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In contrast to the celebrated Las Vegas, where notions of Paris, Rio, Venice, and the tropics are exploded into tacky hyperbole, at CityCenter, the driving aesthetic is less outlandish and more familiar. It’s a tastefully inflated, lucre-infused iteration of McMansion/Neiman-Marcus/office park America—sleek facades, relaxing earthtoned interiors, inviting textures, and tasteful contemporary art. While the Strip flashes like a sequined G-string, CityCenter glistens like a squirt of Purell.

For returning visitors interested in a more grown up, chilled out sort of experience, as well as those who have avoided visiting due to a disinterest in kitsch, CityCenter offers a posh, leisurely appeal: this is Vegas, sedated.

Situated around a minimally trafficked cul-de-sac (another whiff of suburbia) and recessed from the noisy chaos of Las Vegas Boulevard, CityCenter’s Aria, Vdara, and Mandarin Oriental hotels offer luxurious cocoons of calm (with easy access to the Strip via People Mover monorail, should you choose to venture out). Book a quiet room on an upper floor and the spectacular views will remind you how physically close, but atmospherically distant, the well-known Vegas glitz is from here.

Of the three hotels, only Aria has a casino, with a thoughtful, undulating layout rather than endless football fields of clangorous slot machines, significantly reducing the hyperactivity factor in this part of town. In the 1950s, Las Vegas was often described as an oasis in the desert; now, CityCenter serves as an oasis within Las Vegas. There’s easily enough to enjoy within the 67 acres of CityCenter itself that you can spend a leisurely, long weekend here without ever leaving to hassle with taxis or crowded Strip sidewalks. “Vegas R&R” is no longer an oxymoron.

You can also hop from spa to spa until you find the one that’s just right for you. The Spa at Aria (www.arialasvegas.com/spa) combines serenity with sprawl at 80,000 square feet, nearly 25% of which is dedicated to one of Las Vegas’ best-equipped gyms with over 40 pieces of cardio equipment, including cross trainers and recumbent bikes, along with free weights and a full Cybex training circuit. In addition to treatments by appointment (62 treatment rooms), all Aria spa guests can take complimentary advantage of the unusual Shio Salt Room and Gabanyoku Stone Bed Room. In the first, you lay in a cradle-like chair that vibrates in harmony with soothing rhythmic music (headphones are provided) as salt-infused air, said to rejuvenate skin, circulates through the room. In the latter, the only one of its kind in the United States, you lay on a heated black mineral slab said to emit negative ions that increase metabolism and eliminate toxins. Aria also features a large, landscaped pool area with a mellow atmosphere unlike the booze-soaked party scenes at many Strip resort pools.

The Mandarin Oriental’s 27,000-square-foot spa (www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas/spa) is designed to evoke a 1930s Shanghai feel and offers yoga, tai chi, and pilates classes in addition to a full range of treatments. The men’s and women’s lounges each include steam rooms and highly amusing “Personal Experience Showers,” that allow you to choose from five multi-sensory programs (Arctic Mist, Body Spray, Island Storm, Body Drench, and Tropical Rain) that combine pulsing water with light, sound, and aroma effects. You’ll want to invite a dirty friend to join you.

Vdara Health & Beauty (www.vdara. com), the most intimate of the three spas at 18,000 square feet, also has the sleekest, most contemporary design. Guests are welcomed by a hanging sculpture of glass bubbles sheathed in running water that falls into a reflecting pool below.

This fun, contemporary style extends to Vdara’s guest rooms; their suites offer the best hotel value at CityCenter, especially if you’re planning a group getaway. A stylish suite that comfortably sleeps four and includes a kitchenette can be had for around $300. If you’re a high-tech fan, the rooms at Aria may capture your fancy with their state-of-the-art bedside touchscreens, allowing you to remotely control light and temperature levels, in-room entertainment, sheer blinds, blackout curtains, and even a digital “Do Not Disturb” sign outside your door.

As you stroll the grounds of CityCenter, you’ll encounter an estimable collection of modern art. Situated between the shimmering facades of Aria and Vdara is “Big Edge,” a massive sculpture by Nancy Rubins composed of brightly colored colliding canoes. Claes Oldenburg’s monumental rendering of an old-fashioned typewriter eraser with its giant rubber wheel sits alongside another walkway. The Vdara’s reception desk is crowned with an enormous, mural-like Frank Stella painting, while Aria’s sits beneath a silvery three-dimensional rendering of the Colorado River by Vietnam Memorial architect, Maya Lin.