'City Center' Preparing To Open

This will be interesting:

Vdara

Dec. 1

Vdara will be the first property to open at CityCenter. This 57-story hotel is at the back of the development, just a few steps from the northern lobby of Aria Resort & Casino and linked to Bellagio by a covered walkway. Gaming- and tobacco-free Vdara will likely appeal to those who want the feel of Vegas without the noise and smoke.

Vdara's 1,495 suites, from 500 to 1,650 square feet, all with full kitchens, are available to rent by the night or to purchase.

Crystals

Dec. 3

The eye-catching Crystals, a shopping and entertainment district that fronts Las Vegas Boulevard, features A-list stores, said general manager Farid Matraki.

"God knows that Las Vegas doesn't need another mall, so Crystals is going to be a very, very unique destination," Matraki said.

Mandarin Oriental

Dec. 4

Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will be the Hong Kong-based chain's second West Coast property. (The other is in San Francisco.) The sky lobby on the 23rd floor divides the tower, with residential units above and hotel rooms and suites below.

The rooms feature modern, Asian-inspired design. General Manager Rajesh Jhingon expects the hotel to draw discerning customers who appreciate "the mystique of the [Mandarin] brand."

"Bellagio and the Aria and the Wynn -- etc., etc. -- are casino hotels with 4,000 to 5,000 rooms each. They have a different model," he said. "I have a 392-room hotel. It's got a totally different paradigm."

Aria Resort & Casino

Dec. 16

With 4,004 rooms, Aria is the largest hotel at CityCenter and the only one with a casino. Guests are welcomed at two bright and bold entries. The reception lobby features a Maya Lin silver sculpture of the Colorado River, and the northern lobby showcases four brightly illuminated translucent walls of water.

The hotel features nine restaurants, some of them by top chefs making their first forays into Las Vegas.

...Aria is also home to "Viva Elvis," Cirque du Soleil's seventh Las Vegas production-in-residence.

Veer Towers

Mid-January

The aptly named Veer Towers is CityCenter's sole "residents only" property and possibly its most architecturally interesting: The two structures lean in opposite directions. Architect Helmut Jahn designed them that way so the 37-story towers are infinitely more stable than their distant Italian cousin in Pisa.

Harmon Hotel

Late 2010

The lights are on at the Harmon Hotel, but nobody's home. With its curvilinear exterior of blue glass, it's a knockout. Originally planned to rise 49 stories, the hotel was downsized to 28 floors after building inspectors discovered improperly installed rebar on some of the upper floors. Hotel officials decided earlier this year to eliminate the Harmon's condo component, leaving a 400-room hotel.