Our weekend in Las Vegas living the M life had to come to an end, but the memories will last forever – and so will the photos! When we reported that Bullz-Eye was invited with other digital media members to experience the M life, there were very high expectations as to that was in the works. Well, first and foremost, the folks at MGM delivered on every point with a weekend like no other.

After a smooth flight in from Cleveland, I arrived at the Aria Resort and Casino quickly and was blown away by the sleek design of this gem on the strip. After checking in, I learned first-hand why so many visitors pick Aria as their first choice when visiting Las Vegas. When entering your room, the lighting, the window shade, the music… everything is tailored to your preferences and intuitive to your needs. Set them exactly the way you like and prepare yourself for the night ahead.

I headed down to Javier’s at Aria where we started the weekend and met my fellow influencers with signature margaritas and appetizers at ARIA’s newest restaurant. Javier’s brings a Southern California favorite to the Las Vegas strip and delivers a rich heritage of authentic Mexican cuisine along with hand-shaken margaritas and a high-energy ambiance to Las Vegas. Javier’s was a great place to get this M life party started, and we did just that! It was then off to the Hit Bar at Monte Carlo to channel our inner James Bond (or Bond girl) and learn how to craft world-class cocktails with this M life Moment available to all members. Monte Carlo’s Director of Beverage showed us the fine art and history of mixology and was behind the bar for an hour shaking up some cocktail classics, and we enjoyed them too! Things were just getting started, and when you’re a new M life member like we were, you don’t fully understand the kind of access at MGM Resorts this program offers. But we learned quickly.

We loaded up our group for a stunning tour of MGM Grand’s STAY WELL Rooms & SKYLOFTS. MGM Grand’s new STAY WELL collection features 42 rooms and suites designed for guests looking to take their wellness lifestyle “on the road” when traveling. We were also lucky enough to tour the Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond SKYLOFTS, a private, two-story sanctuary located on the top two floors of MGM Grand. This was amazing, and I’m sure many good people out there are using their M life points just to stay in this sleek spot in Vegas. I’m now floored by these Skylofts as we headed to dinner at Fiamma Trattoria & Bar at MGM Grand. From Sicily to Milan, Fiamma presents traditional Italian cuisine in sleek and sexy surroundings. We indulged vino from an award-winning wine list showcasing more than 700 selections from all over the world, and fresh, hand-crafted pasta creations from Executive Chef Pierpaolo Pittia. The food was fabulous and my entrée of scallops and prawns risotto was extraordinary. We then started another M life moment by attending “KÀ by Cirque du Soleil.” Taking photos with the cast prior to the show is an Insider (M life) Experience at MGM Grand and adds a first-class touch to your Cirque du Soleil experience. Also with M life, you will get to watch the show from VIP seats at one of Vegas’ favorite theaters. The show rounded out a well planned first day and the crew was able to gamble at the casino in Aria or just rest up for the following day’s M life Moments.

After a good night sleep in my Aria suite, it was time to live an M life Moment and swim with the dolphins at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage. On a beautiful morning in Vegas, we got up close and personal with some of the world’s most beautiful, intelligent animals. M life gives members an exclusive experience swimming with bottlenose dolphins, a Moment I’ll never forget. You find this opportunity at other resorts, so get going and join M life https://www.mlife.com/ so you can experience some of these life-changing events.

I heard of the Aureole restaurant in Mandalay Bay, and now through M life Moments, we were going to learn to cook in the style of famed celebrity chef Charlie Palmer. This exclusive package includes a private cooking lesson with Aureole Executive Chef Vincent Pouessel and a tour of Aureole’s famous Wine Tower, and we savored every moment. After watching Chef Pouessel make French onion soup, we all had a sample for ourselves and it was nothing short of incredible. Afterwards, we enjoyed a multi-course lunch with wine pairings with Chuck Bowling, President & COO of Mandalay Bay. Mr. Bowling was very welcoming and also reviewed many of the exciting projects underway at Mandalay Bay Resort. I’m going to keep an eye out for Mandalay Bay because they are in the process of totally transforming an already top-notch resort.

