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Cosmo/Aria My comparison

Discussion in 'LV Strip Hotels' started by Nittany1, Mar 29, 2013.

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  1. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    Did not want to hijack the earlier thread so I thought I would give my personal point by point comaprison of the two properties.

    I have become a fan of Aria and stayed there my last 6 or7 trips.
    First 2 in Corner Suites and last 4 or 5 in one bedroom SkySuite.
    (My wife insists it was 7 but I think 6)

    After reading so many positive reviews about Cosmo I wanted to really experience the property.
    My room at Cosmo was a One Bedroom Terrace.These rooms compare to an Aria Corner Suite in terms of price.It would not be fair to compare it to the SkySuites which are on a different level.

    I'm just going to go down point by point as I think of them and try to compare.This is based on my personal experience and I may miss some things but I'll do my best.

    1.View...I've had some really nice views form Panoramic Corners at Aria but the view from my Cosmo room was the best I ever had.
    39th floor East tower facing the fountains and North Strip.
    Cosmo wins

    2.Restaurants...I've eaten at every restaurant in Aria except BarMasa.In Cosmo I've tried CommeCa,Stk,China Poblano,Milos,Overlook Grill,and Holsteins.
    Bottom line is both hotels have great restaurants and it is impossible to declare a winner.
    And if you stayed at one and wanted to eat at a restaurant in the other hotel it is a 5-10 min.walk.
    Tie

    3.Bars and Lounges...If you don't count the bars in the restaurants,Cosmo has more options for casual cocktails.The Vesper Bar near the check in area is usually quiet.The Bond Bar right on the Strip is great for people watching.
    Quite a few other options.
    Aria has Bar Moderno,City Bar and View Bar.Close but..
    Cosmo wins

    4.Bed...Cosmo's bed was comfortable but on par with some of the other good strip hotels.
    The bed at Aria is the best!!No comparison.
    Aria wins

    5.Room...This is the most interesting comparison as there are a lot of factors to consider.
    The terrace at Cosmo is nice although I did not use it as much as I thought I would.It was a benefit to open the sliding door.
    The room kind of had a weird setup.Not counting the flip open top on the ottoman,there was only one drawer in the entire room and that was under the sink in the living room.There are a couple open cubes in the closet but no dresser.
    The other thing that was strange is the angle of the couch in relation to the TV.It is on a 90 dgree angle and part of the couch is on the same wall as the TV.
    The bathroom is setup with a small vanity and single sink.
    The Corner Suites at Aria have very large bathrooms,double sinks,plus a full size tub.
    The tub in the Cosmo room was a small "plunge"tub at the window.
    The corner suites at Aria also have a powder room.Cosmo does not have this.
    It also seems the Corner Suites are in a more usable,maybe traditional,manner which I liked.
    Considering everything,it's kinda close but...
    Aria wins

    6.Casino...The casino at Cosmo is cramped.They actually did a good job with the footprint they had to work with but the space is tight.
    The table games are squeezed together and last weekend's March Madness crowd made it a challenge.
    I walked up to Aria with several friends to cash basketball tickets and we were all struck by the open, almost cavernous feel walking into Aria.
    There are a couple positive things about the Cosmo casino.First,there are TVs everywhere so it was easy to keep track of the games.Apparently they run Cosmo commercials except when there are major sports on.
    The other positive I found was the dealers.
    I had read on other postings that they were very friendly.My experience confirmed this.
    Most of the dealers were personable,very friendly and engaging.
    Unfortunately for Cosmo,these 2 positives can't overcome the fact the Aria's casino is way more comfortable,less cramped,and better gambling.
    Aria wins

    7.Players Clubs...There has been a lot of bad stuff written about both Identity at Cosmo and MLife.
    After one stay I can't really compare the two clubs.My room and food get comped at both places.I don'tplay slots so I don't rate collection of points.
    MLife has one benefit that I like which is a taxi line pass for Platinum.

