More about Vdara
“Big Edge” Sculpture
by Yaqui
Nancy Rubins – “Big Edge” 2009, Stainless steel and aluminum water vessels, 51 x 75 x 57 feet
Located at: Vdara’s main drive
Vdara, 2600 W. Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89158
Nancy Rubins created one of the most visually stunning commissions at CityCenter with a large-scale installation: “Big Edge.” Cantilevered over Vdara’s main drive and measuring approximately 57 feet wide and 75 feet long, Rubins’ work of art at CityCenter is a colorful composition of numerous aluminum rowboats, canoes and other small river and ocean vessels finessed into an eye-catching, gravity-defying form the artist calls “a blooming flower.” The boats are connected with thousands of pounds of stainless steel wire cable forming a web-like structure, where compression and tension create what Buckminster Fuller referred to as “tensegrity,” making the whole stronger than the parts. Each boat was precisely placed according to Rubins’ direction based on its color, shape and structural contribution to the whole. Rubins maintains the look, shape and feel of her chosen objects, so each reclaimed craft showcased in the piece is exactly as originally found. The commission is located on the exterior of Vdara Hotel & Spa and is one of Rubins’ few works with a permanent home. Rubins has designed amazing works of art from mattresses, trailers, hot water heaters, airplanes and small appliances since the 1970s. For more than 25 years, Rubins has exhibited extensively around the world in major solo and group exhibitions.
CityCenter Tram~Free
by Yaqui
The CityCenter Tram connects Vdara, Belliago, CenterCenter at the Crystals, and Monte Carlo. The CityCenter has a wonderful cover, people walker to and from it and even has a elevator. Some wonderful art is display on the exterior walls.
The tram is 95-foot long that runs simultaneously in opposite directions, four cars per train, 33 passengers per car and 132 passengers per train, The tram transports 5,068 passengers per hour at peak capacity, The tram travels at 13.5 miles per hour, Passengers can make the roundtrip in six minutes and 15 seconds,
Tram operates 20 hours per day 8 a.m. – 4 a.m.
Cost to ride: FREE
Nice, but needs to work some kinks out...
by TripAdvisor Member GreenGeneGal
As with any new business there are of course going to be some kinks that need to be worked out, and all and all our stay at Vdara was very pleasant. We were originally given a room on the 10th floor--it was our first trip to Vegas and that disappointed us because our view was of a loading dock and the backside of the Bellagio. We decided not to complain because we didn't want to be "those" people. Awaking on our first morning to an abrupt 6 AM dumpster emptying and LOTS of construction traffic (note, City Center is NOT finished yet...only one dining option open and very little direction or maps once you get in there on how to get out)--needless to say, we quickly became "those" people. We changed rooms and got moved to the 34th floor, which was MUCH better for the view and the sounds below. The transition wasn't as smooth as it could have been (the key to our old room was disabled before we could get up there to move our things)--but after all that, everything was better. The fridge was rather small and we never used the kitchen besides the fridge. The Vdara is quite a hike to anywhere on the strip (because of having to haul it through the Bellagio) except Aria is easily accessible. On our last day we got a message apologizing that our room hadn't been cleaned--uh, which it totally had been. Yet, after we returned from dinner there was another maid in there cleaning again? Things like that at the Vdara need to be worked out. The light switches were kinda odd too--lots of them and rather confusing--what we wished was that the window shade control was beside the bed instead of on the wall near the kitchen. There were things we did like though, like the depth of the tub--very nice to soak in, and the bed was the most comfortable I've ever slept on! We really liked the ease of hitching a cab right outside the doors of Vdara when we weren't headed to the strip. We also rented a car for the day and went down to Hoover Dam and then to Red Rocks Canyon. The rental car process from the Vdara concierge was absolutely seamless and we picked up the rental straight from the Vdara Valets--that part was so convenient to us that it was completely priceless! I'm sure we could have gotten a better rental rate from the airport or maybe even the rental car facility at the Bellagio, but just being able to pickup and hand off keys outside the lobby was ideal. We liked the fact too that there was no smoking and no gaming at the Vdara--it made it a much more quite and pleasant experience. I actually can't fathom staying at one of the large casino hotels after staying at Vdara, but I'm also not sure I'd ever like to return Vegas. It was rather overwhelmingly crowded and we also couldn't believe how many people brought their children out there. If you're not used to standing in lines, don't go to Vegas, or the Vdara--even checking out we waited 15 minutes in line! I know a new hotel has some kinks to work out, but seems like they might have employed more folks for front desk and customer service type positions until they get to be a well-oiled machine.
