Beauty and the Drink

Amsterdam - photo by earcos/matador networkI'm completely OBSESSED with Matador Network. FINALLY a travel website with topics I actually want to read about - they're perfect for ADD people like me! From What Not to Do posts to Top 10 lists, this site has so many interesting articles; I keep coming back for more. Now I want to be Matadorian! So if you're looking to plan a trip or just want to see what the outside world is like, Matador will take you there. This site is totally going to help me plan my Amsterdam/Brussels trip next fall.

Pssst are you a globetrotter?  If so, Matador is always looking for travel writers.  Just check out their cool travel writing program - Matador U! 

The Westin Las Vegas, NVYes, you heard me. I Pricelined.

I Pricelined and got The Westin Casuarina Las Vegas Hotel, Casino & Spa for only $99 dollars a night! I decided to try it out after my internet search showed Vegas hotels for $250-300+ a night. Let me tell you, the Westin had a great location, a block off the strip but right smack in the middle of all the fun. I knew it would be easy to cab back and forth from. In any other city The Westin would be an awesome hotel, but in shiny Vegas well, it's not as popular. 

I loved it tho. Not only was it relaxing, but it was a LOT cleaner than some of those beat down strip hotels (the one's they wanted $200+ for!). Plus the bed was pure heaven! You know the bed is too good when you dream about it while dancin' at the clubs.  All in all, I would DEFINITELY stay in The Westin again. Only next time, I'll clear my schedule so I can have more time to enjoy the bed.

If you want a positive Priceline experience like mine, keep these things in mind:

• Do your research! You could bid too high if you’re not careful and don't know the going rate.

• When you decide on an area, take a look at all the hotels with your preferred star rating in that zone. You can do this by clicking on the Matrix View or Map View tab. I know this kinda ruins the element of surprise, but sometimes you want to know what you're getting yourself into!

• Make sure to choose the correct star rating.

• And most important, bid with a price you're comfortable with. Remember to think about additional fees the hotel may have for you. For instance, Resort Fees were not included in my Priceline Price - the hotel tacked those on later. No big deal, it was still a heck of a lot cheaper. At the time I Pricelined, The Westin was going for $135 + Resort Fees of $15 = $150 a night! But my total cost was $115. That left me with extra money to play with in Vegas - THANK YOU PRICELINE!

Have you had a Priceline experience? If so, how was it?

Hola my people,
I'm heading to VEGAS this weekend and it's gonna be a fun filled crazy hangover adventure! I've jam-packed my schedule with tons of fresh new places and some oldies but goodies. So here's to partying with all my VEGAS peeps and not waking up on the roof of Ceasar's Palace!

FRIDAY
Night: Starting out at the oh so divey Ellis Island
Then Living Room/Prive (Planet Hollywood - Holly Madison to be there)

SATURDAY
Day: Daydream @ M Resort
Night: XS - Encore

SUN
Day: Rehab @ Hard Rock (Fedde La Grande) and drop by Wet Republic @ MGM (Benni Bennasi) for a hot minute.
Night: Lavo (DJ Vice)

MONDAY
Day: Relax @ Hard Rock

TBD:
Fat Burger
Quick snack @ Nobu
Pink Taco @ Hard Rock
Firefly

~Tara

Sometimes it's hard for me to keep a secret. Actually, scratch that. I can't seem to keep them at all! That's why I have to share the Southwest Airlines Specials going on right now til Sept 18th! So here's to all my California friends...fly for $49 and $59 dollars to some of your favorite cities. There's also a flight from SF to Vegas for $59 - which I plan on scooping up.

Good luck on finding the flight of your dreams and maybe we'll run into each other!

So as you know, I had to see my friends and pick up some stuff left behind in Vegas last week. I was searching for flights online and came across Virgin America for $59.00. My first thought was -sweet it's cheap, I'm down! I had no idea what I was about to experience.

When I arrived at the airport, Virgin America gave me this cute, trendy little square boarding pass to take to the plane. Everyone who worked for Virgin seemed super friendly, and for the most part young and hip. So when I waited in line to get on the plane I should have expected the W Hotel-like electronic music. As I stepped inside, an all white interior with cushy black leather seats and purple mood lighting stared back at me. The black leather seats were luxurious and had adjustable headrests which made me feel like a millionaire. Lighting changes throughout the flight calmed and relaxed - purple mood lighting are you kidding me?!?! Then, as I played around with the touch screen in-flight entertainment system called RED, I found out there was much more to see than movies and television. There were games, music and videos too. The best part? CHAT ROOMS! Yes, you too can chat with fellow passengers. Click here to see what you're missing out on with other airlines.

I thought I had died and gone to airplane heaven until the loud speaker came on and said "It's VEGAS WEDNESDAY which means you have 2 complimentary drinks for your trip to Vegas! Oh yes, and use your boarding pass to get you in at TAO for a Virgin cocktail hour." WOW. Scratch that-NOW I'M IN HEAVEN. So I helped myself to a Heineken-YUM. Can it get any better than this? Well, after the perfect flight with the perfect RED entertainment system, perfect energetic flight attendants and perfect free drinks...what do I see at the end of the tunnel as I am exiting? A disco ball spinning with electronic music playing. AWESOME. This flight was all me all the time - Tarastyle.

I am in love with you Virgin America and I promise to spend all my hard earned money on your airlines. You have changed the world of flying FOREVER. I NEVER want to fly another airline again.

FLY VIRGIN!