They had me at champagne. The Chase Sapphire Lounge by the Club opened at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on December 3, bringing with it the brand’s first dedicated champagne parlor and a menu of Momofuku classics from chef David Chang.
It’s the latest bespoke airport lounge offering for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders, the company’s popular—but pricey, now with a $795 annual fee—travel card. (Chase will also be opening lounges in both Los Angeles and Dallas in the coming months.) With the debut of this new lounge, Las Vegas is just the second airport to have Chase Sapphire, Capital One and American Express lounges (New York’s JFK was first).
My trip to the Chase Sapphire lounge in Las Vegas was a dinner experience. After arriving and checking in, I made a sharp right into the champagne parlor, an inviting little nook with a pair of tables and chairs and banquettes including one with a window view of the main downstairs lounge. (Yes, it’s a two-story space.)
The room is quite cozy and a great place to relax. And, at opening, they’re proudly pouring (complimentary, of course) Gosset Grande Reserve Brut, which otherwise retails north of $50 a bottle, while offering sparkling spritz cocktails including a seasonal fig version. A few snacks including champagne gummy bears, dried kiwi slices and parmesan crisps were available in the room.
The lounge is on the small side. It’s just 5,340-square-feet with seating for up to 87 people divided into four areas downstairs with cafe tables, two living room-style setups with couches and about a dozen seats at the bar. The entire space is flush with colorful artwork, much of it Vegas themed.
I picked up a couple of items from the buffet and used the QR code to order the twisty sidewinder crispy tori potatoes (a must try). Unfortunately, they were out of Momofuku’s famously fluffy pork bun but did have a burger and a fries option along with an Impossible burger on the menu, which I passed on this trip.
The buffet featured chilled sapphire noodles with broccoli, spinach and chickpeas; a perfect elote street corn; spicy cucumber salad; and beef barbacoa piled atop a soft brioche toast. All of the dishes hit the mark and were quickly replenished by the attentive staff.
Guests can also enjoy local coffee from Nevada-based Dark Moon Coffee Roasters, along with an impressive curated wine list from online shop Parcelle, and signature Vegasy cocktails. Intrigued by the look, I chose to try the Lucky 1700, a gimlet turned black with the addition of activated charcoal that’s then topped with a gummy dice candy. It was a bit on the strong side, but even with so many drink options it’s still one to put on rotation.
The Chase Sapphire Lounge is located past security in Terminal 1 Concourse C, near gate 23. It’s open daily from 4:30am to 11pm and only accessible within three hours of departure, unless you’re connecting, in which case you can enter earlier. If the lounge is at capacity you can join a wait list; for now, you’ll need to join a physical line, add your name to the list and then the lounge will text you when it’s your turn to enter.
Access to the lounge is limited to: Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business primary cardmembers, plus J.P. Morgan Reserve and The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card primary cardmembers and authorized users. Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Reserve for Business and J.P. Morgan Reserve cardmembers may bring up to two guests per visit for free and additional guests for $27.