Yes, Vegas Is Still in Trouble: Just Look at the Rates for Swanky Properties

In describing the sorry plight of the 4,000-room Aria Hotel of Las Vegas' brand-new City Center development, I've pointed out that on many dates in April (what's left of it) and May, Aria was discounting its super-deluxe rooms down to $129 a night. That's for lodgings that were designed to rate at least $300 or $350 a night (and more) normally.

I should have drawn equal attention to the Aria's even-more-luxurious sister resort, the Vdara Hotel, which has 1,495 suites, each with a "gourmet kitchen" (their term). Whereas Aria, in its desperation, is willing to accept $129 a room, Vdara is pricing its suites on a number of dates in April and May at only $119 a night! So here's your chance to enjoy palatial surroundings for a price that wouldn't get you in to a converted tenement in Manhattan.

In the remaining days of April, Vdara's booking chart (go to www.mgmresorts.com to look at those calendars) shows Vdara willing to rent its suites (and keep in mind that every one of Vdara's units is a suite of far greater splendor than the rooms in Aria) for $119 a night per suite on the nights of April 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21. It will sell them for $129 a night on April 24.

In May, Vdara will rent its suites for $119 a night on May 2, 3, 25, 26, 30, and 31. It will then charge a big $129 a night on May 1, 4, 5, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

In June, Vdara will rent its suites for $129 a night on a staggering 16 days in that month: June 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30.

Note how, in April, May and June, many of these rates of desperation are available for continuous periods of five days at a time, enabling you to enjoy a protracted bargain-basement vacation in Sin City for a mere pittance. (That's provided, of course, that you don't take a single meal in the Vdara, or use any other of its facilities with their awesome prices. You've got to exert self-control.)