Vdara Hotel & Spa
How did it make you feel when you got there?
This hotel, Vdara, might be the most like a vacation spa that you’ll feel while you’re in Las Vegas. The entrance has high ceilings and lots of natural light. The whole hotel, even though it’s a glass high rise in the very modern CityCenter, was designed to let in as much light as possible and use natural materials. It’s the only hotel in Las Vegas that doesn’t allow smoking or gambling, so it smells and feels very clean.
How is the crowd?
People who stay here want to be able to go to a casino whenever they want without having to walk through a casino floor on their way to their rooms. These are the people who bring yoga mats on vacation or are only here for work and don’t want to deal with the noise and chaos of most hotels.
What’s cool: Describe your room.
In Vdara, every room is a suite, but there are six different types of suites. I stayed in the City Corner Suite, which was very hard to get. It’s just under 800 square feet, has black-and-white decor, and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the mountains or the Strip. (If you want to see the Bellagio fountains, you can call ahead of time and ask if you can be put on one of the high floors that look out over the water.) The rooms are nice because they were made to feel like homes. For example, all of them have freezers (where you can put your own things), dining tables, and electric stoves. Up to the corner suite, which is in the middle group, there are full kitchens and Keurig coffee makers. That is why Vdara would be a good place to stay if you were going to be in Las Vegas for a while.
We really need some deep, healing sleep. They got us?
The beds are nice and firm, and each one has its own reading light. Since the bedrooms are away from the living areas and have nice views, they feel very classy.
What about the little things, like a minibar or shower treats? Do any of those things end up in your bag?
One nice thing about this hotel is that each room has its own washer and dryer, so you don’t have to pay a fortune to do your own laundry (unless you want someone to do it for you). You can also call cleaning to get things like detergent. The minibar has pretty normal things in it, like soda, nuts, and candy, but the prices are lower than most on the Strip.
Tell us that the bathroom will be good.
The large soaking tubs and separate showers with glass walls make you feel like you’re in a high-end club. The soft robes and Aveda products make you feel even better. But the real reason you’ll want to come here (besides the fact that the hotel doesn’t allow smoking) is ESPA at Vdara. It’s a beautiful, modern spa with two floors that offer a wide range of services, all using amazing, pure ESPA goods.
Wi-Fi is likely the most important subject of all. What do you call it?
As usual, the Wi-Fi has about 10MB of space and is part of the $51 daily rental fee.
Is room service worth it?
The Market Cafe and Vice Versa Patio & Lounge are the only restaurants in the area. Most people go to Aria, which has some of the best restaurants in town, for a more formal meal. At some point, you might want to order room service, even though it’s not far to get to the other hotels in CityCenter. The room service is pretty standard in Las Vegas, but the dinner menu has some nice healthy choices and wine suggestions.
Staff: Who would get a prize if you could give one? Why?
The people who clean the rooms are really great. You can call them for a lot of different things, like extra K-cups for your coffee maker, laundry soap, and dishwasher detergent.
Do any of the other services and benefits stand out to you? It doesn’t matter if it was babysitting, gyms, spas, parking, or something else.
Another great thing about this spa is that it’s never as busy as, say, Qua at Caesars or one of the other spas at big gambling resorts. There’s a meditation room, a waterfall, and wooden floors. This is a great place to spend some time.
What did you remember or find most upsetting about your stay?
The smell (or lack of smell) of cleaning is what makes Vdara stand out. The hotel is pretty new and has never let people smoke inside. It feels like a hotel.
In the end, is it worth it, and if so, why?
It costs a little more to stay at this hotel than other hotels with rooms that are about the same size, but the extras are worth it: Even the most basic flats have small kitchens. That means you don’t always look for food. You can also use the laundry service if you plan to stay for a while: You are able to use tools.