    8.Service/Housekeeping...This is a glaring contrast!
    Housekeeping has been pretty much flawless at Aria.Actually in the suites at Aria they do an evening turndown where they refresh all towels,washcloths,soap etc.
    At Cosmo my room did not get cleaned at all one day.
    The next day my room got cleaned but the maid left 2 bathtowels and nothing else.She threw them on the ottoman in the living room and they never made it to the bathroom.
    That afternoon I called and requested they bring up more towels plus hand towels.They said they would be right up.
    At 11pm they were still not there...I called....coming right up.
    At 8 am no towels yet,I called and they arrived 20 min later.
    There were a couple other small issues but as you can see.
    It's not even close...
    Aria wins.

    9.Location...Although Aria is considered on the Strip it is located in the back part of City Center.It is a short walk to the Strip but it is a walk.
    I was in the East Tower at Cosmo which is closest to the Strip and the location was great.The Bond Bar actually is on the Strip.
    Cosmo wins.

    10.Pools...Both properties have party pools which I did not use.
    The Aria pool complex is much nicer in that there are 3 large pools plus the party pool(Liquid)
    Cosmo did a nice job with their limited space but like the casino it is cramped.
    Aria wins

    Overall there were quite a few things I liked about Cosmo and I will stay there again.
    In a comparison however,the positives at Aria are way more important to me.
    The nicer room and casino are important.The bed at Aria is a bonus but the unreliable service and housekeeping is a dealbreaker for me.
    The powder room in the Corner Suites is also a plus.
     
  2. BKCallaway83

    BKCallaway83 Tourist

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    Thanks!!
    Great Review!!

    Agree with you all the points on Aria
     
  3. Kimsa70

    Kimsa70 High-Roller

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    Great review! Agree, too, that Aria is the better property. I just booked Aria for Memorial Day weekend. I'm using Cosmo once more for a free room comp this weekend on Sunday, and not even staying on Monday, and could care less if they offer me any more comps.
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2013
  4. KBT2012

    KBT2012 High-Roller

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    Fantastic review, although I've never stayed at Cosmo, I've stayed at Aria in the Corner Suite and absolutely loved it. I've stayed in deluxe room there several times as well. Overall, it is my favorite casino/hotel. Let me ask you this: do you like the Sky Suites better than the Corner Suite - just as a ROOM comparison - set aside service or other extras. (I've never stayed at the Sky Suites it is out of what I typically budget for Vegas but I have considered it before and am wondering if I should take a stab at it sometime).
     
  5. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    If you take the other benefits away,I do like the rooms better.The bathrooms
    are larger.
    The living room and bedroom are larger with some nicer amenities.
    I am not sure of the price difference between the panoramic corner suite and the one bedroom skysuite.
    If I was paying and the difference was not great I would pick the SkySuites.
    If it was $100 a night or more,probably not.
    The other noticeable difference is there is a long walk to the corner suites.
    The SkySuite tower has a short hall in either direction.
    Having walked to the casino and realized I forgot my phone in a corner suite,I was not happy about the walk.
     
  6. DK528

    DK528 Low-Roller

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    Thanks for the comparison.

    I'm staying at both on my upcoming trip (Aria first and Cosmo second) and based on your comparison, I wish I could switch the reservations but my Cosmo offer is for comped weekday rooms so I'm taking the offer. I'll report back if I think any differently from you.
     
  7. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    No problem Dr.Kaufman.I based my comparison on my experience.
    Not everyone will agree but I look forward to your report when you get back.
    IMO there are 3 things that are not in question.
    1.Aria beds are the best
    2.The service at Aria is better than Cosmo
    3.The view from the fountain view rooms at Cosmo is the best.
    Enjoy your upcoming trip.
     
  8. uli_1515

    uli_1515 Low-Roller

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    Thanks for the great review. Helps me out on where ill be staying in the future.
     
  9. wndrwmn71

    wndrwmn71 Low-Roller

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    Your post wouldn't have highjacked my thread at all. Actually, it would have been perfect, but I'm glad I came upon this.

    I am a little concerned about how far back the Aria is from the strip. I had grown accustomed to the short walk out of the Flamingo, but the Mirage was a bit of a hike too, and when I stayed at the MGM Grand, I felt like I needed a sherpa with a pack mule to guide me out.
     
  10. JennLH81

    JennLH81 Tourist

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    Are there any Aria rooms that have a view of the fountains?? If there are, I'm sooooo switching!
     
