Aria -OPENS DEC. 16
Description: The centerpiece of the CityCenter complex, Aria is the only hotel-casino in the development. Aria's hotel has several connected glass and steel towers with the tallest standing 60 stories. Aria will employ 10,000 of the 12,000 employees hired at CityCenter. Architect: Cesar Pelli of Pelli Clarke Pelli
Rooms: 4,004 hotel rooms, including 568 suites. Room rates average $179 to $799 a night while suites cost $500 to $7,500 a night.
Amenities: Aria has a 150,000-square-foot casino with 145 table games and 1,940 slot machines; 300,000 square feet of meeting and convention space; and a 215,000-square-foot pool deck. Aria's 1,800-seat theater house will host the Cirque du Soleil-produced Viva Elvis show.
Restaurants and bars: 13 restaurants, including offerings from Chef Masayoshi Takayama, Chef Shawn McClain, Chef Michael Mina, Chef Julian Serrano, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Chef Sirio Maccioni, Chef Brian Massie and Chef Jean-Philippe Maury.
Vdara Hotel -OPENS TUESDAY
Description: A 57-story nongaming hotel and condominium tower, Vdara is connected to Bellagio via a pedestrian walkway and is adjacent to Aria.
Architect: RV Architecture, led by Rafael Viñoly
Rooms: 1,495 deluxe, one- and two-bedroom suites, all with fully equipped kitchens, plus penthouse units. Nightly rates will range from $159 to $2,000.
Amenities: Vdara has an 18,000-square-foot spa; 10,000 square feet of meeting space; and a 40,000-square-foot pool deck.
Restaurants and bars: Chef Martin Heierling's Silk Road. Bar Vdara is situated in hotel's center lobby.
Mandarin Oriental -OPENS SATURDAY
Description: A nongaming luxury hotel and condominium tower, the 47-story Mandarin Oriental is the first Las Vegas venture for the international hotel group. The property, which features the hotel and residence lobby on the 23rd floor, is designed with unique angles and features.
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox
Rooms: Mandarin Oriental has 392 hotel rooms and 225 condominium residences. Residences are above the 23rd floor and hotel units are on the lower levels.
Amenities: Mandarin Oriental has a two-level, 27,000-square-foot spa; 12,000 square feet of meeting space; and the 23rd floor Sky Lobby.
Restaurants and bars: The hotel's signature restaurant, Twist from award-winning celebrity Chef Pierre Gagnaire. Amore Patisserie. In the Sky Lobby are the Mandarin Bar, the Tea Lounge and MOzen Bistro.
Veer Towers -OPENS IN JANUARY
Description: CityCenter's only purely residential development. Two 37-story glass towers, inclined at 5-degree angles give the project its name. Veer is expected to begin closing on its condominium sales in late January.
Architect: Helmut Jahn
Rooms: 335 residences in each tower. The condominiums, which include studio units; one-, two- and three-bedroom residences; and penthouses, starting at 500 square feet and ranging up to nearly 3,300 square feet.
Amenities: Pools, sun deck and cabanas on each tower rooftop.
estaurants and bars: Both towers are connected directly to Crystals, CityCenter's retail and restaurant area.
Harmon -OPENS IN 2010
Description: Originally planned as a 47-story hotel and condominium tower, MGM Mirage announced in January it was delaying the Harmon's completion until next year and changed the scope of the project. Construction issues surrounding improper placement of reinforcing bar, commonly known as rebar, caused the general contractor to replace construction materials on several floors.
The 200 condominium units were scrapped and the 400-unit hotel tower was stopped at 27 stories.
The outside of the building was completed and the tower will be lighted, but MGM Mirage officials said it wouldn't finish the Harmon until next year.
Restaurants and bars: The Harmon had been expected to include MR CHOW, a branch of the Los Angeles restaurant operated by Michael Chow.
Crystals -OPENS THURSDAY
Description: CityCenter's 500,000-square-foot retail, dining and entertainment district, the three-level Crystals will contain 75 tenants. Crystals' multi-faceted exterior includes a glass canopy depicting a quartz crystal and an abundance of natural light. The interior is a park celebrating nature and the seasons with abstract hanging gardens and a lush flower carpet.
Tenants: Large-format luxury retailers include Louis Vuitton, Prada, Tiffany & Co., Ermenegildo Zegna, Roberto Cavalli, Christian Dior, Versace, Bulgari, Cartier, Hermes, Bally, Van Cleef & Arpels, Mikimoto, Emilio Pucci and ILORI. Retailers opening their first locations in Las Vegas include Tom Ford, Carolina Herrera, Miu Miu, Paul Smith, Kiton, Marni, Assouline, H. Stern, Tourbillon, Porsche Design and de Grisogono.
Restaurants: Eva Longoria Parker's Beso; two new dining concepts from Wolfgang Puck; a pub concept by Todd English; and Mastro's Ocean Club.
The collection of 100 $10,000 gold certificates, encased in plastic and on public display, was first unveiled Dec. 11, 1954, at the newly remodeled Joe W. Brown Horseshoe Club.
But inflation, the decline of downtown and the rise of casino-front attractions on the Strip took their toll.
It was Binion’s collection of bills that his daughter Becky Behnen sold in 2000 to Kansas City coin collector Jay Parrino.
The owners estimated replicating the original display by gathering $1 million worth of the $10,000 bills would have cost $16 million.
By Mr Sun -Questions for Mr. Sun should be sent to page8@lasvegassun.com
