The Grand Canyon
When the school calendar was released, we noticed that the kids had Monday, October 13th off of school for Indigenous Peoples’ Day but the wonderful people who made the calendar this year also gave them Friday, October 10th off as well - which meant we had a four day weekend! We immediately began to think about what we wanted to do with that time and, of course we all wanted a family adventure, but where to go?
With only four days, we knew we didn’t want more than a 3 hour flight, the flight had to be direct and the location needed to be somewhere we’d be satisfied exploring in just two full days. That narrowed it down to destination cities and fun outdoor areas. We almost chose Chicago because we have a Hyatt club access certificate available and the Hyatt Regency Chicago is rumored to have an excellent club, but we found availability at Under Canvas Grand Canyon and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stay at such a unique property located only 20 minuted from Grand Canyon National Park.
The Flights
Both Sean and I have a Southwest Companion Pass so we booked flights with Southwest as soon as they were released. We ended up paying 9k points for the Austin to Phoenix leg and 17k points for the return flight. The Austin to Phoenix leg was originally 13k points but I kept an eye on flight prices (you can now use Google Flights to do this for you) and managed to get 4k points back during a sale, which meant that (thanks to our Companion Passes) we paid only 13k points per person for the round trip ticket. We got the exact flight times that we wanted on this non-stop flight so we were happy with the redemption.
The Chase Sapphire lounge closed at the Austin airport in March 2025 and there are no Priority Pass lounges available so we ended up grabbing some seats in a quiet area of the airport and getting a few drinks and snacks to enjoy while we waited. For just two drinks (one beer and one wine) and two tiny snack trays we ended up spending about $60. During the limited time that the Chase Sapphire lounge was available at the Austin airport, it saw a high level of demand and rumor has it that new lounge options will be available soon. For the high prices we paid for the very limited snacks and beverages we received, I am one of the people eagerly awaiting the return of a Chase or Priority Pass lounge.
One fun option and a great way to kill a little time at the Austin airport is a visit to the Infinity waiting area. A “ticketing portal” is available and, after answering a series of questions, participants will get a printed boarding pass to an imaginary location.
Our kids got boarding passes to a location within the Isle of Myst (a computer game I used play with home computers first came out!) and Celesteville (the capital city of Babar’s kingdom in Elephantland).
I was probably more excited about seeing both of these tickets than the kids were but they did have fun going through the questions necessary to get a ticket.
When it came time to board, we were able to take advantage of family boarding (we had C boarding group so this came in clutch), and since we split into groups of two we got seats near the front of the cabin.
The plane we were on had already been retrofitted with the extra legroom seats and charging ports. There were plenty of seats available in groups of two so we each grabbed seats in the first 10 rows and took advantage of the extra legroom.
Phoenix
We had a Marriott 35k Free Night Certificate that needed to be used by the end of the year so we booked the Residence Inn by Marriott in Phoenix Downtown. It was only a 10 minute drive from the airport so we got a Lyft and paid with our Chase Sapphire Reserve to take advantage of the $10 monthly Lyft credit. Out out of pocket cost for the ride, after tip, was $3 and that was at 5x points.
The Residence Inn was in a great location so we walked to the Arrogant Butcher for dinner where we found a great atmosphere, delicious entrees (I had the Farmer’s Market Bowl, which is vegetarian so don’t let the “Butcher” name throw you off, and Sean enjoyed the Prime Rib French Dip) and a secret kids menu. The kids both got cheeseburgers which were the same as the adult burger but without the toppings and half the price - perfect! We all left full and happy.
The room at the Residence Inn featured two queen beds, a sofa, work station and a kitchenette with a good size refrigerator. The bathroom sink was also separate from the shower/toilet so we weren’t fighting over bathroom space. With many great restaurants within walking distance as well as a grocery store to fill our kitchenette and an excellent included breakfast buffet, I would not hesitate to book this hotel again for a much longer stay.
The Rental Car
We booked our rental car via the Chase travel portal and earned 8x points for the rental. We also set up an alert with Autoslash to monitor rental prices and alert us if a better price became available. We were able to rebook and save a few dollars but it didn’t make a huge difference this time.
