Hotel: Palazzo
Room Name/Type: Luxury King Suite (base room)
Check-in Day: August 20
Check-in Time: 10am online, went in-person and received a room at 2pm after not receiving a text.
Upgrade: received a room with a "better view" of Treasure Island, the Trump LV, and Resorts World, with the Wynn shopping area, Palazzo pool deck and Fashion Show mall below. Honestly, it was a better view than my last stay, where it was just the Wynn. Was hoping for something Sphere-adjacent but at this point I think you have to do a paid upgrade to get placed on the other side of the tower.
Late Checkout: automatically applied for 4pm. they're also doing a swanky little site with all the benefits listed out which I appreciate (see below). Site also has coupons you can activate for use at restaurants on-site, which might be useful.
Breakfast Credit: $65. As mentioned above, they expanded where it could be used (despite the site above not reflecting that), so I didn't have to strategize about how to call room service anymore. Spent $35 at Grand Lux Cafe and stocked up on shelf-stable snacks at the Starbucks(es) by the Palazzo elevator & the Convention Center since I had another non-FHR night ahead. Starbucks room charge was slightly different than everywhere else - they didn't ask for my ID, only the first three letters of my last name. Food for thought.
Misc Credits: $100. For this and the $65 above, despite what the FHR letter says, taxes were included. Only tips were charged to my folio, and doing the math on when I went over, the tips seemed to be the dividing line. Again, food for thought.
Had lunch after check-in at Brera. They were offering their $30pp summer lunch tasting menu so I bit. Had their caesar salad to start (pretty good), margherita personal pizza as a main (mid) and their cream puffs for desert (pretty good). Restaurant is in the faux St. Mark's Square. Had dinner at Matteo's. They had their own $50pp dinner tasting menu. The crudo was a great starter, their handkerchief pasta was surprisingly pretty good, and the cannolis slapped. Restaurant is in "Restaurant Row" between the Palazzo & Venetian casino floors. Had lunch before check-out at Black Tap. Ordered to-go: it seems to be one of two places that allows you to do that online and charge it to the room (Miznon being the other one). My spicy chicken sandwich was OK. Restaurant was to the right of the Venetian casino floor.
Comment: I wanted to visit the Sphere but didn't realize (1) you have to walk to the Expo hall to do that, (2) the bridge that takes you to the Sphere indoors is not always open, and (3) that it was going to be 100+ degrees all day the week I was visiting. I went on a brief pilgrimage anyways but it was not fun. Not sure if the bridge was closed because the Sphere was or also because there was an event happening in the Expo hall (or both).
Rate Paid: $149.67 FHR rate + $56.69 resort fee = $206.36