VEGAS BABY - CELEBRATING MARC'S 30TH.

On Friday, after 5 long months of waiting, I was finally able to tell Marc about our upcoming trip to Vegas for his 30th birthday!

Even at the very beginning of our relationship some 18 months ago, I recall a conversation between the two of us where we were saying how Vegas was at the top of our list of places that we wanted to go. So naturally, for his 30th, there was no other place that I could possibly book. It just had to be Vegas. Had to be, had to be, had to be.

And before I'd even properly began to search, I'd already narrowed my potential hotel selections down to three - Caesar's Palace, The MGM Grand and The Bellagio. For me, these three Vegas landmarks are several of the best-renowned, iconic establishments in the whole of Sin City, so in that sense, the short-list was a complete no-brainer.

I scoured TripAdvisor religiously for about 24 hours, sneakily browsing through pictures on my phone. Each of the three hotels boasted some incredible reviews, and there was absolutely no doubt that they all looked amazing, but in the end, I came to a very firm decision - The Bellagio.

I immediately went ahead and booked, which is when the hard work really began - keeping the whole thing a secret!

I knew that Marc's friends and family were speculating about where I was going to take him and what we would be doing, so it was really, really difficult for me to remained tight-lipped. Somehow, I managed it, and after waiting such a long time to break the news, finally telling him was the most amazing thing ever!

My mum and I planned everything meticulously - everything had to be perfect. So, we decorated the dining room with banners, a birthday cake, and balloons, and we lined poker chips and playing cards here there and everywhere, too. I also made a false boarding card and put together an enormous American chocolate and sweet hamper which I handed to him as I announced (very excitedly) where we were going -'Vegas, baby!'



As their present to Marc, my parents have paid for the two of us to do a helicopter ride through the strip at dusk, so they wrapped up a little toy helicopter and placed it in a gift bag with his card bearing all the important details. My mum also managed to get hold of some official Bellagio playing cards that had been used during a game of poker in the casino itself. I thought this was a really cool present, and Marc was equally impressed.

As expected, Marc was thrilled to bits. We all celebrated by making an early morning toast with some Bucks Fizz, before getting ready to set off for our night at the Hilton, Manchester Deansgate.

Our stay at the Hilton was everything that I wanted it to be. We were allocated a high-rise floor with spectacular views of  Manchester, and the service was excellent - particularly in Cloud 23 where the cocktails are just sensational.

To top all of this off, Marc even got a photograph with Nemanja Vidic who used to play for Manchetser United. As a huge Manchester United fan, you can only imagine how excited he was, especially when he wished him a Happy 30th! Amazing.

To finish off our evening of celebrations, we headed over to Albert's Shed for some delicious food and drinks where the service was just absolutely impeccable. On our booking we did note that the meal was taking place on Marc's birthday, and the staff kindly offered him a complimentary drink of his own choice, and a gorgeous chocolate brownie and ice cream dessert (complete with candle!) - which was really sweet. I think the little things like that always go such a long way.

From start to finish, Marc's 30th birthday was just amazing, and he was overwhelmed about Vegas. Now we are just on the official countdown, both feeling insanely excited. I just can't wait to be driving past that iconic 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada' sign!

Have you guys ever been to Vegas? Where did you stay? I'd love to hear some of your stories from Sin City! As always, direct message or comment.

Lots of love,
Grace x