Since we had not yet used the annual $300 travel credit that comes with the Sapphire Reserve card, the credit was automatically applied to our car rental charge with no action needed on my part. Chase is generous with the annual travel credit and it will automatically apply to almost anything travel related including charges like airport parking, ride share charges, hotels, flights, etc.
Thanks to the included rental car insurance with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, we declined the insurance offered by Enterprise and saved about $100.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers primary rental car insurance - this means that you do not have to file a claim with any other insurance company you may have before you can take advantage of this Chase Sapphire Reserve card benefit.
The coverage included with the Chase Sapphire Reserve will cover up to $75,000 in physical damages and/or theft of the vehicle for rentals that are 31 consecutive days or less. Other covered expenses include reasonable towing charges and loss of use charges incurred by the rental company.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card includes some level of status with the following car rental companies:
National - Emerald Club Executive level membership
AVIS - Preferred Plus Status
Hertz - Gold Plus Rewards
We found the best price with Enterprise but did not have status. Not to worry, we matched our National Emerald Club Executive level membership to Enterprise via their Status Match program and were upgraded to Gold status which typically is awarded after 12 rentals or 40 days.
Gold status includes two car upgrades per year so we received a nicer car than we’d booked. Not bad!
Under Canvas Grand Canyon
One of the main reasons we booked this trip was because we were able to book a Safari Tent with a Kids Teepee as a part of the Mr & Mrs Smith Collection with the World of Hyatt.
The Mr & Mrs Smith Collection is a curated selection of some of the world’s best independent boutique and luxury hotels. This collection of hotels is often unique and designed to help guests experience the location in a way that might not be possible in a more traditional hotel. Here’s how the brand describes itself:
“Our carefully curated (and responsibly sourced) collection now includes hotels in the sky (if you’ve never woken up in a treehouse, we can change that), hotels in caves, hotels above water, hotels underwater (well, partially), hotels a million miles away, hotels on your doorstep…”
Since we booked our stay about 8 months in advance, we were able to use a reasonable number of points for the stay. The Mr & Mrs Smith properties use dynamic pricing (not the usual Hyatt award chart) which means that as the cash rate on a property increases so does the number of points required to book the stay. By booking far in advance, the cash rate was not nearly as high as it was as we got closer in - and if we had seen the rates drop, we would have simply rebooked and gotten some of our points back.
The rate never did drop so we ended up using our original booking rate of 78,500 points for three nights. This is on the high side, in my opinion, at 26k points per night but since we went over a holiday weekend the cash rate for our stay would have been about $2k (after taxes and fees) meaning we got a little over 2.5 cents per point on this stay. Since we place a high value on the uniqueness of the property and proximity to the Grand Canyon, we were vary happy to snag this stay for 78k points.
The property was delightful and we were all planning another visit to a different Under Canvas National Parks location by the end of our weekend! The kids loved having their own space (so did we!) and despite plenty of complaining about not having a TV before we arrived, never used their devices once even though we were provided with charging stations so battery life was not a problem. Instead they roamed the open spaces, played football, sipped never-ending hot chocolate while lazing in hammocks and indulged in complimentary s’mores every evening.
Sean and I slept well in our king size bed with luxury bedding, enjoyed sitting on the patio and strolling around the property and listening to live music around the provided campfires. Plenty of yummy food and drinks were available for purchase in the lobby (it gave off a fun family summer camp vibe) and there were tons of board games and outdoor games for everyone to enjoy.
And one of the main reasons we booked is because the location was fantastic! We were all able to wake up slowly and enjoy breakfast and, with only a 20 minute drive, we were easily able to beat the crowds into the park.
The Grand Canyon
Our trip happened to coincide with the government shut down so no entrance fees were being charged for the duration of our visit. We were worried that the bathrooms might be closed or the shuttles might not be operational but everything seemed to be operating as usual.
Had the parks been charging a fee, we would have used Sean’s Military Lifetime Pass which we picked up when we visited Zion. Veterans of the US Armed Forces and members of Gold Star Families are eligible for a Military Lifetime Pass and you just need to show one of the approved Military or Veteran ID Cards when you enter a park to get the pass.
Alternatively, if you have a fourth grader, your kiddo can get a pass for themselves and their entire family to over 2,000 federal lands and waters through the Every Kid Outdoors program.
