably hurt marketing efforts. It seems like every other Cirque show in Vegas has some kind of hook to bring people in.



Perhaps the biggest reason for the show's demise was the fact that Aria doesn't really seem to be centered around entertainment. The showroom was located well off the casino floor up an escalator. Zarkana and the property's first show Viva Elvis kind of felt like afterthoughts rather than a priority.

While getting rid of a showroom to add more convention space won't benefit the average Las Vegas tourist - it probably does make sense for Aria.

Five50 Pizza at Aria Review

During my recent stay at Aria Las Vegas I had a chance to eat at one of the casual dining restaurants on property - Five50 Pizza.

We'll get to the pizza in a minute, but the star of this show was the Mozzarella Bar "cheese board" appetizer. You can choose from a selection of meats and cheeses which are served to you on a wooden cutting board. Served with flat-bread from the wood-fired oven, olives, house pickles, mustard, fruit, and nuts.

We ordered the Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese, Burrata, and Prosciutto. I would seriously go back to Five50 just to sample more of these meats and cheeses. Really good.


The pizza was good as well, but I didn't like it as much as my wife did. I thought it was pretty comparable to most other wood-fired pizza I've experienced. You can choose from a menu of pre-made concoctions, or build your own toppings. We built our own with mushrooms, olives, and tomatoes if I remember correctly.


Five50 also offers a take-out counter, which is very convenient considering its location near the poker room and sportsbook.

Overall Five50 is a great casual option at Aria, especially considering most of the other dining options on property are on the upper end of the pricing scale.

Aria Deluxe King Room Review

I had a chance to stay at Aria Las Vegas recently. Normally this fine hotel would be out of my price range, but on this particular weekend it didn't seem to be that much more expensive than some of the other joints on the Strip - so I figured I'd give it a shot.



I booked a deluxe king room through the M life website, which was easy enough. Prior to my arrival I received numerous emails offering me online check-in, but I was travelling at the time so I didn't take advantage of that option.



I arrived to the hotel at 9:30 pm and after a long walk from the parking garage I found there was hardly any line at the check-in desk. Five minutes later I had my room key and was on my way.



My first impression of the room was the size. It's 520 square feet which I believe is about 100 square feet larger than most classic sized Las Vegas hotel rooms. Definitely a good sized room and bigger than I was expecting.



One of the things I had heard about Aria was that the beds are supposed to be really good. It didn't disappoint. This was a super comfortable bed causing me to sleep a lot - something I don't usually do that much in Las Vegas.



Before staying at Aria I was concerned about the long walk to the Strip through Crystals. It's slightly annoying to be that far offset from the Strip, but it wasn't too bad. Monte Carlo, Bellagio, Cosmo, and Planet Hollywood are all easily accessible by foot or tram. Overall I found the property to be very walk-able and easy to get around.



One of the things I like about Aria is that it's one of the nicest hotels in Las Vegas, but also provides a good value. It's a great option if you want to step up to a nicer room but don't want to pay Wynn or Bellagio prices.

MGM set to Charge Parking Garage Fees?

MGM Resorts International will soon charge for parking at their Las Vegas self park garages, according to a report from Vegas Tripping.

Casino companies are willing to nickel and dime their customers endlessly in a quest for higher revenues. Over the years gaming odds on the Strip have declined consistently, and more recently resort fees have become commonplace at almost every Las Vegas hotel.

It's no surprise the bean counters would eventually try to get their hands on one of the remaining free perks left in Vegas.

Gamblers will be upset, but MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren has recently talked about focusing more on non-gaming clientele saying, "Many of them have no interest in gambling and that's perfectly fine with me."

There might be hope though. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has strict rules regarding access to gaming and according to their guidelines:

"...all gaming establishments in Nevada must remain open to the general public and the access of the general public to gaming activities must not be restricted in any manner..."

I'm not sure if charging for parking would count as restricting access, but hey it's something. Could Gaming Control block MGM from charging for parking?

Jewel Nightclub to replace Haze at Aria

Hakkasan Group has announced a new nightclub. Jewel will open in the Spring of 2016 in the former Haze nightclub space at Aria.

Haze closed almost a year ago and was operated by The Light Group, which itself was later acquired by Hakkasan.

I think Haze was somewhat of a disappointment from the time it opened. It never was able to match the buzz of more popular clubs in town like Marquee or XS. I wonder if Jewel will be more successful in that space.

This seems to be a prime era for nightclubs to be remodeled and renamed. The once popular Pure at Caesars Palace recently reopened as Omnia.