We then had a roundtable with the bigs from MGM Resorts. This was our chance to have all of our M life questions answered. Our team of writers had the opportunity to sit down with two of MGM Resorts International’s top executives, Scott Voeller (Senior VP of Brand Strategy & Advertising) and Tom Mikulich (Senior VP of Business Development), for a special roundtable discussion. It was here that I learned exactly what MGM expects to provide M life members and that is “access.” The M life program provides MGM customers the chance to earn points that can be redeemed for access at all of the MGM Resorts. The M life is the ultimate way to earn rewards for virtually every dollar you spend. All you have to do is enjoy hotel, dining, entertainment and spa experiences, along with slots and table games, and you'll earn your way toward amazing rewards and benefits. Tier Credits is the engine that drives M life. Each Tier Credit you earn gets you closer to the next tier of membership. You earn credits through slots and video poker, table games, hotel accommodations, dining entertainment and spa.

Another original M life Moment was an evening with Master Artist Jeff Mitchum at his gallery located in the Bellagio. If you could spend an evening with a world-renowned photographer, what would you ask? What would you hope to discover? This special M life Moment gives you the rare chance to hang out with fine-art photographer Jeff Mitchum in his own gallery. You will receive a private tour (lead by the artist) of his gallery, drink cocktails with Jeff at Hyde Bellagio, and receive a signed collector’s edition book of his work. We did all of that and Jeff’s work is not only astonishing, but he’s also a great guy. Along with Jeff, we then headed to Hyde Bellagio, where celebrities go to truly enjoy Las Vegas. M life members can party like a rock star at Hyde Bellagio, located on the 50-yard-line of Bellagio’s iconic lake. Like us, you can enjoy VIP treatment while sipping savory libations and marveling in tableside cocktail presentations. A few of our writers even had an opportunity to pick the songs for The Fountains of Bellagio, an exclusive M life Moment. This experience was one of the highlights of my trip as the views are breathtaking and Hyde is a very soothing place right by the Bellagio fountains. This is an M life Moment for the ages!!

The M life just kept getting better as we boogied down to Sensi for dinner. It was at Sensi that we enjoyed a special dining experience courtesy of Sensi’s talented executive chef Roy Ellamar, who recently won an episode of Food Network’s hit television show “Chopped.” Chef Roy welcomed our group before we enjoyed the restaurant’s unique and indulgent dishes inspired by cuisines from all over the world. One can also choose to experience Chef Roy’s three-course meal, which he crafted and prepared to win “Chopped.” I had a filet for my entrée and it was beyond delicious! This late dinner was excellent and had us charged for what the next day of the M life had in the works.

There are buffets out in Las Vegas, and then there is the Aria buffet. Live action stations line the newly redesigned Buffet at ARIA, offering freshly made specialties along with the only tandoor oven in a Las Vegas buffet serving baked naan and delicious kabobs. Before you leave Vegas, enjoy the new fresh fish market station and all-you-can-drink specials that include sangria, premium beer and wine. I can tell you we enjoyed just about every station at the Aria buffet. Before taking off to the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational at Shadow Creek, Aria reps gave us a tour of the Aria Sky Suites. A recent recipient of the Forbes Five-Star Award, we had an exclusive tour of the luxurious ARIA’s Sky Suites high above the Las Vegas Strip. A hotel-within-a-hotel, Sky Suites offers some of the most luxurious, tech-savvy accommodations in Sin City. If you recognize and appreciate sleek and modern like we do, then you’ll be impressed when in Aria Sky Suites. After approximately a 15-minute drive, we arrived at the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational at Shadow Creek and the course is picturesque. We watched A-list celebrities hit the green at Las Vegas’ most exclusive golf course. There was Marcus Allen, Brandi Chastain, Roger Clemens, Kevin Dillon, Julius Erving, Wayne Gretzky, Ken Griffey Jr., Mario Lemieux, Jerry Rice and many others in attendance. I enjoyed lunch and relaxed in the VIP Hospitality Deck overlooking the picturesque 18th hole.

