launched a national advertising campaign in 2010. Aria has been operated by MGM since its opening. In 2021, MGM bought out Dubai World's ownership stake in Aria and the nearby Vdara hotel, gaining full ownership of both. That year, MGM sold the two properties for $3.89 billion in cash to The Blackstone Group, which leased them back to MGM for an annual rent of $215 million. Design and technology Aria was designed by Pelli Clark Pelli Architects, which spent two months with MGM discussing the project's design. Aria was the firm's first casino design. Unlike other Las Vegas resorts, Aria does not feature a theme. According to César Pelli, "When you don't have a theme, the attraction of the building has to rest in the beauty of the architecture". The design incorporates natural materials such as foliage, glass, wood, and stone. Real and fake trees are located in numerous resort facilities, including some of the restaurants. Interior designer Peter Marino worked on several areas of the resort, including hotel suites and a high-limit gaming area. Technology was incorporated in the resort's exterior and interior design, specifically for the reduction of energy consumption. For its environmentally friendly design, Aria received LEED Gold certification, becoming the largest hotel in the world to achieve such a feat. Aria's casino is not included in the Gold certification because it allows cigarette smoking. However, the resort has an advanced air filtration system which eliminates smoke on the casino floor. In addition, blackjack tables had built-in air curtains to deal with smoke and protect dealers. The tables expel air which serves as a barrier between dealers and players. Upon opening, Aria was among the world's most technologically advanced resorts, with features such as touchscreens located throughout the property, including its convention center and restaurants. Rooms automatically adjust curtains, turn off unused lights and electronics, and regulate the temperature when a guest enters or leaves. In 2010, Aria was described by Popular Mechanics as possibly "the most technologically advanced hotel ever built". Features Aria has numerous features spread across . Gaming Aria includes the only casino at CityCenter. Its of gaming space features slot machines, table games, and a race and sports book. The gaming machines are controlled and monitored by a data center and are changed to play the most popular games based on real-time data collected about the performance of each machine. Exterior windows are