January 24, 2017

Aria Sky Suites – Las Vegas, NV

Here is the story of how I discovered the Aria Sky Suites, now my favorite hotel in Las Vegas. Living in California in my twenties, Las Vegas was a common weekend destination for me. I made the 3-hour trek from Riverside at least once a month, if not more. Why? My passion for blackjack (winning, not just playing) made this trip financially feasible for me since I always left with more money than I arrived with, even after staying the weekend and enjoying some nice dinners. However, to save on costs, most all of my stays were at Excaliber or Luxor. At the time, Luxor had some of the most favorable rules at the blackjack tables on the strip.

After moving out of state for my day job, I didn’t have many opportunities to return to Vegas other than an incidental family stopover on the last leg of a five-state road trip from Texas to California. Then, in 2015, I decided to plan a nice getaway trip to Las Vegas. Being an avid Yelp user and reviewer, I researched the best hotels in Vegas. I kept seeing Aria and their Sky Suites come up at the top of the reviews. I hopped over to several other travel sites and similarly found Aria and Sky Suites at the top. Through blind faith of the public-driven social review system, I booked four nights at the Aria Sky Suites.

A couple days after booking directly through the MGM/MLife website, I received a call from “Sky Suites Concierge.” At first, thinking it was some upsell call, I was preparing to give my standard, “no thank you, please place me on your do not call list” when the concierge asked what time my flight was getting in so they could send a complimentary limousine to pick me up at the airport. After my initial shock and disbelief, the concierge assisted me with scheduling limo pickup and drop-off from the airport, tickets to a couple shows, and booking VIP reservations to a few restaurants (including Joël Robuchon.) I can totally get used to this!

Aria Sky Suites is what luxury and top notch service are all about. It only starts with the private limo service from the airport and just gets better from there. You are treated like royalty during your entire stay at the Aria, with no detail left behind. There is a separate entry into the hotel for Sky Suites guests that lead into the lounge and connected Sky Suites check-in. Even the check-in process was quick and very tailored to your stay.

The suites are spectacular – nothing short of perfection with not a single detail overlooked. The Sky Suites beds and pillows were also so comfortable that I even considered buying one for my home, (which Aria happens to sell…) and the giant oversized standalone jetted tub – need I say more?

The reception area was always stocked throughout the day with refreshments and snacks including great desserts from the hotel bakery -as well as an assortment of chocolate covered strawberries in the evenings. Not only did they have these delicious treats throughout the day, they also had an unlimited supply of Figi, San Pelligrino, and a variety of wine.

The star of the stay though was, of all things, housekeeping! Multiple refreshes during the day and a great turndown service. They always arrange and tidy up all loose articles, even folding your clothes for you. I can’t say I didn’t put some extra clothing for fun – to find them all folded and stacked neatly.

Aria Sky Suites is my hotel of choice every time I visit Las Vegas!