After a quick 24-hour jaunt in Las Vegas this weekend, I was headed through Sin City’s Harry Reid International Airport on the way back home to Los Angeles. My Southwest flight was delayed, which made it a particularly convenient chance for me to check out the Chase’s brand new Sapphire Lounge by The Club in Terminal 1, Concourse C — just feet from my gate — on only day 5 since its official opening.
Good thing I had the extra time, too, because the experience started with a wait in line just to… get into line. That is, I queued to show my Sapphire Reserve card so I could be placed in the virtual queue. Then I killed nearly an hour (51 minutes, to be exact) wandering the terminal (and, naturally, tossed $40 in the airport slot machines out of boredom) before getting a text telling me my place in line was finally ready.
Once inside, it was clear the wait was worth it.
The space
The new 5,390-square-foot lounge is legitimately beautiful — one of the most invitingly designed domestic lounges I’ve been in lately. Chase leaned hard into Las Vegas inspiration, blending bold, shimmering finishes with desert-themed accents that nod to the region’s natural landscape. There’s curated art from the JPMorganChase Collection featuring local and Nevada-connected artists, which gives the space an elevated, residential or gallery-like feel.
I sat right in the corner of that plush banquette, where you can order table service or hit the buffet.
(Courtesy of Chase)
And then there’s the feature everyone is talking about: Chase’s first-ever champagne parlor. On the entry level, staff greets you with the offer of a glass of champagne or a seasonal spritz served off a bar cart — very Vegas. I had to decline as I was at my personal daily limit after a boozy brunch (as one does in Vegas), but I certainly appreciated the luxe flourish.
Then, I headed downstairs in the elevator to the main space. A chic, cozy lounge zone anchored by a modern fireplace, which instantly calms the nervous-system chaos of airport delays. The lounge also has dedicated quiet zones, flexible seating with movable laptop tables, and a signature bar slinging cocktails curated specifically for this location.
The food and drinks
Food-wise, the offerings were surprisingly impressive. The menu is curated by Momofuku (yes, David Chang’s Momofuku), which is part of Chase’s Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables program. I had hoped to grab the Impossible burger off the QR-code menu assigned to my table, but that option had vanished by the time I arrived — I’m assuming sold out, given the crowds. Still, the buffet more than made up for it. The elote-and-cornbread combo was unexpectedly delicious, and the noodle bowls were fresh and quite hearty.
There’s also locally roasted coffee from Dark Moon Coffee Roasters (I generally don’t drink coffee after noon, but the boozy brunch necessitated the delicious latte I made myself at the self-serve espresso machine), a curated wine list from Parcelle, and sleek signature cocktails if you’re not on your post-brunch recovery arc like I was.
The overall effect is luxury, with personality, and actually reflective of the destination, for a nice sense of place that not all lounges pull off.
The main bar
(Courtesy of Chase)
My verdict
I loved the lounge itself. I did not love the wait — but honestly, this is becoming the story of airport lounges everywhere. With lounge access now a major selling point of premium travel cards, demand has soared, and even beautiful new spaces like this can’t escape the bottleneck.
But if you’re a Chase Sapphire Reserve (or Sapphire Reserve for Business/J.P. Morgan Reserve/Ritz-Carlton cardholder) and you find yourself at LAS with time to spare, the new lounge is very much worth a visit.