Tryst at Wynn Las Vegas will also be closing to be remodeled and will likely be renamed and reopened around the same time as Jewel.

Parts of CityCenter could be For Sale

MGM Resorts International would consider selling off parts of CityCenter in order to reduce the project's huge debt load.

During MGM's earnings call this morning, CEO Jim Murren said the Crystals mall was particularly attractive for a possible sale, and even mentioned that the shopping complex was built with a plan to sell it off eventually. Not sure I'm buying that part.

The company isn't going to sell Aria, but would be also be open to take offers on the non-gaming Vdara and Mandarin Oriental hotels.

The biggest downside I can think of with selling Crystals would be MGM's loss of that part of the Strip and the ability to funnel people back to Aria. On the other hand they are building a huge Aria marquee that should help with that, and I assume the eventual buyer of Crystals would have some kind of agreement to be Aria pedestrian friendly.

The Wedding Chapel at Aria

CityCenter has always needed a wedding chapel, and now its getting one.

The creatively named The Wedding Chapel at Aria is scheduled to open on April 23rd.

Much like CityCenter and Aria itself the chapel will try to shed the tackiness of the traditional Las Vegas wedding experience and transform it into a modern and upscale experience:

"Guests will enter the chapel through chrome, gated double doors backed by mahogany wood. Within the chapel lounge they will be greeted by a sense of natural light streaming through frosted glass windows etched with a blossoming tree. The stylish furniture, wrapped in sumptuous fabrics and set in comfortable arrangements, will create a contemporary, high-end residential feel. Inside the chapel, delicate live flowers weave their way up walls upholstered with infinity symbols to create a sense of romance and opulence."

I'm glad to see a wedding chapel at Aria. It's my opinion that every Las Vegas resort needs a wedding chapel, and I was a little dismayed when both Aria and Cosmopolitan opened without one. Cosmopolitan fixed that problem by opening their wedding chapel about a year ago, and now Aria will have one too.

Source: Aria Press Release.

Zarkana to replace Viva Elvis

Viva Elvis at Aria will be closing in August and will be replaced by another Cirque du Soleil show - Zarkana.

Zarkana spent two successful summers at Radio City Music Hall in New York, and has also toured internationally with stops in Madrid and Moscow.



It's kind of sad to see Viva Elvis go so soon, but I have a feeling Zarkana will be a much better fit for Aria.

I always wondered why they would have a 50's themed show at an ultramodern hotel like Aria. They were obviously trying to capitalize on the success of the Beatles show Love, but it just didn't work out. I wonder how the Michael Jackson show at Mandalay Bay will fare.

Source: Cirque du Soleil Press Release.

January Restaurant Roundup

A couple of restaurant tidbits have crossed the wire over the past couple of days.

The biggest news is probably the Gordon Ramsay restaurant rumored for Paris Las Vegas is actually happening. Robin Leach reported the Ramsay news way back in December 2010. A year went by without anything happening, but now there's an official press release stating that Gordon Ramsay Steak will be opening in the spring to replace the closed Les Artistes Steakhouse.

KJ Dim Sum & Seafood Chinese Restaurant is opening at Rio. Pulse of Vegas says they should be open in time for Chinese New Year, which is January 23rd. Las Vegas locals might be familiar with KJ's sister location in Chinatown, branded KJ Kitchen.

Lastly, Vegas Tripping is reporting that Union Restaurant at Aria is closing. It appears the restaurant might have suffered from service issues and was a tad overpriced.

Mystere getting Zed Infusion

Today marks the beginning of a month long closure of the Treasure Island Cirque du Soleil show Mystere, as it undergoes a minor makeover.

Robin Leach reported the key changes will include the addition of a trapeze act from the Japanese Cirque show Zed.

Zed was a popular show at Tokyo Disney Resort. The show opened in 2008, but unfortunately was recently canceled due in part to effects of the March earthquake.

It appears that elements from Zed will also be added to Cirque's ill-fated Viva Elvis show at Aria.

Veer Towers Wind Tunnel

Sportswriter Bill Barnwell of Grantland has recently moved to Las Vegas to write about living on the Strip for a year.

He is renting an apartment in the Veer Towers at CityCenter and recently wrote about a strange phenomenon that occurs when the wind blows at Veer:

"I was lucky to get a place in the West property that faces away from the sister tower — according to residents who live in the section of the East tower that faces west, the building is subject to a loud, sustained whistling noise that occurs any time the desert wind whips past the building. This sound makes living in the apartment impossible and forces MGM, who still owns the building, to put any resident who complains in the adjacent Vdara Hotel & Spa for a free stay. The estimate I heard for how many times this has happened in 2011 was in the mid-20s."

