Ever wondered what it might be like to step into the rarefied world of Donald Trump's famous buildings? The ex-president made his fortune in real estate and has a roster of lavish towers around the world that are owned, managed or licensed by the Trump Organization, offering added extras to appeal to his wealthy tenants, from private jets to in-house temples. Click through the gallery for the lowdown on apartment prices, amenities, famous neighbours, gossip and more. 

At least in the US, prices for properties in Trump-branded buildings across America dipped to a 15-year low this year due to a combination of the pandemic and the former president's divisive image, which has become even more polarising following the storming of the Capitol in January 2021. Buyers have been put off in their droves, and this slump means there are bargains a-plenty to be had.

An Associated Press analysis of over 4,000 transactions undertaken over the past 15 years in 11 Trump-branded buildings in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Honolulu found that average prices have fallen to $1,530 (£1.1k) per square foot, the lowest figure since 2006. Bargains are certainly abundant, but on the flip side, selling that property isn't likely to be easy.

You can now get hold of a studio for around half a million dollars, give or take, at the Trump Palace condo building in New York. Elsewhere, you can pick up a swish apartment at India's upcoming Trump Tower Kolkata for around the same price. Tribeca, the Indian co-developer, has said this particular project is the most affordable of any that Trump has put his name to.

That said, the largest and most prestigious apartments still cost the earth. By way of example, a 12,260-square-foot penthouse taking up the entire 89th floor of Chicago’s Trump International Hotel & Tower hit the market in September with an asking price of $30 million (£22.2m) or $2,447 (£1.8k) per square foot, which makes it the Windy City's most expensive current listing.

Given the controversy surrounding the former president, a slew of Trump-branded buildings have dropped the name, while others are in the process of doing so. All six Trump Place buildings on New York's Upper West Side have removed the former POTUS' moniker, as well as the Trump SoHo in lower Manhattan, which is now known as the Dominick.

Previously in the doldrums, the building's fortunes turned around once it got rid of the Trump label. Among the other Trump-branded edifices that have dumped (or are planning to dump) the name are the Trump Tower City Center in White Plains, New York and Trump Parc in Stamford, Connecticut, while residents at New York's Trump Palace, West Palm Beach's Trump Plaza and Trump Avenue in Ottawa have called for a change in branding.

Trump properties are synonymous with OTT glitz and glamour. You might suppose that just about everything is covered in 24-carat gold, in keeping with Donald Trump's notoriously flashy interiors in his own homes, but there are some notable exceptions. They include the soon to be completed Trump Tower Kolkata in India, which dare we say it, could even be described as starkly minimal. 

You're unlikely to be surrounded by Trumpers, particularly in New York. Residents who were able to do so voted overwhelmingly to remove the Trump name from their buildings, and even in the flagship Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, only 23 residents voted for their landlord in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries and caucuses, with 67 choosing to back his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

The famously germaphobic former president's preoccupation with hygiene appears to extend to his buildings. A resident of Manhattan's Trump Parc, who was quoted in New York Magazine in February 2017, said that, “cleanliness is like an obsession. They clean in the morning, they clean in the afternoon, and it's always perfect.”

Be that as it may, the flagship restaurant of New York's Trump Tower has been slapped with a litany of health code violations in recent years. They include sightings of "live roaches" in 2016, reports of "filth flies" the following year, and incidences of "mice or live mice" infestations in 2018.

It isn't just Trump Tower that would appear to have an issue with pests. Two reviews of Jersey City's Trump Plaza featured on the ApartmentRatings site complain of "roach and bugs galore" as well as a mice infestation, (though these may not be genuine, so might need to be taken with a pinch of salt!).

Trump decided against kitting out every floor of Trump Tower in New York with a sprinkler system due to cost and lobbied in the late 1990s against a bill mandating them in the Big Apple's skyscrapers. The decision would come back to haunt him in April 2018 when a major blaze in the building killed long-time resident Todd Brassner and injured six firefighters.

Built in the 1980s, the residential units in New York's Trump Tower are actually pretty basic compared to many other high-end apartments. The kitchens are small and windowless and, according to Barbara A Res (a former Trump Organization VP in charge of construction), they originally featured cheap Formica countertops and budget GE appliances. Numerous condos also lack many  21st-century luxe must-haves such as dressing rooms and twin bathroom sinks.

On the other hand, a number of residents have taken it upon themselves to revamp their apartments, opting for the most sumptuous remodels money can buy. One Trump Tower property owner even installed a private pool in their condo, while others have knocked down walls to open up the space.

Back in March 2018, the Vancouver Sun reported that residents of Trump Tower Vancouver were advised to keep their windows and balcony doors closed on very cold and windy days in order to keep the lifts working. According to the newspaper, extreme cold or high winds rattling through the building can trigger an automatic shutdown.

A resident of Manhattan's Trump Parc who spoke to New York Magazine in 2017 bemoaned the “shoddy” construction and “thin walls”. And though they may or may not be genuine, a couple of reviews of New Jersey's Trump Plaza on ApartmentRatings and Google highlight the excessive noise coming from other apartments.

By contrast, a review of Trump Plaza New Rochelle posted on Yelp praises the building for its peacefulness and tranquility, with the reviewer going to on write: "I entertain frequently and never had a complaint about noise because all the main exterior walls are made of concrete and the place is nearly soundproof!"

