5 Quick Hits From My Recent Trip to Las Vegas
This wasn't a huge aspirational redemption or a complicated two-week itinerary. It was a quick summer trip to Las Vegas, mostly because we wanted to see Kenny Chesney at the Sphere. But even on a simple two-night trip, there were plenty of points-and-miles lessons worth bringing home.
Listen to Episode 46 below, or keep reading for the five quick hits.
1. Garden Your Reservations — How I Saved 50,000 Southwest Points
My stepmom and I flew Southwest nonstop from Indianapolis to Las Vegas and back. Southwest isn't usually my first choice, but for a two-night trip, the nonstop flight won.
Our original flights were roughly 15,000–20,000 points per person each way. After booking, I kept checking the fares and repriced them three separate times. Altogether, that put about 50,000 Southwest points back into my account for the two round-trip tickets.
My sister was flying Southwest from Nashville, and her fares didn't really move. So gardening a reservation doesn't always pay off. But when a program makes changes easy and the fare is flexible, I don't consider the job finished just because the flight is booked.
2. The Las Vegas Sapphire Lounge Is Worth a Stop
We landed around 9 a.m., my sister wasn't arriving for another hour and a half, and there was almost no chance our hotel room would be ready. The Chase Sapphire Lounge became the obvious place to wait.
My stepmom and I both have Ritz-Carlton cards, so we had lounge access and could bring my sister in as a guest when she arrived. There was no wait on Thursday morning, and we didn't encounter one when we returned Saturday morning either.
What I especially liked was the seating system. The lounge isn't huge, so the front desk communicates with staff downstairs and finds a place for your party before you descend. We had breakfast, drinks, comfortable seats, and a much better place to kill time than the terminal.
I'm not going to pretend two airport breakfasts and a few drinks saved us hundreds of dollars. The value was simpler: comfort, convenience, guaranteed seating, and a nice start and finish to a very short trip.
3. Don't Stay at the Palazzo Just Because It's Part of Hyatt
We chose the Palazzo primarily because it was connected to the Venetian complex and incredibly convenient for the Sphere. The Hyatt relationship was a bonus — not the reason for the stay.
The Venetian and Palazzo participate in World of Hyatt, but they aren't Hyatt-branded hotels and don't provide the normal suite of Hyatt elite benefits. Our eligible stay earned Hyatt points and elite-night credit, and my Globalist status came with some useful perks, including expedited Invited Guest check-in, potential early check-in and 2 p.m. late checkout when available, potential upgrades, and discounts at Canyon Ranch Spa and on gondola rides.
What it did not include was the normal complimentary Globalist breakfast. We received a small pool-view upgrade and used the 15% Canyon Ranch Spa discount, but I wouldn't choose the Palazzo just to squeeze value from Hyatt status.
We paid roughly $500 per night including fees for three people. I could have stayed somewhere like the Rio and chased stronger Globalist benefits. But for this trip, being able to walk directly to the Sphere mattered more.
4. My Favorite Vegas Bargain Has Nothing to Do With Points
Ellis Island, just off the Strip, continues to be one of my favorite places to gamble in Las Vegas. On this trip, I found $5 craps and $5–$10 blackjack with a 3:2 blackjack payout.
Table minimums can always change, but that's exactly why I like checking Ellis Island. It feels lower-key than the big Strip casinos, and I can make $100 last for hours at blackjack or craps. This time, I actually left with more than I came with.
The casino has been renovated since some of my earlier visits, but it still has the laid-back feel I like. There is inexpensive walk-up pizza, the cocktail waitresses came around often, and I've even recognized some of the same dealers across visits over the last decade.
No points. No elite status. Just a genuinely good Vegas value.
5. The Sphere Is Amazing, But I Think It Needs to Be for the Right Show
Kenny Chesney was the entire reason for the trip. I've seen him before and normally love the laid-back, high-energy, beach-party feel of his concerts. At the Sphere, the experience was different.
The screen, sound, and visual effects were incredible. But the seating is extremely steep, and standing and dancing didn't feel especially comfortable or safe. A lot of the crowd ended up doing what I can only describe as chair dancing.
The other part I didn't love was leaving. Thousands of people funneled toward the covered pedestrian connection back toward the Venetian and Palazzo, and at one point we were packed in and barely moving. We eventually found an exit, went outside, and took the longer route around. It was much more pleasant simply because we were moving and had some space.
I still think the Sphere is absolutely worth experiencing once, especially for an artist you really want to see. But if I want a concert where I'm standing, dancing, and soaking up a relaxed party atmosphere, I'd choose a different venue. The Sphere is amazing — it just needs to be the right show.
The Bigger Takeaway
This was a fun two-night trip with my sister and stepmom. There was no giant international redemption and no complicated award itinerary. We used points for the flights, saved another 50,000 points by continuing to check them, used lounge access twice, earned Hyatt points and elite nights, and saved a little at the spa.
And that's really the point. Not every points-and-miles trip needs to be a super-complicated two-week trip to Europe. Sometimes it's about taking a trip you already wanted to take and using the tools in this hobby to make it a little less expensive — something I think gets overlooked.