CityCenter Las Vegas

May 25, 2012 · Written by Taylor Goldblatt

This urban, ultra hip and modern, 76 acre mixed-use complex is unlike any where else in the country. It has helped Vegas truely become a world class destination, making Vegas my second favorite vacation destination in the country, coming in right after Orlando.

So what exactly is CityCenter? It’s a 16,797,000-square-foot, six building city within a city. As if Vegas wasn’t cool enough without it, they built this complex literally right in the center of the strip, between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo Las Vegas, and right across the street from the Planet Hollywood hotel (which used to be called the Aladdin). You can navigate the city by foot or get from one area to another by taking the complimentary (free to everyone, regardless of where you are staying) CityCenter Tram, a monoraiI, that stops at Monte Carlo Las Vegas, Crystals, Aria and the Bellagio. I would love to live there one day, you can rent a condo at Veer Towers starting at around $1300. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and I would love to live next door to gourmet top notch restaurants, entertaining and shopping that’s all located within walking distance from my condo/apartment. Their Crystals mall has to be the nicest, most beautiful mall in the country. If you haven’t visited Vegas since December 16, 2009 (the day it opened) then you need to start planning your next trip to sin city.

CityCenter was built at a cost of 9.2 BILLION (the original estimate was $4 billion), making it the largest privately financed development in the USA. This site was formerly occupied by the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino, which first opened in 1968. You will find five water and ice features throughout the property; they were designed by the same people who brought you the Bellagio fountains and the Mirage volcano. The six main buildings include:

Hotels

Aria Resort & Casino is by far the largest and most popular hotel in the complex. This 600 foot high, 61 story building consists of 4,004 hotel rooms. It features a 150,000 sq ft casino.

Vdara rises 57 stories making it the second tallest building in the complex, followedmy Mandarin Oriental at 56 stories. This hotel-condo tower

Mandarin Oriental – Rising 539 feet (56 stories) this luxury hotel consists of 392 hotel rooms and 225 condos.
Harmon Hotel – This gorgeous 27 story building was originally intended to be a 49 story non-gaming boutique hotel but the hotel never actually opened to the public – and never will due to construction defects. Plans are currently underway to demolish the hotel but ongoing litigations seem to be delaying the process.

*(Fun fact: Fontainebleau Resort Las Vegas is another example of a Vegas hotel that never opened. Built at a cost of 1.7 billion, this 63 story building was supposed to open in 2009 but never did, due to bankruptcy and a bad economy. Now it sits empty and unused but it remains the tallest building in town. My opinion: This UGLY building is located on the other side of town near the Circus Circus. It’s a complete eye sore in a bad location that should have never been built in thee first place.)

*Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is technically NOT apart of CityCenter but it was opened just a year later than the CityCenter complex and it is located right beside CityCenter (if you didn’t know you would assume it was part of CityCenter so I am going to include it on this page). This hotel is partnered with Marriott and Ritz Carlton. We absolutely lover their Wicked Spoon Buffet. While it was a little pricey, it is well worth it. The “Cosmo” is the sixth and seventh tallest building in Vegas, followed by the Aria at 8th tallest (see Wikipedia list of tallest buildings in Las Vegas).

Mall

The Crystals is located right in the center of CityCenter, featuring high end stores like Gucci, Tom Ford, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, and Prada. This 500,000 sq. ft retail and entertainment district is a must see regardless of whether or not you plan on shopping or dining here.

Condos

Veer Towers
Mandarin Oriental

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Taylor Goldblatt

After years of research, travel, and dreams, I have created this website for people like you who want to experience the things that only America can offer. My passion is to explore and share America's greatest destinations and attractions. Follow me on Twitter @USCityTraveler for additional travel tips and ideas.

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Taylor Goldblatt