I liked it!
by TripAdvisor Member wrldtvler
We stayed here for 4 nights - Dec 31st to Jan 4th. I will outline the review as it occurred:
Arrival - Taxi driver did not know how to get there and I had to direct him, even though I had not been there before. I did not think it was that complicated as there are clear signs everywhere. Door man did not come to help with our bags.
Check-in - Waited behind 1 group of people, only 4 check-in staff on NYE. Not too bad for me, but the line was growing behind us.
Room - We had a room that only had 1 tv, almost exact same as another review's pictures. It was on the 23rd floor facing Aria and we had no noise problems. I was not planning on cooking so lack of dishes meant nothing to me. TV worked fine, water was hot, shower pressure was strong and the room looked fine, nothing to notice that it was missing anything. I liked the tub, actually took my first bath in about 2 years. One complaint would be that there was no way to figure out how to play the ipod on the TV even though the connections were there. Also the auto shade button is near the entrance rather than the bed.
Housekeeping - Same complaint about New Year's day, had to call down to check at 6pm when they were coming. They said they would be up at 6:30 and they were. Also on the last day we did not get our "free" water and on the first day no newspaper. Seems like a bit of a quality control issue that should get ironed out soon.
Restaurants/Bar - Did not try either as we had other places already reserved.
Gym - My wife said it was good, lots of towels and water available.
Pool - We could see the pool from our room, looked a bit boring and overlooks the front entrance. Could be good or bad depending on how they set up the chairs and bars, etc. Not really any trees or features that people like at the Mirage, Flamingo and MGM pool areas.
CityCentre - It is a bit confusing, but if you have a brain you can figure it out pretty quickly. The one review where the person walked from Vdara to Crystals to take the tram back to Belliagio is crazy. There is a direct walkway from Vdara to Bellagio that we used everyday. The tram itself is a little pointless, you can walk from Vdara through Aria to Monte Carlo in almost the same amount of time as walking to Bellagio waiting for the tram and taking it to the Monte Carlo, depending on how lazy/tired you are. The walkway around the entrance way to Vdara/Aria is not bad at all and for a Canadian in his t-shirt I found the weather to be fine. We also took the stairs down to Harmon and walked that way to the strip which was pretty quick and very "not" vegas. The huge buildings with no connection to the sidewalk seemed strange and gave the "city center" feel they were hoping for.
Check-out - Not sure why someone would wait in line to check out as you can call down to check out, use your TV to check out or just leave and be checked out automatically. We called and had our time extended to 1pm at no cost or trouble at all.
Overall - I would say it is fine, nothing amazing but the non-smoking aspect and extremely quiet lobby that seemed to almost empty half the time was a great break from the crazy crowds at the other hotels. Also a lot of people complained about the lack of casino/restaurants, but maybe they haven't stayed in a room that is a long walk from the casino/restaurants. Our room at Vdara was closer to the casino in Aria than rooms that I have had at the Flamingo, MGM grand and Luxor tower.
Didn't knew it excisted in Vegas when we booked
by TripAdvisor Member mafootje
And that was correct it wasn't open when we booked only 2 weeks before our arrival it was to be opened. We booked the hotel combined with a flight with Exit Reizen (dutch). We couldn't get a ticket for the price we booked this package. Expectations where high because of the previews on the Vdara Website. We didn't get disappointed.
It was a bit hard to find the entrance of the hotel but when we find it the first thing that came up was the relaxed atmosphere. At the other strip hotel checking in is hectic but not at Vdara. Probably due to the included Valet Parking and the fact there are no shops or Casino at this city center resort.