This is a relatively small problem that will go unnoticed by most Las Vegas visitors, but it still makes me scratch my head about CityCenter. Almost every building at the complex has had issues:

Aria: Visitors have complained that it's too far away from the Strip, and the main show Viva Elvis is already getting a makeover.

Vdara: The only restaurant closed back in March, and they also have the Vdara Sun Ray.

Crystals: Has been relatively trouble free aside from vistors complaining that it's an underwhelming shopping mall. Eve nightclub closed but that's not really their fault.

Harmon Hotel: Never opened and probably is going to be imploded, pending County approval.

Veer Towers: Wind Tunnel.

Mandarin Oriental: Is the big winner, as I can't think of any glaring issues.

MGM to Implode Harmon Hotel Tower at CityCenter

News broke today that MGM Resorts International has submitted a plan to Clark County to demolish the Harmon hotel tower by implosion.

People have been speculating for almost a year now that the stalled CityCenter hotel would be demolished, but this is the most definitive statement yet that MGM has made regarding the project.

The unfinished Harmon Hotel at CityCenter Las Vegas:


It was previously thought the Harmon would sit untouched until the legal battle between MGM and Perini was over, but it looks like MGM wants to move right away with the implosion. It could happen as early as six months from now.

It's sad to see a brand new building be imploded, but this has to be done by MGM. One of the major flaws of CityCenter is the main resort - Aria (and the casino) is so far away from the Strip.

While they can't move Aria, imploding Harmon will allow them to construct a grand entrance-way to CityCenter, hopefully with moving walkways leading to Aria.

UPDATE: August 27, 2011.

This wasn't entirely unexpected, but it appears MGM will have to jump over a few hurdles before they are able to demolish the Harmon.

Clark County has asked for more detailed plans regarding the implosion, including details on how the Harmon would affect hotel room supply and demand in Las Vegas.

There are also safety concerns because the Harmon is located so close to Las Vegas Boulevard and surrounding hotels. The Strip would probably have to be shut down for the implosion.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle for MGM is the pending litigation between them and the builder, Perini Building Co. Perini still maintains that the flaws in the Harmon aren't that serious and could be fixed.

Check out this Vegas Inc article for more about the Harmon implosion obstacles.

Viva Elvis Changes Coming in 2012

Viva Elvis, the Cirque du Soleil show at Aria will be closed temporarily in early 2012 to undergo some major changes. The show will be revamped to become less biographical and more acrobatic.

Viva Elvis will go dark in January 2012, with an expected re-opening at the end of the first quarter.

Part of the change will be incorporating performers from the Cirque show ZED, which was forced to closed after the Japan earthquake.

One of the biggest complaints about Viva Elvis was that it wasn't really a traditional Cirque show. Instead the show relied heavily on Elvis era dance numbers.

While Viva Elvis has received mixed reviews, I'm not sure making these changes will improve that. Some people might be happy with the added acrobatics, but Elvis fans are going to be upset that the show is going to be "less of a biographical representation of Elvis."

Source: Fox 5 Vegas.

Aria Occupancy hits 90%

MGM Resorts International has reported their second quarter results, and Aria has scored all time high occupancy and room rates for the second straight quarter. Occupancy hit 90% in the second quarter of 2011 while ADR increased $1 to $202.

At the other MGM properties second quarter occupancy was 94% with an ADR of $126, compared to occupancy of 93% and ADR of $115 in the same quarter last year.

Aria Occupancy and Average Daily Rate:

1Q 2010 - 63% - $194
2Q 2010 - 80% - $178
3Q 2010 - 82% - $175
4Q 2010 - 80% - $190
1Q 2011 - 86% - $201
2Q 2011 - 90% - $202

Source: MGM Resorts International.

Aria Improves Occupancy and ADR in 2011

In the first quarter of 2011, Aria scored all time high occupancy and room rates. Occupancy was 86% with an average rate of $201.

I've been keeping an eye on Aria's occupancy rate since it opened. They started off slow with a low 63% occupancy in the first quarter of 2010, but the numbers have been improving slowly throughout 2010 and now into 2011.

Aria probably will never be the cash cow that MGM was hoping for when the project was conceived, but breaking the $200 room rate mark is a step in the right direction.

Room rates were higher across the board at MGM properties in the first quarter, so we might be looking at the start of a real economic recovery in Las Vegas.