If neither of those options are a fit, it’s a $35 pass per car which is valid for 7 days.
The Grand Canyon itself was absolutely amazing and literally took our breaths away when we first saw it. Two full days in the park felt like the right amount of time to get a good feel of the park and feel satisfied with our time there.
The first day was spent walking the main Rim Trail which included a stop at the Geology Museum and reading the many informational signs about the formation of the canyon. We were also able to visit to Hopi House which is half gift shop and half Native American History Museum and of course we sent lots of time taking photos and gazing out over the canyon. Absolutely beautiful.
On the second day, we hiked down into the canyon via Bright Angel Trailhead. We made it far enough to feel accomplished but turned around when the trail became too narrow. It was good we turned around when we did as going back up was much harder than the trek down! After a picnic lunch, we took the free Hermit Road Shuttle which travels along the edge of the canyon, providing gorgeous views and several stops along the way where you can hop out and explore each point or hike to the next stop before boarding the shuttle again. This was a great option to give the kids a break but also give all of us the opportunity for short hikes and a variety of views.
The Lounge
The drive back to Phoenix went by quickly and we made very good time. The landscape is wonderfully varied and took us through scrubby dessert, mountain pines and, closer to Phoenix, forests of Saguaro Cactus.
When we arrived to the airport, the car return was amazingly quick and efficient. We quickly unloaded all of our bags, took photos of the car to document that we’d caused no damage and boarded the tram to the airport.
I’d checked for lounge availability ahead of time and it’s a good think I had! There is a Chase Sapphire Reserve lounge at the Phoenix Airport (PHX) but if you want to guarantee access you should make a reservation.
Reservations can be made between 14 days and up to 24 hours before your visit and your Chase Sapphire Reserve card will grant you access for yourself and two guests. Additional guests are $27 each which is well under the typical Sapphire Lounge fee of $75. Alternatively, if your guest holds their own Priority Pass, that will grant you access to a Sapphire Lounge by The Club once per calendar year. Since we had four people in our party, I had planned to pay the $27 fee for entry but we were waived in with no additional charge.
We saw many people turned away from the lounge but we were ushered over to our reserved table for four where we stayed for the next three hours, thanks to weather delays. Here’s an excerpt for how Chase describes the lounge:
“The cozy space features a hyperlocal food and beverage experience, a wraparound bar, private working spaces and an indoor patio complete with an actual refurbished Airstream. Self-serve and made-to-order food, plus beer, wine and cocktails are all included.”
The food and drinks were all very good and the charging ports and clean bathrooms were welcome amenities. Considering what we spent for snacks and drinks in the Austin airport, we absolutely value lounge access for our family. We originally planned on having lunch at the lounge but once our flight was delayed, we were even more grateful for a space to hang out without having to worry about keeping everyone fed and happy.
We boarded the plan a little while later and after watching a movie in the air, we were back in time for school and work the next day!
The Savings Breakdown
Thanks to applying the benefits from the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card we avoided the following costs on this trip:
Under Canvas Grand Canyon - $2,000
Travel Credit - $300
Food Costs Saved due to Lounge Access - $200
Waived Car Rental Insurance - $100
Car Rental Upgrade - $50
Lyft Credit - $10
That totals out to $2,660 saved just due to holding and correctly applying the benefits associated with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which makes me feel like that $795 annual fee is worth it. We will get much, much more value out of this card before the year is up so I have no concerns that we will more than make up for paying that high annual fee. I will do a full post on annual fees in the future.
Thanks to our Companion Passes we also saved roughly $1,200 on flights which would have cost $300 per person. And our 35k Marriott Free Night Certificate saved us another $200 on our Phoenix hotel stay bringing our total savings for the trip to just over $4,000.
Our our out of pocket costs for this trip we just a few hundred dollars that we spent on food, souvenirs and gas. And those purchases all earned us points that we’ll apply to a future trip!
It it truly amazing the points and miles allows our family to turn a four day weekend into an unforgettable trip and I am so, so grateful. This is not an adventure we would have undertaken if we’d had to pay full price but it was worth its weight in gold for the memories and experiences that it provided to us. Everyone in our family is still sharing memories and talking about our time at the Grand Canyon!