Rooms are big with their own kitchen and dining table (if you want to use the kitchen just call the reception and they make sure you get the plates, knives or what else you need). There's a double fridge half of it is the minibar and the other halve is to be used for what ever you want.
Getting out of the kitchen theres a big sofa and a chair. Windows across the room which have curtains and blackout curtains that can be lowered or raised at the push of a button.
The bed is large and soft, sleeps great a big flat screen completes the room. In the bathroom is a full size bath and seperate shower.
Everything is just right the only two things which where less then perfect are the black out curtains which won't black out all of the morning sun. Second point was the low water pressure in the shower, strangely enough the bath fills up fast. The High Speed Wifi was included in the resort fee $15 a day (which we didn't have to pay, our travel agent paid this also)
If you like to be on the strip in a unvegasly relaxed atmosphere you should try this great new hotel. The PC in the Business center are free to be used, there's a fee for printing documents.
Definitely some issues to work out
by TripAdvisor Member she_who_dreams
The room itself was very nice; however, I think the Vdara still has some issues to work out.
Good:
1. Pleasant and friendly staff who go out of their way to help you (when they are actually present).
2. The rooms have nice decor... and they have a media hub, which every hotel should have but doesn't. Thanks to Vdara for not being proprietary about entertainment.
3. The room is fairly spacious, with a little couch and a small dining table.
4. The bed is one of the most comfortable that I've slept in. Extremely comfortable.
Not So Good:
1. The kitchenette isn't really stocked at all. I called housekeeping to bring me some pots, pans, plates, etc. They never showed up. Husband called, and then they showed up with plates. The next day we called again, and then they brought only pots (but no pans). Called again, and they finally brought extra silverware and some bowls. Called again, and we finally got a frying pan. No exaggeration... and hopefully you catch my meaning.
2. Although pretty, the bathtub is shaped in a way that tends to splash a lot of water on the floor.
3. The refrigerator is tiny. I struggled to fit my food in it.
4. Valet only... you cannot park your own car here. Honestly, I would have preferred to park myself because now I have to wait on the valet.
5. I was in the room while housecleaning came through, and I was disappointed that they didn't clean up or replace the dishes that were dirtied. They didn't scrub the toilet. They spray down a bathtub, but I just can't see it being clean unless they actually rinse it out with water, which they didn't do. There were no towel racks for the hand towels, so I ended up having towels laying around. If a robe became dirty, they might take it away, but they won't replace it.
Honestly, I wanted to try the place... a new hotel in the city center complex... but in the future, I would rather just stay at Trump. However, that being said, the room was still nice and comfortable and it deserves at best a 4 star rating. Once they work out their kinks, the room could be worthy of a 4.5-5 star rating.
If I could re-do the trip I'd stay at Bellagio
by TripAdvisor Member TopsUk
Stayed at Vdara 25/12/09 - 30/12/09 for our first visit to Vegas and the web site described this as the perfect base for us. Non-gaming, non-smoking, 5 star, spa and deluxe suites.... Sadly, it didnt live up to our expectations. If you have booked or are thinking of booking, wait for a year or so and even then think twice. Stay at the Bellagio.
We had so many little issues..... at the risk of this looking like a rant I'll list them below:
- Not all rooms match the floor plans on the website - our Vdara suite was nothing like the floor plan and was immediately disappointing but the manager did move us to a different suite when we raised this with them
- The staff were unaware that some rooms differed to the floor plans
- Guest services emailed me to say they'd put a toaster in the room but they couldn't supply pots and pans. When we arrived, housekeeping sent pots and pans and said they didnt have toasters! Sounds like the staff arent yet fully briefed.
- No plates or cutlery although housekeeping did supply this when asked. Unfortunately, they also removed it the next day so make sure you don't leave anything out!
- The cupboards in the room hadn't been finished - we put the shelves up ourselves! How could they miss that!
- The washing machine was built into a cupboard so you couldnt open the door - v amusing!
- Light switches - 16 of them! And only 8 lights! Someone else had written about the switches which we thought a bit picky but having experienced them..... also, no master switch by the bed so always had to go to bed in the dark.
- Heating and air con not great. Just seemed to dry out the air.
- The shower wasn't brilliant - just a single rose with weak water pressure.