When returning to Aria, we stopped by the adults-only LIQUID Pool & Lounge at ARIA with VIP access. Liquid is basically a day club for those who want to start the party early. This place was rockin’ and the drinks were cold and the food was tasty. With M life access, you skip the line and enjoy the adults-only, outdoor playground LIQUID Pool & Lounge. Enjoy poolside pampering, hot DJs and daytime indulgence in this sizzling environment. Dinner was getting close and I was pumped that we were eating at AMERICAN FISH by Michael Mina at ARIA. Celebrating one of America’s great dining legacies is AMERICAN FISH, Michael Mina’s fifth restaurant in Las Vegas. Rustic cooking methods from across the country are celebrated and applied with modern finesse. Featuring classic cocktails with modern twists, AMERICAN FISH recently introduced a new menu and it was out of this world. AMERICAN FISH is now one of my favorite restaurants in Vegas!

After a visit by some of the performers from “Zarkana by Cirque du Soleil” at Aria we went, to see their show. Cirque’s newest show to hit the Las Vegas strip, “Zarkana” is a visually stunning modern acrobatic spectacular set in a world where physical ability meets with the extraordinary. Surrender to a spellbinding extravaganza that defies the possible and will leave you breathless! Because we were living the M life, the party continued to HAZE Nightclub at Aria. We had bottle service and shared the club with Michael Jordan, Penny Hardaway, Bruce Smith and other celebrities. One can dance the night away at one of Las Vegas’ hottest nightclubs: HAZE. In true M life fashion, we enjoyed VIP entrance, bottle service and a private table with a great group of new friends.

All of this is now available to Bullz-Eye readers by joining M life here and you’ll be on your way to earning points and choosing the M life moments that can change your Vegas experience forever!

Our weekend in Las Vegas living the M life had to come to an end, but the memories will last forever – and so will the photos! When we reported that Bullz-Eye was invited with other digital media members to experience the M life, there were very high expectations as to that was in the works. Well, first and foremost, the folks at MGM delivered on every point with a weekend like no other.

After a smooth flight in from Cleveland, I arrived at the Aria Resort and Casino quickly and was blown away by the sleek design of this gem on the strip. After checking in, I learned first-hand why so many visitors pick Aria as their first choice when visiting Las Vegas. When entering your room, the lighting, the window shade, the music… everything is tailored to your preferences and intuitive to your needs. Set them exactly the way you like and prepare yourself for the night ahead.

I headed down to Javier’s at Aria where we started the weekend and met my fellow influencers with signature margaritas and appetizers at ARIA’s newest restaurant. Javier’s brings a Southern California favorite to the Las Vegas strip and delivers a rich heritage of authentic Mexican cuisine along with hand-shaken margaritas and a high-energy ambiance to Las Vegas. Javier’s was a great place to get this M life party started, and we did just that! It was then off to the Hit Bar at Monte Carlo to channel our inner James Bond (or Bond girl) and learn how to craft world-class cocktails with this M life Moment available to all members. Monte Carlo’s Director of Beverage showed us the fine art and history of mixology and was behind the bar for an hour shaking up some cocktail classics, and we enjoyed them too! Things were just getting started, and when you’re a new M life member like we were, you don’t fully understand the kind of access at MGM Resorts this program offers. But we learned quickly.

We loaded up our group for a stunning tour of MGM Grand’s STAY WELL Rooms & SKYLOFTS. MGM Grand’s new STAY WELL collection features 42 rooms and suites designed for guests looking to take their wellness lifestyle “on the road” when traveling. We were also lucky enough to tour the Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond SKYLOFTS, a private, two-story sanctuary located on the top two floors of MGM Grand. This was amazing, and I’m sure many good people out there are using their M life points just to stay in this sleek spot in Vegas. I’m now floored by these Skylofts as we headed to dinner at Fiamma Trattoria & Bar at MGM Grand. From Sicily to Milan, Fiamma presents traditional Italian cuisine in sleek and sexy surroundings. We indulged vino from an award-winning wine list showcasing more than 700 selections from all over the world, and fresh, hand-crafted pasta creations from Executive Chef Pierpaolo Pittia. The food was fabulous and my entrée of scallops and prawns risotto was extraordinary. We then started another M life moment by attending “KÀ by Cirque du Soleil.” Taking photos with the cast prior to the show is an Insider (M life) Experience at MGM Grand and adds a first-class touch to your Cirque du Soleil experience. Also with M life, you will get to watch the show from VIP seats at one of Vegas’ favorite theaters. The show rounded out a well planned first day and the crew was able to gamble at the casino in Aria or just rest up for the following day’s M life Moments.

