Serenity in Sin City

Not sure if my readers are aware, but I am obsessed with Priceline and BetterBidding. There's just something about nabbing great hotels at deep discounts that gets me super excited. You see, I was too scared to use Priceline's Name Your Own Price feature until someone told me about BetterBidding. People actually post what bids they win at what price level so that you can get a better gauge on what you will get in the end. It's worked for me amazingly well in the last year and I highly recommend it!

Photo credit: Trump Hotel website

On our last trip to Sin City, I was actually aiming for a four star hotel on the Vegas Strip. Alas, I kept clicking on the wrong button and multitasking bit me in the butt. I won a bid for the Trump Hotel instead of the Venetian, the Palazzo, or the Wynn like I had hoped. However, I am actually glad we had a chance to stay here. Trump lives up to his brand and the hotel felt like a calm oasis in a desert full of crazy.

Here's the lobby during the day time. Yes, everything sparkles when it comes to anything Trump related.

We told the guy who checked us in that we were in town to celebrate Mr. J's birthday and hoped he would get us a room with a decent view. We were prepared to do the $20 Vegas handshake, but the guy was nice and did it gratis. I've read on the internet that if you want to try and get a better view at check-in, shake the person's hand and give him/her a $20 bill for the extra perk.

Check out that comfy bed and pullout couch. The studio actually includes a mini fridge, a stove, a microwave, and complimentary bottles of water as well as wi-fi access. Be forewarned though. The hotel charges a silly resort fee of $15/day in addition to the nightly rate.

The jacuzzi tub is massive! There is also a tv inside the bathroom, which tickled Mr. J.

My genius self tried to take a pic of our 27th floor view of the South Strip. I am mad at myself for not re-taking the pic without the flash. Live and learn, right?

Honestly, the biggest downside to the Trump is that it is not located directly on the Strip. It's across the street from the Fashion Show Mall but you have to walk a ways from the main drag to the hotel. I thought I would be annoyed by the lack of a casino as well, but it turned out to be a pro instead of a con. After wading through endless clouds of smoke throughout the Strip, it was nice to walk into a building with clean air.

Mr. J and I are more than happy to stay here again, especially after discovering the great coffee in the lobby on the last day of our stay. A cab ride to Mandalay Bay was a little over $15 and a cab ride to Caesar's Palace was right at $10, so it's not that far away from the action.