When I travel alone, I generally need pretty simple accommodations. A regular hotel room meets all of my needs.

That’s why I booked the most affordable place I could when I went to Las Vegas earlier this week. Maria and Bridget had other plans, so I took the chance for a solo trip to gamble, eat too much, and sleep too little.

I arrived late Sunday night at the Imperial Palace, ready to check into a room which cost me just over $100 total for three nights. The place is a little old and not very fancy, but it has great rates and a perfect location.

Besides, I didn’t plan on spending a lot of time in my room so I didn’t need the fancy furniture or hot tubs I could find at other hotels. Especially since those things come with a price tag I didn’t want to pay.

Flight delays across the country made the line to check-in pretty long, even at 10:30 p.m. By the time I got to the front, I just wanted to get my key, drop off my things and play some poker.

Little did I know that the woman helping me had a different idea.

Originally, I planned to try a little Vegas trick and slip the clerk a $20 bill so see if she could get me a “free upgrade,” but I passed on the idea because I figured a tired clerk and full hotel didn’t put the odds in my favor.

I made just one request. I wanted to be away from the side of the hotel which overlooked an outdoor bar at an adjacent property. They have music until 4 a.m. or something like that. Vegas has enough distractions. I didn’t need another one.

The clerk made jokes about how she would make sure I had the closest room to the noise as she looked through over a chart which showed the location of each individual room. I wondered why she was taking so much time picking one for me.

Finally, as a couple next to me complained to their clerk about the wait and how the hotel only had no more non-smoking rooms available, my clerk said six words I could not believe.

“I put you in the penthouse.”

A little stunned, I fished around in my pocket for the $20 bill I had decided not to flash and slid it across to her after she explained how to access the top floor.

I managed to find my way there, wondering what kind of room awaited. Maybe they just have regular rooms with better views up there, I thought. Like I said, the IP has some years on it, so maybe the penthouse room wouldn’t meet my expectation.

I knew that thought was wrong when I saw the steps to the upper floor upon entering my room. Yep, I had a two-story suite, complete with a bar, jacuzzi and two bathrooms. And they didn’t charge me a penny extra.

A week before I left, Maria and I watched one of the Austin Powers movies, and I joked how I wanted to stay in the kind of suite Austin Powers did.

Little did I know I would. I loved it, even if some of the furnishings looked like they came from the 70s. Guys like me don’t complain when we get to live the high life.