After a good night sleep in my Aria suite, it was time to live an M life Moment and swim with the dolphins at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage. On a beautiful morning in Vegas, we got up close and personal with some of the world’s most beautiful, intelligent animals. M life gives members an exclusive experience swimming with bottlenose dolphins, a Moment I’ll never forget. You find this opportunity at other resorts, so get going and join M life https://www.mlife.com/ so you can experience some of these life-changing events.

I heard of the Aureole restaurant in Mandalay Bay, and now through M life Moments, we were going to learn to cook in the style of famed celebrity chef Charlie Palmer. This exclusive package includes a private cooking lesson with Aureole Executive Chef Vincent Pouessel and a tour of Aureole’s famous Wine Tower, and we savored every moment. After watching Chef Pouessel make French onion soup, we all had a sample for ourselves and it was nothing short of incredible. Afterwards, we enjoyed a multi-course lunch with wine pairings with Chuck Bowling, President & COO of Mandalay Bay. Mr. Bowling was very welcoming and also reviewed many of the exciting projects underway at Mandalay Bay Resort. I’m going to keep an eye out for Mandalay Bay because they are in the process of totally transforming an already top-notch resort.

We then had a roundtable with the bigs from MGM Resorts. This was our chance to have all of our M life questions answered. Our team of writers had the opportunity to sit down with two of MGM Resorts International’s top executives, Scott Voeller (Senior VP of Brand Strategy & Advertising) and Tom Mikulich (Senior VP of Business Development), for a special roundtable discussion. It was here that I learned exactly what MGM expects to provide M life members and that is “access.” The M life program provides MGM customers the chance to earn points that can be redeemed for access at all of the MGM Resorts. The M life is the ultimate way to earn rewards for virtually every dollar you spend. All you have to do is enjoy hotel, dining, entertainment and spa experiences, along with slots and table games, and you’ll earn your way toward amazing rewards and benefits. Tier Credits is the engine that drives M life. Each Tier Credit you earn gets you closer to the next tier of membership. You earn credits through slots and video poker, table games, hotel accommodations, dining entertainment and spa.

Another original M life Moment was an evening with Master Artist Jeff Mitchum at his gallery located in the Bellagio. If you could spend an evening with a world-renowned photographer, what would you ask? What would you hope to discover? This special M life Moment gives you the rare chance to hang out with fine-art photographer Jeff Mitchum in his own gallery. You will receive a private tour (lead by the artist) of his gallery, drink cocktails with Jeff at Hyde Bellagio, and receive a signed collector’s edition book of his work. We did all of that and Jeff’s work is not only astonishing, but he’s also a great guy. Along with Jeff, we then headed to Hyde Bellagio, where celebrities go to truly enjoy Las Vegas. M life members can party like a rock star at Hyde Bellagio, located on the 50-yard-line of Bellagio’s iconic lake. Like us, you can enjoy VIP treatment while sipping savory libations and marveling in tableside cocktail presentations. A few of our writers even had an opportunity to pick the songs for The Fountains of Bellagio, an exclusive M life Moment. This experience was one of the highlights of my trip as the views are breathtaking and Hyde is a very soothing place right by the Bellagio fountains. This is an M life Moment for the ages!!

The M life just kept getting better as we boogied down to Sensi for dinner. It was at Sensi that we enjoyed a special dining experience courtesy of Sensi’s talented executive chef Roy Ellamar, who recently won an episode of Food Network’s hit television show “Chopped.” Chef Roy welcomed our group before we enjoyed the restaurant’s unique and indulgent dishes inspired by cuisines from all over the world. One can also choose to experience Chef Roy’s three-course meal, which he crafted and prepared to win “Chopped.” I had a filet for my entrée and it was beyond delicious! This late dinner was excellent and had us charged for what the next day of the M life had in the works.