Aria Occupancy and Average Daily Rate:

1Q 2010 - 63% - $194
2Q 2010 - 80% - $178
3Q 2010 - 82% - $175
4Q 2010 - 80% - $190
1Q 2011 - 86% - $201

Source: MGM Investor Relations.

Aria Finding its Niche?

After being open for slightly over a year, it looks like Aria has settled in and is beginning to find some success.

It was revealed in MGM's fourth quarter earnings conference call that occupancy at Aria was at 80% for the quarter. That number was actually down from 82% in the third quarter, but the average room rate went up from $175 to $190.

2011 is shaping up to be even better as CES, Chinese New Year and the Super Bowl were very successful for Las Vegas. The opening of Cosmopolitan has also proved to be beneficial for CityCenter, as foot traffic has increased.

It also appears that visitor reviews on travel websites have been a lot more positive than when Aria first opened. It looks like some of the service issues that plagued Aria have been remedied.

It will be interesting to see if Aria can increase occupancy while maintaining the $190 room rate and relatively high customer satisfaction.

Las Vegas Chinese New Year Decorations

Chinese New Year is a big deal in Las Vegas. Many high rollers come from the far east to celebrate the new year, which begins on February 3rd this year. The upcoming year will be the year of the rabbit.

Check out how some of the major hotels decorate for Chinese New Year (photos are from each hotel's twitter and facebook pages):

Caesars Palace:



MGM Grand:


Aria:


Bellagio:


Palazzo:


Wynn Las Vegas:


Mirage:

Aria TV Commercial - The Center of Attraction

Aria has a new TV commercial. It shows a couple doing a variety of things, including:

- Checking into the hotel.
- Playing a little roulette.
- Dining at what looks to be a private restaurant.
- Dancing and walking around the property including through the pocket park.
- Setting a bar on fire.
- Swimming in the pool in the middle of the night with their clothes on.

I don't think you're really allowed to do those last two things. The commercial finishes with a few exterior shots of the hotel and a narrator says "The center of attraction has shifted. Aria Resort and Casino at CityCenter Las Vegas."

The song is "Coleen" by The Heavy.



I like this commercial. It shows people having fun at Aria, which isn't something I've seen in previous marketing efforts from them. Even though the commercial is unrealistic with the couple having the hotel to themselves and doing some things that are against the rules, it still makes Aria look like a place to be.

If they were looking to compete with the highly successful Cosmopolitan commercial, I think they did a good job.

Rumor has it the commercial will play during the SAG Awards on January 30th.

UPDATE: April 4, 2011.

I saw this commercial on TV today. It appears they have changed the ending slightly. Instead of saying "The center of attraction has shifted," it now says "The center of Las Vegas has shifted." There's also a graphic on the screen with the new tagline. I'm guessing that some viewers of the first version of the commercial didn't realize this was a Las Vegas hotel.

Better Directions at Aria

Aria has been open for a little over a year. Since the opening they have been tweaking the operation of the property in an attempt to solve some less than flattering customer service issues. One issue seems to be that it's hard to navigate your way around the hotel and CityCenter as a whole. In an attempt to make it easier Aria has added additional signage throughout the hotel and casino. They recently tweeted:

U asked for better signage and we listened! Check out the new overhead signage on our Casino level!



In addition to the interior signs, exterior signage has been installed on the incomplete Harmon Hotel pointing the way to CityCenter to pedestrians passing by. This was seemingly done as a direct response to the Cosmopolitan opening.

It looks like Aria is taking steps to improve, but I think there's still some ground to make up before they are hitting on all cylinders.

MGM Resorts Launches M life

MGM Resorts International has launched their new "M life" loyalty program. The program will have a tier structure consisting of Sapphire, Pearl, Gold and Platinum. Each tier comes with its own set of benefits, including the ability to earn points faster at the Gold and Platinum levels.

Another feature of M life will be the ability to track spending outside of the casino, but that won't be available until later this year.

The new program is being touted as easier to use and more transparent when it comes to knowing exactly what you've earned. You will be able to check your balances a variety of ways, including online, kiosks, at slot machines and even an iPhone app.

M life is also aiming to offer guests rewards that they actually want. If you went to a concert in the past, they might offer you tickets to a concert by a similar artist in the future.

We will have to wait and see how well the new program is implemented, but I think any change is for the better. I never could figure out the old MGM Players Club. It was seemingly impossible to know what comps you had or how much you had to play to get anything. M life looks to be combating some of these problems, so hopefully it's a step in the right direction.

Source: MGM Resorts Press Release.