- The final straw - we were on the 26th floor but could hear EVERYTHING outside including vehicles arriving and reversing with their beep beep beep at 3 am and the builders finishing the building opposite and starting at 6am. No sleep. Was so glad to be spending our last night in a different hotel because I was close to tears on day 5. If you do go to this hotel do not stay at the strip end. I think if you have a room with a view of the city then it would be quieter.
Clearly, none of the above is that bad but this is a 5 star hotel and they are listing it as the new Las Vegas standard so you'd expect something truely amazing. The public areas of Aria next door and the shops of Crystals didn't match anything that you see at Wynn or Bellagio either.
Our last night was spent at Trump and that was such a difference plus, bonus, we could sleep! No noise!
I want to go back to Vegas and if I do - Bellagio or Wynn will get my custom.
Nice room and view but not quite what we expected
by TripAdvisor Member kfvb20
I am writing this as I sit in the hotel room so as to not miss any details.
To start, I have to comment on the trip down from Canada. With all the security measures they have in place, expect to be delayed at the airport. We had arrived at the airport early because of the lineups we saw on the news but that didn't help because they call groups into the security area based on flights so we ended up waiting an hour or so just to get to the security checkpoint. The actual security check wasn't bad although I wasn't too excited about them changing their rules on the fly. When I first checked in, they said that I had to empty my laptop backpack because they wanted to reduce the number of items to check (I had games, ipods, etc.). I moved all those items to the suitcase. When I got into security, they now said that I had to check my backpack. Great, now I don't have any protection for my laptop especially when I had to put it under the seat on the plane. What was worse was that some other girl was able to bring her backpack in so it seemed inconsistent.
When we finally arrived in Vegas one and a half hours later than we were supposed to, we were tired and just wanted to get to the hotel. The rest of the trip from the airport to the hotel was uneventful although I had read that cabs sometimes get lost getting to the Vdara.
We decided to get something to eat but it was quite late so we found a Fatburgers close by. I thought I would try it because I heard it was good. The food was good but the staff was incredibly rude and we got ripped off at the till. I didn't really notice about the bill until one woman complained to the staff about her bill. They charge you for a meal 'deal' but you don't really get the 'deal' part. The woman complained about this but the manager basically told her to go away. You'd think that in a year of recession, the manager would try to get your business, not annoy you. Well, we won't be going back there.
The first thing you notice is that the front of the hotel is very quiet. Not much activity compared to the Aria which is just down the street/ramp. For us, this is great because we're not really interested in the casino anyway. Check in was fairly quick and the staff was friendly. There really isn't much in the Vdara in terms of restaurants and stores like other hotels from what we can see. There are two ways to get to the strip. One is through a connector to the Bellagio which everyone seems to know about. The more confusing way but shorter way if you want to go south on the strip is through the Aria. It is sort of confusing the first couple of times but you soon learn that it comes out at the front of the citycenter complex on Harmon and you can make your way down to the strip on the outside. Note that you are on the second level. You have to go down the outside stairs once you get to the strip to get to the street level.
The room itself was nice enough but I wouldn't say spectacular compared to what we briefly saw at the Signature Suites in the MGM Grand. We were in a deluxe suite but the room itself didn't seem real big. It was more like a junior suite. I think they sell these suites but I can't imagine someone living here.
The room is set up in a U shape. When you come into the room, you get the kitchen and a living area. If you turn left, you see the bed behind a partial wall and then a bathroom essentially behind the kitchen.
The kitchen area is quite small and the fridge is essentially useless because it doesn't hold much plus we couldn't get it cold enough. For some reason, the knobs on the stove were missing. When we told housekeeping, they seemed surprised. They were supposed to bring them up to us but never came back. It wasn't a big deal because we weren't going to spend time cooking but it would have been nice to have the ability to use it.
There was a problem with the sink not draining but they quickly fixed that. The shower was quite weak in my opinion. Either have more water or less water with more pressure but they had neither. The one bad thing was that there was only one small garbage can for the whole suite. The light switches are very weird as people had mentioned. The one by the door seemed to be a master switch that turned off everything including the bedroom area lights but playing around with the combinations did allow us to keep them on. It just wasn't obvious. There is also a switch by the sink which was for the garburator. We kept hitting that one by accident trying to turn on some lights.
