Global Journeys: Vegas Lights to Malaga Nights

Today, we embark on a global journey, sharing our experiences from Tokyo to India, and from the dynamic streets of London to the vibrant energy of Las Vegas and Malaga. We begin with insights into the convenience of flying with Finnair and the luxury of using airport valet services, making international travel a breeze. Our conversation then takes a dive into the evolving landscape of Las Vegas, exploring its transformation from a casino-centric destination to a burgeoning sports capital. We share firsthand experiences of the city's new attractions, including NFL games and the highly anticipated Formula One race. Plus, we give you the inside scoop on luxury dining, highlighting The Bedford by Martha Stewart as a must-visit culinary gem.

The latter part of our episode transports listeners to the picturesque city of Malaga, Spain, where history and modernity coalesce to create a unique cultural tapestry. We wander through Malaga's old city, revealing secrets of its intricate alleyways, bustling marketplaces, and the impact of diverse cultures on its culinary scene. Highlights include Picasso's favorite restaurant, Chinita, and recommendations for immersing oneself in local customs and cuisine. We also delve into the cultural influences on Malaga's architecture and traditions, showcasing the city's rich history that blends African, Arabic, and European elements. From exploring the Automotive and Fashion Museum to staying at the stylish Only You Hotel, we cover it all.

Introduction and Virgin Voyages Giveaway

Mike Putman: Hey adventurers, this is Mike Putman. Welcoming you back to No Tourists Allowed, your go-to podcast for all great things travel.

James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara. We wanted to remind you about our amazing seven-night Virgin Voyages cruise giveaway that is still in progress.

Mike Putman: One lucky winner will get the luxury of a sea terrace cabin with the freedom to choose your ship and sailing date. And entering is super easy, guys. You can join our newsletter, tell us your favorite travel destination and airline, visit our YouTube channel, or even just refer a friend to the podcast. Check the details in our show notes for the link to enter or visit our website directly at notouristsallowed.com. Now let's get started with today's episode.

Mike Putman: Welcome to No Tourists Allowed, a podcast with two recognized travel industry executives with a combined 71 years on the inside of travel and technology. They give up their secrets to the thing everyone wants to do: travel better, pay less, and see more of the world. Here are your hosts Mike Putman and James Ferrara.

Mike Putman: Hello everyone, I'm Mike Putman.

James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara. Welcome to No Tourists Allowed. While there may be no tourists allowed, there certainly is a lot of travel allowed. Mike and I have been road warriors, our usual selves, for the last couple of weeks. So we have a lot to talk to you about firsthand this episode. We didn't bring on a guest. We are our own guests, right, Mike?

Mike Putman: That's right. Because it feels like I certainly have. I circumnavigated the entire globe and actually did that and backtracked just a little bit. I left October 26th and just got home on November 12th. At midnight, I really got home November 13th to be technical, after a 24-hour day of traveling back from Malaga. And James, you've been on the road as well.

Global Travel Itineraries and Layover Strategies

James Ferrara: Yes. I mean you've got mileage over me in terms of how far you went, but I've been away just as long, only slightly closer to home. I've been to Las Vegas, Spain, and New York in between for about 18 hours on the ground. Then Mike and I came together in Spain and spent the last almost week together there on the Costa del Sol. So we have a lot to talk to you about. Mike, why don't we take it off with your first leg? You started off first and that was all the way to Japan and then to India, right?

Mike Putman: I went to Tokyo for a few days and I've reported out to listeners about that. Then I went on to India, where we've got an office, and spent five days there. It was a great experience. I got a lot of good face time with my team and stayed at a beautiful hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, Pune. The service there seemed like the old days, James, and I hate to use that term, but the service was just impeccable. The hotel was beautiful, and it was just a very good experience. Oddly enough, through this whole trip, with the exception of Spain, I stayed in Marriott-owned properties. I stayed at five or six different sub-brands, none of which were the same. I stayed in a Westin, a Ritz-Carlton, Pune, an Aloft, a Signature in London, and then a Courtyard one night at the airport. They all were very good quality stays. From London, I flew Finnair. For our listeners, I was able to get a really good price on a flight from Delhi to London just by making a single stop in Helsinki. It saved about 50 percent of the airfare. Basically, all I had to do was just change planes in Helsinki, which was an hour and a half. Helsinki is really not that far out of the way.