There are buffets out in Las Vegas, and then there is the Aria buffet. Live action stations line the newly redesigned Buffet at ARIA, offering freshly made specialties along with the only tandoor oven in a Las Vegas buffet serving baked naan and delicious kabobs. Before you leave Vegas, enjoy the new fresh fish market station and all-you-can-drink specials that include sangria, premium beer and wine. I can tell you we enjoyed just about every station at the Aria buffet. Before taking off to the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational at Shadow Creek, Aria reps gave us a tour of the Aria Sky Suites. A recent recipient of the Forbes Five-Star Award, we had an exclusive tour of the luxurious ARIA’s Sky Suites high above the Las Vegas Strip. A hotel-within-a-hotel, Sky Suites offers some of the most luxurious, tech-savvy accommodations in Sin City. If you recognize and appreciate sleek and modern like we do, then you’ll be impressed when in Aria Sky Suites. After approximately a 15-minute drive, we arrived at the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational at Shadow Creek and the course is picturesque. We watched A-list celebrities hit the green at Las Vegas’ most exclusive golf course. There was Marcus Allen, Brandi Chastain, Roger Clemens, Kevin Dillon, Julius Erving, Wayne Gretzky, Ken Griffey Jr., Mario Lemieux, Jerry Rice and many others in attendance. I enjoyed lunch and relaxed in the VIP Hospitality Deck overlooking the picturesque 18th hole.

When returning to Aria, we stopped by the adults-only LIQUID Pool & Lounge at ARIA with VIP access. Liquid is basically a day club for those who want to start the party early. This place was rockin’ and the drinks were cold and the food was tasty. With M life access, you skip the line and enjoy the adults-only, outdoor playground LIQUID Pool & Lounge. Enjoy poolside pampering, hot DJs and daytime indulgence in this sizzling environment. Dinner was getting close and I was pumped that we were eating at AMERICAN FISH by Michael Mina at ARIA. Celebrating one of America’s great dining legacies is AMERICAN FISH, Michael Mina’s fifth restaurant in Las Vegas. Rustic cooking methods from across the country are celebrated and applied with modern finesse. Featuring classic cocktails with modern twists, AMERICAN FISH recently introduced a new menu and it was out of this world. AMERICAN FISH is now one of my favorite restaurants in Vegas!

After a visit by some of the performers from “Zarkana by Cirque du Soleil” at Aria we went, to see their show. Cirque’s newest show to hit the Las Vegas strip, “Zarkana” is a visually stunning modern acrobatic spectacular set in a world where physical ability meets with the extraordinary. Surrender to a spellbinding extravaganza that defies the possible and will leave you breathless! Because we were living the M life, the party continued to HAZE Nightclub at Aria. We had bottle service and shared the club with Michael Jordan, Penny Hardaway, Bruce Smith and other celebrities. One can dance the night away at one of Las Vegas’ hottest nightclubs: HAZE. In true M life fashion, we enjoyed VIP entrance, bottle service and a private table with a great group of new friends.

All of this is now available to Bullz-Eye readers by joining M life here and you’ll be on your way to earning points and choosing the M life moments that can change your Vegas experience forever!

I’ve been going to Las Vegas for over 25 years, so I’ve stayed in every type of casino Sin City has to offer, from the high end resorts to the $25 per night temporary motel rooms behind the old Stardust when they were renovating it years ago. No matter where you’re staying, Vegas has so much to offer that you’ll always have a blast. But my recent weekend in Vegas staying at the amazing Aria Resort & Casino was a very pleasant reminder that a first class weekend in a luxurious hotel makes all the debauchery Vegas has to offer that much more enjoyable. It’s also so much easier to nurse a hangover in a comfortable bed in a beautiful room where you can shut the curtains and get total darkness with the press of a button from your bed!

Bullz-Eye was invited by Aria to cover the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational that was being held at Shadow Creek. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity to cover MJ and his celebrity pals while experiencing a weekend at Aria with everything it had to offer. I was lucky to have a fun and beautiful companion with me so everything was teed up for a great weekend.

The first thing I noticed about Aria was the amazing architecture and design. Everything about this place has been meticulously designed with a modern and original look. Of course Vegas has always featured upscale resorts and hotels, but they always had that gaudy Vegas feel. Instead of going with a themed hotel, the style of Aria is much more like a trendy, luxury hotel. The amount and different types of glass used at Aria is just stunning. The Jean Philippe Pâtisserie is just one of many things that stand out, with the artistically packages chocolates and gourmet pastries in an ultra modern corner of the casino. If you’re with a date the visual stimulation alone will set the mood for a memorable trip.

