The Vdara Hotel & Spa is open, and it’s spectacular!

The Las Vegas CityCenter’s official grand opening of the Vdara Hotel and Spa gave the public a good, first glance at the new sustainable-luxury recreation destination.

Launching at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and subsequent celebrity party, the all-suite hotel welcomed Vdara’s employees to be the first to officially walk through the hotel’s doors.

“We are incredibly proud to offer the world this first taste of all that CityCenter will bring to the Las Vegas Strip,” said Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM MIRAGE. “Travelers will finally find in Las Vegas what they find in other great cities around the world – spectacular architecture, culturally significant art, great public spaces, sophisticated hotels, unique restaurants and incredible amenities. We look forward to unveiling all of this and more as the month unfolds.”

Vdara is the first hotel to open at CityCenter, which in total will put 12,000 employees to work in Las Vegas. The resort is an all-suite hotel and spa designed for those who love the excitement of Vegas but prefer to enjoy it in an exclusive, non-gaming, smoke-free environment.

Physically connected to The Bellagio and directly adjacent to ARIA Resort & Casino, Vdara offers access to all the amenities and energy of CityCenter while also providing a retreat from it all.

Vdara, together with Vanity Fair, threw a star-studded, invite-only event hosted by famed photographer Sebastian Copeland – a dedicated environmental activist, who shares Vdara’s commitment to sustainability, which is evidenced in the resort’s LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Also on hand for the festivities were award-winning actors Orlando Bloom and Rosario Dawson.

CityCenter will celebrate openings throughout the month, culminating with one final grand opening celebration, December 16. Crystals retail and entertainment district opens December 3, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas December 4 and ARIA Resort & Casino December 16.

City within a city

The forthcoming CityCenter is an unprecedented urban metropolis on 67 acres between Bellagio and Monte Carlo resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.

CityCenter features ARIA, a 61-story, 4,004-room gaming resort; luxury non-gaming hotels including Las Vegas’ first Mandarin Oriental and Vdara Hotel & Spa; Veer Towers, the development’s only strictly residential buildings; and Crystals, a 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment district.

At the forefront of sustainability, CityCenter is one of the world’s largest green developments. ARIA, Vdara, Crystals, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers all have received LEED® Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. This marks the highest LEED achievement for any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas. The Harmon also is pursuing LEED certification.

Vdara, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers include approximately 2,400 residences total. Additionally, The Harmon, a 400-room luxury boutique hotel, is slated to open at CityCenter in late 2010.

For more information about CityCenter, please visit www.citycenter.com as well as www.vdara.com.