NEWS & OFFERS: Good deals to Cape Town/Africa from £1468, New lounge for Jersey & Hyatt Vegas deal

If you want to use a paid lounge or Priority Pass at Jersey, currently the only choice is the Executive Lounge which is also used by BA. It’s fairly basic and a bit dated. So it is good news that No1 Lounges has announced Ports of Jersey has awarded it the airport lounge tender. The new lounge is scheduled for completion in summer 2025.

The lounge’s design draws inspiration from the local area and will have seating for 148 guests. This will substantially boost the airport’s lounge capacity. It will be interesting to see if this prompts the Executive Lounge to have a long overdue revamp and whether it will continue to accept Priority Pass as well as BA customers.

One of the best features of the lounge will be its panoramic views. Given that there is not much of view from the current lounge. if you have a Priority Pass, it may be a better bet than the BA one!

Construction is set to begin imminently, with the completion of the lounge projected for late-summer 2025. 

Hyatt Hotels signs deal with The Venetian/Palazzo hotels

Until recently, Hyatt had a great deal with MGM hotels, which made it easy to get some cheap Hyatt stays in Vegas. That all ended for what I think is a slightly less appealing partnership with Marriott Bonvoy given the reduction in benefits at many MGM hotels for Bonvoy members.

In the meantime, Hyatt had integrated the Rio hotel, which is off-strip and not exactly what you could call luxurious. However, in November 2024, Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas officially joined the Destination by Hyatt brand and completed phase one of its $340 million transformation. The rooms now look pretty good, and it’s a cheap option if you don’t mind not being on the strip.

After previously partnering with IHG, The Venetian/Palazzo hotels have now announced a long-term licensing agreement to make the iconic property on the Las Vegas Strip bookable through Hyatt channels, including Hyatt.com and the World of Hyatt mobile app, in the near future. Soon, World of Hyatt members will be able to earn and redeem loyalty points on qualifying stays, earn credit toward the Brand Explorer Award and, for World of Hyatt elite members, enjoy additional on-property benefits.

I prefer the Palazzo as it tends to be much less busy with sightseeing tourists than the Venr4tian and is linked to the other hotel when you want to experience the madness. The rooms are all suites, and usually, prices are fairly reasonable. 

“Las Vegas is a perennial favorite for World of Hyatt members and our group business customers are requesting rooms at a higher volume than pre-pandemic due to the world-class entertainment and unique experiences offered by this dynamic destination,” said Mark Vondrasek, Chief Commercial Officer, Hyatt. “The licensing agreement with The Venetian Resort Las Vegas adds 7,000 rooms and 2.25 million square feet of meeting space, inviting Hyatt’s loyalty members and valued customers to have even more options to earn and redeem loyalty points when visiting Las Vegas.”

The Venetian’s suites – the largest on the Las Vegas Strip – have been redesigned inspired by the ornate costumes of the Venetian Carnival. You can, of course, ride along the Grand Canal aboard an iconic gondola at the hotel.

World of Hyatt will, in the future, offer elite Venetian Rewards members benefits within World of Hyatt. At present, we don’t know exactly when this will happen and whether the hotels will offer the full benefits and the same earning rates as other Hyatts.