Vdara Las Vegas: Review

Not much has changed at Vdara since it opened almost 15 years ago. But that’s not a bad thing. Part condo, part hotel, Vdara’s lack of a casino is often its most significant criticism. It’s its best feature.

Vdara smells nice. Not nice like other hotels with a proprietary perfume to cover the smoke in the air, the smoke embedded in the carpet, and the smoke smothered into the textiles. The scent at Vdara competes with nothing other than the Starbucks near the lobby.

Vdara sounds nice. There’s no cacophony of ringing slots, shouting from table games, and whatever the hell that noise coming from the tabletop caveman keno game is. Quiet only competes with grinding coffee beans in the morning and crafted cocktails from Vice Versa, Vdara’s lobby bar, in the evening.

The steps to the nearest casino are negligible and made even easier now that a covered pathway connects Vdara directly to Bellagio and Cosmo. Bookending a high-energy day with the pleasant and quiet Vdara is one of the best parts of staying there.

Then there are the rooms; spacious, clean, and made for living. The galley bathrooms have ample space. The kitchenette is useful for extended stays or hosting. And if you book the Corner Suite or above, you’ll get a washer and dryer, which means you can under-pack or freshen up your favorite fit after a day filled with smoke and other merriment.

During this stay, I had the Studio Parlor Suite, which has a living and sleeping space separated by a wide wood column with TVs on each side. For the Vdara Suite, my favorite room type and one of the better values at Vdara, a wall with a door splits the room horizontally, allowing for more privacy. Since I was solo, that wasn’t much of a concern. Though I did miss having the washer and dryer.

The furnishings are mostly the same as I remember from several years ago. Have the accent chairs always been that lime green leatherette? I can’t remember. A grey couch in the living area doubles as a pull-out bed. It’s not exceptionally comfortable in either position, but such is the case with futons. A small desk sits next to the TV with a view out the waist-high, room-width window.

I wouldn’t normally advocate for dark brown tile in the bathroom, but it brings some harmony from the dark wood in the rest of the room. With a large tub, multiple sinks, and a shower with adequate pressure, Vdara’s bathrooms rival those of its luxury competitors.

Unless you have one of the top-end rooms, like a hospitality suite, there isn’t enough space at the dining table for more than two. Despite this, Vdara rooms can still be a worthy place for a meet-up if you’re traveling in a large group. Your typical Vegas room doesn’t have the utility to entertain properly.

There’s little to critique in Vdara’s suites. People can complain about the lack of a casino, restaurants, and entertainment. Vdara simply wasn’t built for it. I’ll admit that Vdara is never my first choice when planning a trip. Yet I’ve never been disappointed.