James Ferrara: It was also a strategy reminder for everyone. Don't forget these international carriers, especially with a single stopover in their home country. I did the same thing going to Spain. I flew TAP Air Portugal and stopped in Lisbon for a quick hour-and-a-half layover. It wound up costing me about half what it would have cost on some of the more typical carriers that I might have researched. Keep your mind open, guys.

Mike Putman: And also the service on Finnair, this was the first time I've been on Finnair, and the service was fantastic. The hardware was really good. They had lay-flat seats on both flights. That flight from Delhi to Helsinki was 10 hours and 30 minutes. It was just a long flight. I had four of those flights that were 10 hours plus on my journey. One of the things that I've never had before in my travels was an airport service where they meet you at your gate. They are the guys holding the signs who take you through customs and where your planes change. I always thought that was a bit over-the-top, but it came as part of the service with these tickets I purchased. I gotta tell you, I may do that each time I fly internationally. The reason being is these folks can take you through lines like customs that were marked VIP. I didn't have to stand in any lines. It made it so quick and efficient. In Delhi, they met me at the airport and wheeled my luggage around. I was carrying just a carry-on, so it wasn't a big deal, but they actually had two people waiting for me. Again, a little bit over the top, but it can take some of the stress away.

The Reinvention of Las Vegas

James Ferrara: Even as a seasoned traveler, I sometimes worry a little bit. Do I know where to go? Do I know where the gate is or how much time I have? Where is the lounge? All of that can really take away a lot of that. Thankfully, I didn't encounter any lines in my international travels because of the class of service. This is an argument that if you can afford to fly business class or first class, it does make things a lot easier—not just on the plane, but in the airport with the fast-track lanes. If you have status with an airline or if you have Clear, Global Entry, and are coming back into the United States, all of these things take away that waiting time and stress. I highly recommend that. I was in Vegas, and I want to talk a little bit about Vegas because it is always in our top two or three domestic destinations. It's a very important place in the United States. It's also everyone's favorite destination to rag on. It's not cool maybe to like Vegas too much, but I have to admit, even though we are No Tourists Allowed and Vegas is very touristy, I happen to like Vegas a lot. If you do it in the right way, I think it can be a really great destination. How do you like Vegas, Mike?

Mike Putman: I like Vegas in small doses. There are some really nice restaurants there. I enjoy going out there. I like to gamble a little bit. I'm not a big gambler, but I enjoy it. I enjoy going to a show every once in a while. But after two or three days, I'm really ready to go.

James Ferrara: I agree. It's best in small doses. I also go for the restaurants, and there's an odd phenomenon in Vegas where they look for restaurants that are successful somewhere else, like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. They do a sort of carbon copy of them in Vegas, but like any carbon copy, it's slightly less than the original. I will share this with you: Martha Stewart opened a new restaurant in the Paris Hotel called The Bedford by Martha Stewart. It's supposed to look like her estate in Connecticut with that chic, upscale, elegant country estate feel. It was quite good, very pretty. The food was very good, so I do recommend it as a new spot to try out. What I really want to talk about with Vegas is how it is changing again. I would say every 15 years or so, Vegas reinvents itself. I remember a particularly funny one when Vegas decided it wasn't going to be Sin City anymore; it was going to be for families. MGM built a theme park. Treasure Island had the pirate ships. There was the roller coaster at Excalibur, the one that looks like a fairy tale with knights, and then Luxor. That was back in the '80s. There was this move to make Vegas more for families. Well, the latest one is Vegas as the sports capital of the United States. They built a spectacular new stadium. During the week I was there, there was a big NFL football game with the Giants. Everyone comes down from New York. All the big shots follow the football teams, so the town was packed for the Giants game. The other thing going on was preparation for the Formula One racing that is going to tear through the middle of Las Vegas. They were building barricades and wire fencing and stadium seating. There was tons of construction going on heading into Formula One. People who are interested in sports are the new fans that Vegas is attracting. I was also there during BravoCon. Do you know what that is, Mike?