  11. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    Unfortunately there are not.
    Due to the multiple angles at Aria there are many different views.
    Pool complex and west,City Center and south,and one corner suite I had overlooked Marquee Dayclub and Cosmo's pool complex.
    I had one room that looked at the Monte Carlo wave pool.
     
  12. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    I stayed at the MGM the first 2 days of this last trip and I know what you mean.

    Walking out of the Nrth entrance of Aria you walk across the little circle and before you get to Vdara there is a stairway/elevator,maybe 60-70 yards.
    Go down one flight and you are close to the main(valet) entrance to Cosmo.
    You can either walk through the length of the casino or sidewalk to the strip.
    The walk is the lenghth of the Cosmopolitan hotel.

    I didn't mind it but it is a longer walk than the Flamingo or the Mirage driveway.
     
  13. Universal

    Universal High-Roller

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    Nice review/comparison. I agree with everything you've written. I fall more in love with Aria each time I stay there, especially the Sky Suites.
     
  14. JennLH81

    JennLH81 Tourist

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    Okay...so what's the best type of room to stay in? I think Sky Suites may be out of my budget, but what would be comp to a nice room at Cosmo?
     
  15. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    I think the corner suites compare in price to the one bedroom terrace I had at Cosmo.
    The best views are from the Panoramic Corner Suites.They charge a premium as these are on the top floors but are very nice.
    These are 270 degrees floor to ceiling windows and give multiple views from different rooms.
     
  16. Terry Benedict

    Terry Benedict VIP Whale

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    Great review. You had a good balance of specifics and feelings. I wish everyone's reviews were like this.

    It's funny that your casino review doesn't have anything to do with gambling wins and losses. Most reviews say "the slots were tight" or "the dealer kept taking my money". And let's face it, if any of us tripled our buyin in a back alley, it's a fun casino.

    Nice job.
     
  17. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    Thanks Terry.
    I intentionally did not go into wins losses as I just wanted to focus on the hotel aspects.
    The gambling results were 5 figures ugly but that only relates to a bad run not the hotel or casino.I really did like the delaers at Cosmo.
     
  18. firstkill

    firstkill High-Roller

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    Good review,

    I would like to throw out some other comparisons.

    Aria basic "delux room" costs extra for 2 queen beds
    Comso "city" room comes with 2 queen beds

    the basic cosmo room, terrace studio with 1 king is more spacious than the regular delux room 1 king.

    Wrap around terrace vs Skysuite
    The cosmo rooms are better for entertaining friends, more space and the balcony. Worth it for the people who party in their room.

    The Casino for black jack
    Aria 6 deck manual shuffle (hard to find a $25 game usally 50+ in evenings and weekends)
    Cosmo 6 deck machine shuffle but in a shoe ( high limit) the rest are 8 decks.

    Aria casino is huge compared to cosmo, but the dealers are more friendly. They high five, fist pump, more casual.

    Aria drink service >>>>>>>>>> Cosmo
    besides alcohol, aria has fresh squeeze juice in the summer. Carrot/Watermelon/Orange

    but, its easier to get free rooms at cosmo for the amount you have to play.

    fk
     
  19. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    FK Thanks for the additions.
    If you are going to spring for a suite to party with friends the wraparound is in a class by itself.
    One of my friends had a happy hour party while we were there and it was impressive.
    I was just comparing the midlevel rooms at similar prices.
    The SkySuites do have a few other benefits including the private elevators,lobby,free cofee,water,snacks,limo etc.
    Not being the most patient person in the world,not waiting in line for morning coffee and having there as you step off the elevator is nice.

    Are you saying the Cosmo or Aria delaers are more friendly?Even though I like most of the dealers at Aria I thought the dealers at Cosmo were the best.

    I found the drink service to be very good in both places and that includes some of the busiest weekends of the year.Last weekend was March Madness at Cosmo but I've been to Super Bowl and NYE at Aria and it's been good.
     
  20. firstkill

    firstkill High-Roller

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    Cosmo dealers are hands down more friendly than aria.

    The VIP check at Cosmo has apples, tea and coffee. Not as nice or as exclusive as skysuite lobby though.

    fk

     
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