Like many of the large resorts in Vegas, Aria has practically everything you could need from an entertainment point of view. The pool is amazing and the attached shopping mall offers the best shopping in Vegas. The spa also offers a perfect getaway for couples, with the “Ganbanyoku” heated-stone bed and “Shio” salt room, outdoor therapy pool, Las Vegas’ only co-ed balcony with a stunning view of our beautiful pools. Your wife or girlfriend will love it!

The casino is also laid out nicely and I like the vibe on the casino floor. The beautiful venue definitely attracts the beautiful crowd! Having a nightclub like Haze at Aria also helps as gorgeous women in tight skirts and heels invade the casino around the midnight hour. Of course we also ventured out and indulged in the debauchery that Sin City has to offer, from a strip club to a cheesy after-hours lounge for late night food and more alcohol. But we always came back to this fantastic casino and resort where we could party some more or relax in the luxury rooms.

With all the amenities at the Aria, the restaurants stood out as some of the most impressive spots. We had the opportunity to try out many of them throughout the weekend as we indulged in a wide variety of incredible dishes. We started out the first night at Sirio Ristorante for some Tuscan-style Italian food created by chef Sirio Maccioni. We were tempted to go with one of the incredible veal or beef dishes on the menu, but we knew we had a big weekend ahead and we didn’t want to start off with serious food coma. So we ordered some delicious appetizers of jumbo prawns and seasonal oysters along with seafood entrees, including a pan-fried breaded Maine lobster that was incredible. If you’re a wine lover you’ll appreciate the selection of Italian vintages.

Sirio gave us the perfect start to the weekend and we were ready for our first night of heavy drinking. By lunch the next day we were ready for our first recovery meal, and lunch at Lemongrass was the perfect remedy. This modern Thai restaurant was incredibly comfortable and offered a variety of dishes. After some great appetizers including delicious pot stickers, we stuck with our seafood strategy and order several lobster dishes, including a special prepared by the chef. I can never get enough lobster so I was more than happy with this light lunch, and the specialty cocktails helped get us back in fighting form.

On Saturday night, after shooting machine guns (more on that in a later post) and getting a much-needed nap, we had dinner at American Fish by Micheal Mina as we geared up for Viva ELVIS and another night on the town. Our seafood diet was treating us well, and now wasn’t the time to change things given the name of the restaurant. We started out with succulent Tuna Tartare and I went with the Daily Shellfish entrée. Throw in some fun sides like Truffled Mac & Cheese and specialty cocktails and the entire meal was perfect.

We were full and buzzed and ready for our Elvis experience. Cirque du Soleil has had a string of hits in Vegas, and Viva ELVIS is their latest show. If you’re into Elvis’s music then I highly recommend it, as they covered his entire career from his early years, to his military service, to the movie years to the later years with the jumpsuits and the lamb chop sideburns. The show was visually impressive as we’ve come to expect from Cirque du Soleil with incredible acrobatics, and it’s in its final season so Elvis fans should be planning their trip! After the show we stopped for a cocktail and 80s music at The GOLD Lounge as we geared up for another late night. The lounge features a concept and décor that pays homage to the celebrated life of Elvis Presley. You can’t miss it with all the gold monkey imagery (Elvis was a fan) and it’s just another of the visually stunning venues in the Aria.

By our last night in Vegas we were completely spent, but we rallied to make it to dinner at Sage, which was one of our favorite places from the weekend. I knew I was probably going to pass out soon after dinner, so I went with the Snake River Farms New York Strip as switched from seafood. We also ordered the Wagyu Beef Tartare as one of our appetizers, which may have been my favorite dish of the trip! You’ll love the New American menu of Chef Shawn McClain’s first Las Vegas restaurant, which spotlights seasonal ingredients from neighboring California, just-picked produce, artisanal meats and sustainable seafood. The décor in Sage is also stunning and it’s located near the entrance of the resort.

You should check out the Aria whether you want a high-end place to party with your friends or a weekend that your wife or girlfriend will never forget. Located in the heart of the Strip, everything you could want is either in the resort or close by. You’ll definitely be able to party in style!