Royally Flushed

So much has happened since our January report on the happenings at MGM Mirage’s CityCenter Las Vegas that what we’ve decided to do is post our newest CityCenter photos and then give some highlights of the project along with a list of websites/articles you can go to for more info.

Aria Resort & Casino

Scheduled to open December 16, Aria is taking room reservations now at their new website. Click around the ARIA Home Page and you’ll find photos of the rooms, a section on some of the chefs and restaurants planned plus info on the new “Elvis” show at Aria which, to quote the website, comes from the “creative geniuses at Cirque du Soleil® (who) have created a new show exclusively for ARIA. The production pays tribute to Elvis’ music and life, fusing dance and acrobatics, live music and iconic tracks, nostalgia and modernity, high technology and raw emotion. In short, the show will be in Elvis’ image: powerful, sexy, whimsical and truly unique.”

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Las Vegas

This 47-story non-gaming hotel features 227 residences plus 392 Adam D. Tihany-designed rooms and suites with contemporary decor and “subtle oriental touches.”  The 23rd-floor Sky Lobby is just one of the luxurious design elements guests will encounter when staying at the new hotel.  Check out the Mandarin Oriental Hotel website for artist’s renderings of the rooms, the soaring lobby and an exclusive online brochure.  Opening date is currently scheduled for December 4th and the hotel will begin taking reservations on August 17th.

The Crystals Retail Complex

More than 500,000 square-feet of retail and dining space will open December 3rd in this stunning shopping complex fronting the Las Vegas Strip.  High-end brands such as Louis Vuitton, TIFFANY & CO., jeweler H. Stern, apparel store Marni and luxury men’s retailer/designer Ermenegildo Zegna will be among the exceptional brands dotting the corridors of the contemporary space.  A French brasserie from CelebuChef extraordinaire Wolfgang Puck will join Katana, a sushi/Robatayaki concept (and L.A. favorite) from the same restaurant group that currently operates Las Vegas restaurants Sushi Roku and BOA Steakhouse.  Read more here about the Crystals.

Vdara Condo-Hotel

The newest rumor has it that Vdara’s lackluster sales may push the project into a holding pattern while developers try to sell more of the Veers Towers and Mandarin Oriental residences.  The newest info can be found in an August 15th article by Brian Wargo for the “In Business” section of the Las Vegas Sun.

The Harmon Hotel & Spa

This part of the massive CityCenter project was put on hold early this year and is not slated to open until late-2010.  The original plans called for a condo component to the building but that has been scrapped in favor of an all-hotel-room project.  The Light Group is still scheduled to operate the hotel once it opens.  Read the latest on Light Group here.

Cosmopolitan (for now!)

What can we say about this project?  Not a part of CityCenter but neighboring it and The Bellagio, this project has gone bankrupt and is currently owned by Deutsche Bank AG who has hired and fired architects in an attempt to make the project more commercially-appealing.  (Not sure to whom.)  The broken lines of the glass-fronted lobby are certainly interesting — not attractive but interesting.  The Cosmo now has a new leader, former Caesars Palace exec, John Unwin, and there’s rumor that the Hilton group may be coming on-board to manage the hotel.  The project is slated to open in September of 2010 but stay tuned for more info.  Read more about the Cosmo’s troubles at the LV Business Press website and an article by Tony Illia.

For a fascinating look at Las Vegas today including an interview with the Sands Corp.’s Sheldon Adelson plus a report on the town’s real estate woes, check out TIME magazine writer/videojournalist Joel Stein’s article “Less Vegas: The Casino Town Bets on a Comeback.”

Related posts:

1. CityCenter, Cosmopolitan Put Futuristic Face on Las Vegas Strip
2. More Details Emerge on Aria at CityCenter
3. Bright Shiny Objects: Vdara Hotel, Crystals and Mandarin Oriental mark opening of CityCenter Las Vegas
4. Casinos Fold on New Construction Projects
5. Friday Finds — Free Las Vegas show tickets, promo codes for Aria, Vdara and more

Tags: Aria, City Center, CityCenter, construction, construction updates, Elvis show at Aria, Harmon, Las Vegas, lasvegas, MGM, Mirage, new shows las vegas, opening dates, reservations, restaurants, shops, The Crystals, The Strip, update, Vdara, Veer