As springtime emerges, flowers begin blooming and guests begin returning post-pandemic, the lobby experience at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas reflects the season’s renewed energy. ARIA’s “Take Flight” display features hot air balloons with a soaring twist.
“Take Flight was inspired by the coming of spring and the idea that the change of season brings an uplifting renewal to the soul, especially after such a long and challenging winter for everyone,” said Marti Winer, VP, event productions at MGM Resorts International. “Our designers looked to capture those feelings as guests ‘take flight’ in our very own custom balloons. We loved the idea of using the openness of the lobby to convey the idea of bringing the outside in; however, given ARIA’s modern and sleek aesthetic, we also knew we couldn’t do a typical or expected interpretation of a hot air balloon. We focused on balancing pops of bright color with those more naturally occurring in the lobby and whimsy with structure.”
The Events Production team collaborated with the property’s Horticulture and Special Events teams to create the display, which features five hot air balloons floating under a “sky” made of vibrant shades of blue and turquoise fabric. Complementing the brightly colored balloons are six exquisite, oversized birds, soaring above a grove of Ficus trees and floral beds in hues of red, yellow, pink and orange. Guests can capture their own spring renewal by immersing themselves in a photo moment inside one of the hot air balloon nests.
Other springtime touches found throughout the resort include 15 smaller hot air balloons displayed in ARIA’s North Valet Lobby. Each of the balloons, scaled-down in size from their main lobby counterparts, incorporate handcrafted seasonal symbols such as an umbrella with rain boots; a flower truck bursting with a colorful floral delivery; and a flower pot filled with sunflowers, as well as 12 other fantastical designs.
Additionally, an art installation designed exclusively for ARIA and titled “Unexpected Convergence” by Living Edge, a local team comprised of Artist Aundrea Frahm and Floral Artist Shino Mullen, will be on display adjacent to the ARIA Patisserie through May 31. Created with layered mirror acrylic resembling a glass lake that collides into a wave of jewel-toned silk floral, the beautiful installation evokes the crashing of seasons as the world moves from winter to spring.
The lobby displays change seasonally and started with the opening of the property. “What began as a celebration of the December holidays evolved into a more frequent project with customers eagerly awaiting the change of seasons in ARIA’s iconic lobby,” said Winer.
She loves working in the space because although it’s an existing space, it has great flexibility. “It provides us an amazing canvas to work with for a variety of ideas. We use the defining structural characteristics as our jumping-off point and then design around that so we know the finished project will blend well with the space. For example, the glass ceiling is a structural characteristic that not only helps define ARIA’s unique style, but allows for ambient light to permeate the space and create different environments over each 24-hour period. In this design, we augmented the ‘sky’ with satin fabric in five different colors used to create an ombre effect. We wanted to make sure that visitors at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m. were able to embrace the total feel of the space including the sky, even when there is no natural light.”
ARIA lobby “Take Flight” spring display by the numbers:
- 22 hot air balloons
- 15 ft.—the height of the tallest hot air balloon
- 4,000 ft. of fabric used to create the “sky”
- 50 bundles of willow used to create the nests
- 15 custom-made spring designs in the North Valet Lobby balloons
- Six hand-sculpted birds in the Main Lobby
- More than 100 hours designing and creating the display
- 35 employees from ARIA and MGM Resorts Events Production conceptualizing and executing the design
- 1,000 kalanchoe flowers in red, yellow, pink and orange hues
