Aria Resort and Casino is a luxury resort and casino, and the primary property at the CityCenter complex, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by The Blackstone Group and operated by MGM Resorts International. Construction began on June 25, 2006, with a design by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects. Aria received LEED Gold certification for its environmentally friendly design, and is the largest hotel in the world to achieve such a feat. It was also among the most technologically advanced hotels in the world at the time of its opening on December 16, 2009. It was developed as a joint venture between MGM and Dubai World, before being sold to Blackstone in 2021. Aria's hotel includes two curvilinear glass towers, rising up to 50 stories. The hotel has 4,004 rooms and suites, and is a recipient of the AAA Five Diamond Award and a five-star rating from Forbes Travel Guide. The resort also includes the only casino at CityCenter, with of gaming space. Other features include an salon and spa, of convention space, and numerous restaurants, as well as artwork and water attractions. Aria also had CityCenter's only performance theater, until it closed in 2016 for a convention center expansion. The 1,840-seat theater originally hosted Viva Elvis, a show by Cirque du Soleil based on the music of Elvis Presley. It ran from 2010 to 2012, closing due to low ticket sales. Zarkana, a new show by Cirque du Soleil, opened two months later and ran until the theater's closure. History Aria is part of the CityCenter project, developed by MGM Mirage (later MGM Resorts International) and Dubai World. Perini Building Company served as general contractor. Construction of CityCenter began on June 25, 2006, with a concrete pour for the project's main resort, unnamed at the time. The "Aria" name, unveiled in May 2008, was inspired by the resort's placement as the central feature of CityCenter, as arias are focal points in operas. Aria opened on December 16, 2009, at 11:41 p.m., following a two-minute fireworks show. It was the fourth component to open at CityCenter, and is the primary hotel property there. Aria opened during the Great Recession, which had a negative impact on the resort's revenue. Although it was built as a luxury resort, Aria had to adjust its strategy upon opening and appeal to a lower-income clientele amid the recession. The resort