Ever wanted to go to Las Vegas, but also get away from, well, Las Vegas? Vdara might be exactly what you are looking for. It is a non-gaming hotel located in MGM’s CityCenter. It is a little out of the way, located behind Aria and the Bellagio, and is well protected from the hustle and bustle of the Strip. Vdara itself has very little to offer other than that at the hotel. There are no shows or nightclubs. No high-end dining. It has a cafe/market, a Starbucks and the Vice-Versa lounge. If you want anything else, you need to leave the property. That is counter to the typical casino resort design, but makes a lot of sense since MGM would rather you get over to the casino and the various shows, restaurants and shopping at Aria and Bellagio instead of spending all of your time at Vdara. And if you want to get a little further out, you can always catch the tram to the ParkMGM and the far end of Aria.
The Rooms
The Studio Parlor Suites are well laid out with a small sitting area divided off from the bedroom by an entertainment wall with large flat screen TVs on both the bedroom side and the sitting area side. The standard Studio Suite has a similar layout without the dividing wall.
Vdara is a condo/hotel facility, so each of the rooms/suites has a kitchenette with dual convection burners, microwave, small fridge and a sink suitable for washing dishes. It has cupboards, too, for condo use, but they are not stocked, so if you plan to do your own cooking, be prepared to bring or acquire your own cookware and utensils. There is also a small table in the kitchen area, suitable as a workspace or dining table.
Dining
I really enjoyed Vice-Versa. The atmosphere, food, drinks and service were all very good. They focus on craft cocktails and small plates. I particularly enjoyed the mini-brioche cheese sandwiches and seared tuna .
The Market Cafe was good, but I’d want something much more exceptional for the prices they charge. I’d suggest taking advantage of room service and dining in private as a similarly priced alternative. Speaking of room service, Vdara is one of the few resorts that still offers 24 hour room service.
Getting Around
I had viewed Vdara as a non-gaming extension of Aria since it is actually called “Vdara Hotel & Spa at Aria”. With that in mind I walked through Aria anytime I was going to or from my room on my first day. However, there is a very convenient walkway between Bellagio and Vdara. It is a much shorter and easier way to get to the Strip than going through Aria, although it is still a bit of a hike through the Bellagio. Just follow the signs to the Tram and Vdara.
Unlike many hotels which try to hide their ride-share locations or put them by the bus lobby, Vdara has the rideshare stop right outside the main entrance. That location also serves as a Lyft/Uber location for Aria.
Vdara does not have a self-parking option. If you need to park a car you will need to either use the valet at Vdara or the parking at Aria. Valet parking starts at $21 and is $30 for a full day. Self-parking at Aria is free for the first hour, but that’s barely enough time to get to Vdara and back. You can see the full parking rates and details here.
Miscellaneous
Although it is a non-gaming hotel, Vdara is part of the Mlife family. You can earn and use comps here as well as use myVEGAS Rewards. I used a Vdara 2-Night Comp Room Reward for my stay. I hope to be able to do that again when I stay at Vdara next (and I will be back).
Like most hotels in Las Vegas, Vdara charges a nightly resort fee in addition to the advertised room rate. This applies to most comped rooms as well. Vdara’s resort fee in currently $39/nt ($44.07 after taxes).
Checkout is at 11am, but if you want to extend your stay a little, they do offer a tiered late checkout option. $25 for 1pm, $40 for 3pm. I took the 3pm option on my final day and it was well worth it.