Mike Putman: I assume it has something to do with Bravo television.

James Ferrara: It has to do with all the reality television programming on the Bravo channel. The head of programming, Andy Cohen, has a television presence talking to the stars from these shows. They were doing Andy Live and had the convention center full of celebrities like the Real Housewives of New York and other places. Every hotel had something going on. Even though the main stuff was at the convention center, there were performances and ticket-only events at hotels all around town. It was mobbed with social media influencers and Instagram models. Paparazzi were everywhere. That makes Vegas interesting to some people. But maybe your thing is more the consumer electronics show, which is really cool and the number one show in Vegas at the convention center. It's massive. There are new shows as well. Barry Manilow has a residency now. Adele is at Caesars Palace every weekend. Kelly Clarkson is the big new residency coming up. Vegas has always known how to bring in the stars to bring in the crowds. One thing I will give everyone a tip on is if you wait until you're there to make your restaurant and show reservations, it can be very difficult. It's so demand-sensitive that if a weekend is sold out, the hotel and airfare rates soar. You should get on OpenTable, the restaurant reservation app, at least several weeks prior to your trip and make some reservations. Then you'll have a really good choice. If you're there and you haven't done it, you can still look on OpenTable; you just probably won't be able to get the hot spots. You can also do it the old-fashioned way. Walk up to the Maitre D' and slip them a little cash. In Vegas now, ten or twenty dollars is not going to do it. But if you flip them a fifty-dollar bill, you'll get yourself a table. That's how it works in Vegas, just like it works in New York.

Mike Putman: I think the Maitre D's there must make two or three million bucks a year. Those guys have been there forever. You go up to them and they'll say, "You can tip me on the way out." I don't know why they always say that. I was in Vegas a long time ago and went to see a Redd Foxx show toward the end of his career. It was at the Tropicana or some smaller place like that. I went in and the tickets were relatively inexpensive. I slipped the guy a twenty and said, "I want to smell Redd Foxx’s breath." They pulled a table right up to the stage. My hip was touching the stage, and not only did I smell his breath, but he spit on me all night as he was doing his jokes. It was a great experience. On social media now, especially on Instagram, the big thing is The Sphere, where U2 is playing. It is fascinating the way they've been able to build that dome with a screen on the outside. It looks really cool. I was even thinking about going out there just for that reason.

James Ferrara: I took a lot of pictures of The Sphere. You have two options. You can attend a concert, but they're very pricey. The U2 tickets were five hundred bucks directly from the venue. On the resale market, they were probably quite a bit more. But for a little less than 100 bucks, you can do a tour of The Sphere and an experience inside and out. I don't think that's well known yet. One thing I read is that hotel occupancy as we head into the last part of the year is 96 percent or more in Vegas. The average daily rate is two hundred and thirty-four dollars a night. That's a big change from the old Vegas where rooms were inexpensive. If you've been to Vegas before and you've done the Strip, you might consider staying just off the Strip. There's a significant difference in the cost. There are some new resorts that have opened just a block off the Strip. That's always a good strategy.

Mike Putman: Even between the hotels on the Strip, you're walking more than a block to get to them. But that is a really high ADR for Vegas. Most of the Caesars properties I can go to at no cost during the middle of the week, but on the weekend, they must be jacking it up to five or six hundred dollars.

James Ferrara: The other thing to do is to register with the hotel as a gamer. You join the program to get a card, which is free. Every time you play in the casino, use your card. Putting that time in the casino will get you rated and get you on a casino host's list. That gets you offers that can be drop-dead low. Get yourself thought of as a gambler, even at a moderate level, and a whole world of things open up to you. Use the concierges, too. If you can't get the restaurant reservation or hotel tickets you want and you're staying at a better hotel, those concierges are very well-connected. If you walk up to them and slip them a twenty-dollar bill, you're much more likely to get help. Let's talk about London. Mike, you went to London.

