Where they were
In launching the 76-acre CityCenter (now more generally referred to as Aria), the largest private development in the United States at the time, MGM Resorts International needed a name for City Center’s new, upscale condo hotel.
What they needed
In naming the destination’s various properties, MGM wanted to create a simultaneous sense of the variety one might expect in a city center that developed in a more organic manner, over time. Working for Gensler, the project’s overall design firm, Applied Storytelling also developed names for CityCenter’s purely residential offering (Veer Towers), retail center (The Crystals), and boutique hotel (The Harmon).
Where they landed
Vdara is a coined word that evokes a destination of almost legendary mystery and romance—in Las Vegas. Hence, the V.
![](https://alphanameric.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Vdara_casestudy_1-648x1024.png)