There are two TV's. We had some problems with the signal going in and out. No problems with the internet. It is wireless. You just sign on with your last name and room number for id and password. The view is fantastic. We were sort of facing just west of the strip so we could see the Bellagio to the right and a little bit of Bally's and the Paris. We were mostly looking at the mountains, the Rio and Palms to the northwest and west. The window is very large and had Roman curtains which were nice. There was what they called a shade and blackout on the switch beside the thermostat. You can close the shade and still sort of see outside. The blackout gave you more privacy although it didn't completely shut out all light from the outside. The bed is very comfortable and the pillows were really nice. In a nutshell, the room is functional but not exceptional.
The one thing I would say about the hotel and citycentre in general is that the buildings are interesting and nice although this is a personal observation. I like the light blue glassy look of the Aria and Vdara. The room actually has some nice decor...just not as nice as the Signature Suites and the hallway and led's are quite cool. It almost looks futuristic.
Almost but not quite there -
by TripAdvisor Member Bill-Vancouver
City Center is the buzz around Vegas - or at least thats what the MGM people want you to believe.
The Vdara is a nice change from the casino based hotels. Fresh air, room to move plus its a "green" rated building. Yes there is a "BUT"
We were there for New Years 2010, at this point not all 56 floors were open. According to staff, floors 39 - 45 just opened (no 44th floor). We were on the 39th floor facing the Aria ... very quiet and relaxing.
I don't think a final expection was complete on our room. The plumbing for the bathroom sink was reversed, the calking in the shower was hit and miss, and the corded phones were wired to the wall, but not working,
The thought of the kitchenette was fantastic - except that its not stocked. You will have to ask for what ever you will need - including coffee (really!) Unless your going to actually cook - its a waste of space ...
When asked why - the reply was that people will take things - hmmm - I thought ... then why offer it? Don't you trust your guests?
Room service can be slow - ordered breakfast New Years Day (I'm sure it was busy) the eggs looked like something from a kids plastic play set - but the coffee was great.
Housekeeping did take all day - came back in the late afternoon and the room was still not looked at ... even the breakfast dishes were still there (after room service asked when they could come back to pick up) ... we left and came back about 7pm to a clean suite.
Our first day there we had to ask for more soap - one tiny little bar was all they left. Well not only did we get another bar - we got 5 plus extra bottles of body wash and shampoos. A bit over board I thought.
For a 5 star there are alot of small details not paid attention to. Paint on the lighting fixtures, dust, a fridge that will hold 3 muffins, unstocked kitchen (not even a spoon), no vacuum serives, no pool, very small gym area, the additional $15.00 per day spa fees were a bit much I thought. No covered walk way to the Aria - the choice is walk in traffic as a short cut or walk the long way along the round a bout enterance. No food / grocery stores close by (for those who plan to make your own meals), Not many visable staff - some are fantastic, some just didn't seem to care that we were there. Upon entering the building there is no real "WOW" factor.
There is a lot of construction on site - only a few shops open at the Crystals. Maybe once the Harmon and other areas are complete this complex will be great - right now its just ok ... for a 5 star its need work. Make sure your wearing comfortable shoes - a lot of detours to get around.
The Encore at the other end of the strip is by far a better 5 star hotel.
Forum Posts
citycenter construction
by kevinhuth
has anyone stayed at cirycenter. i am thinking of aria, is their still a lot of construction going on. thinking of late july, (i know it will be hot). any suggestions, thanks...
Re: citycenter construction
by chrisbilal
I was there last month - it didn't look too bad. If you stay in Aria, it should be quite nice.
Re: citycenter construction
by Fashionably_Late
Chris;
Can you hear the on-going construction from inside the guest rooms?
Re: citycenter construction
by chrisbilal
Oh sorry - my reply was misleading. I meant I was in Vegas last month. I actually stayed at Treasure Island.
Re: citycenter construction
by NeoNurseTX
I am staying at the Vdara next week so I'll let you know!
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