Exploring London: Football, Gastropubs, and Industry Events

Mike Putman: I had five days in London. I got there late on a Friday night. I had purchased a ticket to go see a football match—Fulham versus Manchester United—on Saturday morning, which was a really cool experience. If any of you ever go to London and have the remotest inkling to go to a soccer match, it is well worth it. They're not inexpensive, but the UK soccer matches have a different atmosphere. People are really vested in their team. It would not be smart to wear an away kit to a game. Always dress in neutral colors. Manchester United was playing at Fulham, and I dared not wear anything red just to keep people from screaming obscenities at me. I met up with a couple of InteleTravel people and went to a really nice dinner at The Anchor & Hope. It’s at The Cut in Southwark, and it is probably my favorite restaurant in the world. It is a gastropub and a very casual place. James, you've been there with me, right?

James Ferrara: Yeah, yeah.

Mike Putman: It’s a very casual pub where you don't need to dress up. They have a great menu where most of the dishes change every day. They have a chalkboard with what's fresh. I always enjoy getting the lamb shoulder. It's prepared for two and consists of seven hours of roasted lamb shoulder and neck. The shoulder is amazing and comes on a big platter with carrots and potatoes.

James Ferrara: Like a Sunday roast.

Mike Putman: In a sense, but they serve it every night. It is something special, and you have to get there early because they only have so many. For our listeners, there is a place called Hope and Anchor, but this is The Anchor & Hope. The World Travel Market was also in London last week. It’s the second-largest travel event in the world after ITB Berlin. To give you perspective, the halls at ExCeL London are over half a mile long. There are booths everywhere. You will have the tourism board of France or Italy in the European Hall, but you'll also have individual operators, hotel chains, and chauffeur services. I spent most of my time in the hall for technology and distribution. It’s a great experience if you're in the travel business. If you're in that part of the world during the first week in November, it's definitely worth going as a consumer because you can learn about so many destinations.

James Ferrara: Some of these booths are like small countries in themselves. They're so elaborate. The Middle Eastern countries are always very impressive, like Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Mike Putman: I think Qatar was actually giving away native shoes with silk on the top.

James Ferrara: The amount of money spent there is incredible. The technology hall has the latest innovations, new ways to search for travel, and new ways to deliver experiences.

Mike Putman: They also have breakout events where ministers of tourism speak. CNN and the BBC always have a large presence there and do interviews right in the middle of it all.

The Culinary and Cultural Treasures of Malaga

James Ferrara: It is exhausting and crowded. Finally, Mike and I came together on the Costa del Sol of Spain, specifically in Malaga and Torremolinos, for a big mutual event for our company, InteleTravel. The real star of the trip is the food in Malaga and the beautiful surroundings. The weather was perfect—close to 80 degrees during the day and a comfortable 60 degrees at night with sunny blue skies and swaying palm trees.

Mike Putman: The food was fantastic and relatively inexpensive.

James Ferrara: How about a glass of wine?

Mike Putman: A glass of wine was essentially what the tax costs in New York. I sat down with a couple of people for a glass of white wine. I asked for the bill and it was nine Euros for three glasses of Sauvignon Blanc. This was at a bistro cafe in a congested part of downtown Malaga.

James Ferrara: A lot of people know Malaga as just an airport you land in to go to other parts of the Costa del Sol, like Benidorm. I met many people who had flown through Malaga but never went to the old city itself. It is a beautiful port city. We saw the Emerald Azzurra there, along with a Regent ship and an MSC Cruises ship. We also saw some quarter-of-a-billion-dollar yachts. There's a beautiful promenade alongside the port. We recommend you go inland into the old city and walk the alleys. This part of Spain was heavily Arabic for a period of time, so you walk these tiny Byzantine-like alleys. There are a million cafes and bistros. Tapas is a big part of the culture. You can try many different things. There is lots of seafood like octopus and shellfish, but the Spanish love their ham.

