[tijlover]

I just got done skimming the 37 reviews of Aria on TripAdvisor.com and the 6 on Travelocity.com, no reviews yet on Expedia or Orbitz.

It seems like there is a widespread plumbing problem at this hotel, someone going as far as postulating the plumbers who installed it sabotaged the system. Interesting! Anyone else heard anything about the Plumbing problems over there?

Many complaints on check in, parking, and atrocious service by newbies, and not one favorable review of the much-acclaimed Buffet.

One guest had a drink somwhere with her spouse, and was charged $40 for two drinks. Yikes!

If anyone else is curious, check these sites out!

[ClarkGrisowld]

Originally Posted by LIS123

As for your last statement, I think MGM was sort of trying to copy some of the more cosmopolitan type cities (i.e. SF, NYC, London, etc.) when it was planning CC. It's definitely a high-end, nice, chic complex, but it might not be the best idea for the Vegas Strip.

Without question that's what they hoped to do. I think they even said as much. At one time, there were plans to do the same thing in Atlantic City which, oddly enough, would potentially have been more successful for a variety of reasons.

It was really a real estate play. MGM expected to cash-in on the condo boom. I would guess they also planned to jetison many of their properties and cherry pick the VIP lists.

Bottom line is it's just another high-end hotel, and maybe not even as competitive as some of those more "chic" places. So CC isn't going to draw simply because it is CC. And then in Vegas it has to compete with 5-star hotels like Venetian, Wynn and Bellagio, which all capture the Vegas atmosphere better, from the sound of things.

I hope I'm wrong because Vegas needs CC to succeed, ultimately.

[ClarkGrisowld]

Originally Posted by tijlover

If CC turns out to be a flop, this should perhaps create a smile on Icahn's face as he's in the bidding to buy Fountainbleu and complete that project.

I don't see a scenario where CC flopping is good for anyone. Still a lot of high-end rooms there coming on the market.

The $300 a night crowd might prefer Bellagio or Wynn, but they are still price sensitive enough to go to CC for a comparable room at $200 a night. Such downward pressure on room rates does not bode well for Vegas.

We need CC to draw multiples of visitors beyond its capacity to spill over and fill other hotels. Judging reaction on this board it's almost a worst-case scenario. One can only hope we aren't the target market (and we aren't). But I wouldn't bet against this crowd not being accurate in the apparent assessment that it can't knock off Venetian/Bellagio/Wynn. And to be successful (for MGM) CC needs to be a discernible step above those places, but seems to be a notch below. Don't know, maybe there is a niche they were going for that we're all missing.

[las vegas drunk]

When I originally posted this thread, I was hoping I was alone in the way I felt. I was very excited to see it, but it was a total letdown. I knew it when it was a Friday night and ALL the craps tables were empty with depressed dealers standing around. This was not the case at the other casinos I visited that night. Someone mentioned earlier that the City Center would blow away the Sahara. I have to disagree. I can actually afford to play and drink there. From what I am reading, the food quality is even the same. There also is not that dark depressing aura that City Center possesses. It is really sad that thread is now 13 pages long, and there is not one person who has made a favorable review of it. I live in Vegas, so of course I do not want City Center to fail, but I do not see how it can't. I truly think it will go down as one of the most expensive failures in history.

[ocean2026]

Isn't the city center also selling CONDO HOTELS? How is that going? From the gaming and tax statistics in the area newspapers yesterday it seems that market still has a ways downward to head- especially with the extra rooms being dumped on a saturated market. Any knowledge of this? Opinions lacking knowledge? lol

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by MediocreButArrogant

That's it. I figured out what CC is missing. MGM needs to bring in some bums and have them panhandle (and occasionally urinate) on the sidewalk in front of CC. That's that "cosmopolitan atmosphere" that I found missing. They could add to the realism by having one of them have a screaming match with an imaginary foe every half-hour.

And don't forget the "snappers" handing out porn cards. They could scatter a bunch on the ground...just to get things started.

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

Isn't the city center also selling CONDO HOTELS? How is that going? From the gaming and tax statistics in the area newspapers yesterday it seems that market still has a ways downward to head- especially with the extra rooms being dumped on a saturated market. Any knowledge of this? Opinions lacking knowledge? lol

From what I heard, the condos are not going to open for another year.

[Zzyzx]

When corporations handed over the hospitality industry over to MBA's years ago it was a matter of time before they started to fall. The foundation of Las Vegas was built on:
1. Service
2. Product (food, entertainment, quality)
3. Value

When the MBA's came in, they had no clue on the industry they were in. People were just numbers, nothing more. No managers walking the floors speaking to their customers anymore. They spent years in college calculating numbers, they were not trained in hospitality. You can not learn hospitality out of a book, it takes years of real life experience. What they did do very well was generate revenue by compromising 1,2,3. It so fundamental it's a joke, but they continue on the same road over the cliff. This is not unique to Las Vegas, this is a trend all over this country in many business models.

I see the problem with Las Vegas is that they built their current business models to attract the minority and at the same time alienating out the majority. Since these CEO's and boards all think alike in these corporations, it's hard to see any real change and bringing back the fundamentals that made Las Vegas great. In addition so many bridges have been burned over the years, it's hard to imagine a real quick turnaround.

City Center would have been a risk in a good economy. I can't imagine what they can do now to this place. It would be like Ferrari opening up a dealership in Detroit.

[ClarkGrisowld]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

From what I heard, the condos are not going to open for another year.

I want to say 70% had been sold, not really up to speed on it. I do know there is major concern that many were just going to forfeit deposits since the purchase price is so far underwater they would just walk away. I believe CC was going to try to reset the prices.

Could be a gigantic mess if they can't get the people to close. CC is banking on that cash inflow.

[ClarkGrisowld]

Originally Posted by Zzyzx

When corporations handed over the hospitality industry over to MBA's years ago it was a matter of time before they started to fall.

Overleveraged into a failing economy leading to deep, painful cuts. It's neither a new story nor unique to the hospitality industry. And the old school guard that built modern Vegas was driving that. You have an argument if you want to say shareholder demand for growth helped to drive the expansion.

With the expansion of gaming across the US, the old Vegas model was not going to continue to be competitive. Half the people who come here don't even gamble anymore, and I doubt the cheap buffets is much of an attraction.

There is only so much growth that could be attained through gambling, and that growth has been mostly outside of Vegas in recent years. And so Vegas has become more of a full-service tourist/resort industry as a result, which is going to be more susceptible to downturns.