ES
I played 3 sessions of poker during opening week. The decor is modern and pleasing to the eye. Plenty of room between tables, with comfy chairs. Room is open to the casino, encouraging railbirds and casual traffic (a good thing). Room location is excellent within the casino itself, right by front doors used by pedestrians off the Strip and off the Bellagio tram. Dedicated cashier cage. Restrooms right by the room. Room was very busy opening week, and staff handled the crowds well. The room had a casual fun vibe, closer to Venetian than Bellagio. Altogether, this is a room that can and will compete with Ventian, Bellagio, and Wynn for being the best room in Vegas.
Competition is hard to judge. I played both 1/3 NLHE and 1/2 PLO. Players were all over the board, which is typcial for a big room. Plenty of fish, with plenty of sharks hunting them. Overall, competition is probably a bit softer than Bellagio and Wynn, and similar to Venetian.
Dealers as a whole are quite good. Many are excellent. But I can't give a perfect score since several had trouble handling PLO, a game that is gaining in popularity. There were also a couple of dealers who rolled the deck, and a couple who had trouble handling side pots. But this crew is generally very solid and well above average for Vegas.
I'm not one who grades on appearances, but those who do will be fine with this room. Service was regular and fairly quick, and top shelf liquor is available (I had a Bombay Sapphire martini, as well as Grey Goose vodka and Patron tequila). Hot green tea was also available. I neither know nor care how they handle Red Bull.
Management gets an A+ in my book. One manager (Daniel) sat in games like 1/2 PLO, 9/18 HE, and Omaha8 to get the games started. He also took my cell number to text me when PLO games were starting later in my trip. Managers were quick to seat players and seemed very interested in taking care of questions or problems. Although tourneys are not yet running, I have to say that Aria's management is exceptional, and should give the established elite rooms a run for their money (and players).
Compared to its weight class, Aria is solid. Use of tableside tracking is a plus. However, one knock is that the food available in the poker room is horribly overpriced ($27 for a small shrimp quesadilla).