Mike Putman: Iberico ham is everywhere. The food was just so fresh. I always liked sharing food, and with this tapas culture, you don't typically sit down and order a starter and an entree. Generally, if you're out dining with friends, you order ten tapas for four people. They are like two or three dollars apiece, so you're not spending a fortune.

James Ferrara: Picasso frequented there. Antonio Banderas is from Malaga and owns several restaurants in the town. I even got to see where his penthouse is. We went to Chinitas, which is very traditional. On another night, we went to Palo Cortado, which was a more modern version of food from the area with beautifully deconstructed ideas. Several rooftops are very popular because the weather is so beautiful. There's an incredible cathedral in the middle of town and an Arabic fortress and governor's palace from the 11th century. Sometimes it's good to take a sightseeing tour just to get yourself oriented. They even have the hop-on hop-off bus in Malaga that has a cruise component where you go out into the harbor. I headed down into the old city and got myself lost. I found some great little shops and eventually made my way to the market. There has been a market on that site for centuries. The entrance is actually a 14th-century stone Arabic archway. In the 19th century, they built a steel and glass cover over the area. You walk up and down the stalls of produce, olives, fresh fish, and meats. Here's a real insider's tip: Go to the market on your first day so that you can buy stuff and eat it before you leave. I went on my last day and tortured myself. I did bring back Spanish olive oil, which you are allowed to do. My friends who are chefs tell me that is the best olive oil in the world. We heard some great music, which is heavily influenced by Arabic culture and North Africa. Flamenco dancing comes from Malaga, specifically from the gypsy tradition.

Mike Putman: It is a beautiful dance, that's for sure. When I was in London before going to Malaga, I was telling people my next stop was Malaga. They were like, "Oh, you're going to Malaga? Why?" Even travel industry people said that. But I really enjoyed it.

James Ferrara: It's a very big destination for the UK, but people tell to travel on packaged tours and stay in resorts outside of Malaga. I think that's why people don't know there is a beautiful historic city center. We also took over the Automotive and Fashion Museum one night. They have 90 antique cars paired with displays of fashions from that period. It was such an interesting idea to pair these two things. Look for the museum of automobiles and fashion.

Mike Putman: Every ten feet that you walk in Malaga is a hotel.

James Ferrara: Even for people from the US, if you were doing a trip to London, there were round-trip airfares for around a hundred dollars to Malaga.

Mike Putman: I did some research and there were four-star hotels in the center of Malaga for eighty-nine Euros a night. You could have a high-value vacation where you splinter off for three or four days there. I will go back to Malaga.

James Ferrara: I would too. Everything was reasonably priced. Ubers were very prevalent and inexpensive. I stayed in the Only YOU Hotel in Malaga, which is right on the port. It's part of a small chain of hotels in Spain. It was high style and beautifully designed. When you walk in, you aren't in a lobby with a reception desk. You walk into the restaurant and lounge area. You have to walk through that into a private hall for reception, where they serve you a glass of cava. I really liked that. Take a look at Only YOU Hotel. Put it on your bucket list.

Conclusion and Podcast Wrap-Up

Mike Putman: Well, James, we gotta wrap up. Hopefully, our listeners were able to get some good tidbits from that. Jessica was with us in Spain, we should say. Everyone has come back from this trip kind of tired. For you guys who came over for four or five days, it was a seven-hour time difference. Every day we were teaching classes or presenting, and then there were cocktail parties at night. It's a lot of hours.

James Ferrara: I want everyone to feel sorry for us that we were in Malaga and tired. It's been great to share with you guys. We want to help you travel in a way that creates even better memories. Don't forget about our Virgin Voyages cruise giveaway. You can get entries just by going to our website, notouristsallowed.com.

Mike Putman: We'll be giving that away in the next few weeks. Share this with your friends and travel great.

James Ferrara: Thank you for listening to another episode of No Tourists Allowed. We'll see you next week.

Mike Putman: No Tourists Allowed is produced by Podcast Studio X.