CityCenter to turn more of us into valet users, pedestrians

By Richard N. Velotta (contact)

Fri, Dec 11, 2009 (3 a.m.)

I’ve never been much of a valet guy, but when CityCenter is up and running, I may have to become one.

I like to have the ability to come or go as I choose, and I’ve always thought one of the downsides of valet parking is that when you go for a show or special event, for example, you will sometimes have to wait awhile because everybody else who valet parked is in line to get their cars at the same time.

There’s also something about handing my car keys off to a total stranger and it has nothing to do with worrying about what kind of shape the car will be in when I get it back. It’s more about what that valet is thinking about a guy who drives a minivan. What does he think about a guy who hasn’t vacuumed the floor mats or washed the car in a few weeks going to a fancy restaurant such as Pierre Gagnaire’s Twist at Mandarin Oriental?

Did he laugh about what radio station I had playing in the car?

At CityCenter, there’s an abundance of valet parking — seven different drop locations throughout the complex.

There are valets for Vdara and Mandarin Oriental hotels as well as Crystals retail center, which all opened last week.

When Aria opens Dec. 16, it will have a main and north valet. Still to come will be valets for the twin Veer residential towers and for Harmon, which will open sometime next year.

There’s a reason for all the valet. MGM Mirage expects CityCenter customers to be primarily a valet crowd. As a result, there’s far more valet and fewer self-parking spaces.

But that shouldn’t discourage locals from making their way to the new development that is full of surprises. One of the fun things about the opening of a new property is discovering all the secret access points and short cuts that we brag to our friends about. That’s one of the things that sets us apart from tourists.

With that in mind, here are a few things you should know about visiting CityCenter, especially if you’re doing it for the first time:

• The underground network. One of the best parts about CityCenter is how organized it is in places you can’t see from the street. There are access passageways galore under those massive buildings — and they are well-marked. There are two primary roads into CityCenter, Harmon Avenue and CityCenter Place.

CityCenter Place is 10 lanes wide with a median. A series of well-signed ramps will guide motorists to their destinations, one of the valet lots or self-parking.

Motorists shouldn’t see many taxis and limousines on the CityCenter Place driveway because they have their own dedicated entrances and access to the Aria porte-cochere. Neither will most people see any service or supply trucks because deliveries will occur at underground loading docks from dedicated routes.

• Harmon Circle. Roundabouts are efficient traffic movers because vehicles can turn left or right to a destination without ever stopping. The traffic feature becomes even more versatile when you elevate it.

Motorists can access the elevated roundabout from Harmon Avenue and Harmon Circle provides access to Vdara, Aria or Bellagio employee parking lot.

• Green rewards. You’ve seen special parking spaces for the disabled, special spaces for pregnant women and special spaces for the employee of the month. CityCenter, with its emphasis on sustainability, will have preferred parking spaces for alternative fuel and low-emissions vehicles. Employees who car pool also get special parking considerations.

• Bicycle friendly. Employees who ride bicycles to work not only will be able to store bikes in racks, but will have showers available to them before they start the work day.

• A great walk. CityCenter is, above all, pedestrian friendly with interesting public art scattered around the campus and pocket parks throughout. There are reflecting pools and fountains. There’s a place to view the front entrance to Mandarin Oriental and its bamboo plants.

The Wet Design water features at Crystals are mesmerizing and people watching will be another diversion at the development.

• The tram. CityCenter’s automated people-mover stops in three places and takes 2 1/2 minutes to go from end to end on the 2,200-foot track. It’s capable of moving 6,000 passengers an hour and will operate daily from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m.

From the south, it starts at Monte Carlo, moving north to Crystals and finally to Vdara, near Bellagio’s Spa Tower.

• Harmon: It’s a through street. Harmon Avenue is a great way to access CityCenter, but it may also become a new route to cross Interstate 15 and the Strip with minimal traffic. The county ultimately plans to extend Harmon west past the railroad tracks where it now stops, but in the meantime Harmon can be accessed from Polaris Avenue to Tropicana.

Some day, those living west of I-15 will be able to use Harmon to easily access UNLV through CityCenter.

• Self-parking. CityCenter’s mantra is valet, valet, valet, but if you really want to self-park, the best bet may be to do it at the Monte Carlo or Bellagio and take the tram to your destination.

Here’s a great walk you can try out at CityCenter. Park at the self-park lot at Bellagio. Walk to the Spa Tower, where there’s an access to Vdara through its rear entrance. Exit Vdara from the front and walk along Harmon Circle (where some of the best views of the entire campus are available). Enter Aria from the Harmon Circle entrance. Exit on the CityCenter Place entrance to Crystals. Walk through the mall to a bridge over CityCenter Place to Mandarin Oriental. Make your way to the Monte Carlo tram stop and take the people mover back to the Bellagio station.

Be sure to take some time to look at all the cool stuff.

Changing bases in Orlando

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air has always used Sanford International Airport for its Orlando, Fla., operation. There was less congestion at Sanford, which catered to charter operations and international flights. Allegiant soon became a big fish in a small pond there.

Next year, Allegiant will switch to Orlando International Airport, which is closer to all things Disney, a move that has some appeal to Allegiant’s loyal East Coast customers.

Allegiant officials think the move will average out to costing the airline $2 per passenger, which means it will have to sell more tickets to make the move financially viable. Sabrina LoPiccolo, a spokeswoman for Allegiant, said Orlando International’s closer proximity to Walt Disney World and other theme parks should give Allegiant the additional customers it needs.

LoPiccolo said competitors were taking advantage of Allegiant’s presence at the Sanford airport.

“We believe that the fact we were at Sanford may have been seen as an opportunity by our competitor at Orlando International,” she said in an e-mail. “In other words, ‘Hey, if those guys at Allegiant can make those Sanford routes work, we can make the same routes work at Orlando International’ — and maybe take the market away from Allegiant.”

Allegiant offers no flights between Las Vegas and Orlando.

Thank you, Keith Schwer

The news media lost a friend with the death of economics professor Keith Schwer, who led UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research.

Schwer understood and analyzed tourism data as it related to Southern Nevada’s economic outlook and told it like it was when the economy tanked. He never shied away from making a comment, even when the message he was going to deliver wasn’t going to be popular.

I’ll never forget his harrowing story about escaping New York during the 9/11 disaster since he was attending a conference at a hotel at Ground Zero when the planes hit.

Few people, including me, knew how ill he was with esophageal cancer when he died last week.

Keith Schwer will be missed.

Richard N. Velotta covers tourism, technology and small business for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las Vegas Sun. He can be reached at 259-4061 or at rick.velotta@lasvegassun.com.