As demand has fallen away for Trump properties, there are likely to be a lot of empty apartments in quite a number of buildings either owned, managed or licensed by the Trump Organization. You never know, you might even have a floor all to yourself. 

Seemingly a magnet for dubious characters, New York's Trump Tower has attracted a shocking number of criminals over the years, including convicted fraudsters, Russian gangsters, a Lucchese Mafia crime family associate, two corrupt soccer officials and a big-time drug trafficker, while one apartment was snapped up on behalf of notorious Haitian dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier (pictured).

Given the A-list tend to shun the former president, current celebrity residents are few and far between, though you may run into one or two. For instance, New York's Trump Tower is the Big Apple base of actor and director Vincent Gallo, while soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo owns a unit in the building, and Trump Parc down the road is said to be home to LaToya Jackson.

The list of former residents is far more impressive. Over the years a multitude of big names have leased or bought apartments in Trump-branded buildings, including LaToya's brother Michael, Sophia Loren, Johnny Carson, Liza Minnelli, Larry Hagman, Paul Anka, Dick Clark, Liberace, Bruce Willis, Steven Spielberg and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Living the high life in a Trump building comes easy, especially since the buildings tend to feature upscale stores – Trump Tower, for example, boasts Gucci's New York flagship storefront. But the Trump buildings are losing many of their most exclusive retail tenants. Luxe jewellery retailer Tiffany & Co, for instance, will vacate the Trump Organization building around the corner from the Tower next year.

Still, the Trump Organization isn't averse to going downmarket. Check out the mall at Trump Towers Istanbul: the sprawling shopping centre in Turkey's biggest city has more than its fair share of high street fashion stores, from Mango to Benetton, not to mention fast food outlets like Burger King.

New York's Trump Tower also houses the flagship Trump Store, where you can pick up all manner of Trump-branded merch. Everything from teddy bears to neck-ties, T-shirts and soap kits emblazoned with the Trump name can be picked up there, as well as those all-important MAGA hats, which retail for $50 (£37) a pop.

As you might expect, all of the Trump Organization's residential buildings boast 24-hour doormen and full-time white-glove concierge services, who can go the extra mile and organise package and grocery deliveries, apartment cleaning, dog-walking, dry cleaning, entertainment and other services to make residents' lives easier.

The Trump Organization isn't stingy when it comes to amenities. Among the standouts include assigning residents their very own wine cellar. The amenity is available at Trump World Tower in New York, as well as Trump Towers Istanbul, which features Turkey's only collective wine storage facility.

Along with wine-imbibing adults, children are well catered for in Trump-branded buildings, which often have a dedicated playroom for them to while away a boring afternoon. One of the most fun-filled is the playroom at the Trump World Tower in Manhattan, which has plenty of toys for youngsters to enjoy.

As well as having fun in the development's playroom, the youngest residents of Trump Towers Istanbul can take in a family-friendly show at the complex's Disney Theater at the Trump Stage, which puts on regular themed performances. The venue is Disney's first-ever theatre in Turkey, and visitors are welcome to attend, too.

The Grill at New York's Trump Tower serves up what could best be described as haute junk food: think posh cheeseburgers swamped in white cheddar, taco bowls with heaps of salsa, soured cream and grated cheese, waistband-busting brownies and ice cream sundaes, while even the salads come in a thick creamy dressing. But Trump restaurants have also been trailblazers in offering diners healthier and more sustainable choices. Back in 2010, Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago became the first hotel in North America to provide a totally organic room service menu, with every single item on it sourced locally and certified by Oregon Tilth.

Plus, fine dining is de rigueur in plenty of Trump buildings. French restaurant Jean-Georges at Trump Central Park wows with two Michelin stars and the now-defunct Sixteen at Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago was also awarded two of the coveted stars, while the sushi restaurant at Trump's hotel in Washington DC snagged one star in 2019.

An oasis of calm in India's hectic second-largest city, Trump Tower Mumbai has all sorts of features geared to enhancing the wellbeing of its residents. They include terraced organic vegetable, herb and spice gardens and a fruit orchard, as well as a lotus water garden in which to kick back and forget the cares of the world.

Trump Tower Mumbai residents can also nurture their spiritual side, since the development offers access to several meditation pavilions and a serene temple dedicated to the revered deity Ganesha. The Trump Organization and its Indian partner Lodha Group really have thought of everything when putting together this project.

The Mumbai development also features a gym designed by legendary boxer Evander Holyfield, the only fighter to have reigned as undisputed champ in two weight classes. Residents also benefit from a fitness regime curated by celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza, who has worked with A-list stars including Halle Berry, Jamie Dornan and Anne Hathaway.

The fitness centres in other Trump developments are just as impressive and packed with the latest equipment. For example, the health club at Trump World Tower in New York features Peloton bikes and smart Training Mirrors, and offers residents personal training sessions on a weekly basis.

One of the swishest amenities the Trump Organization provides for its residents is – drum roll please – a private jet service. Those lucky (and rich) enough to reside in Trump Tower Mumbai reportedly have access to the aircraft, meaning they can whisk themselves away for a luxury break when the mood takes them.

Donald Trump was the only president in 100 years not to have a dog in the White House. While he put his lack of a pooch down to his busy schedule, it's been reported he loathes pets due to his germaphobia. Fortunately, his buildings are surprisingly pet-friendly. In fact, Trump World Tower has a dog park (as does the Mumbai development) and one resident of New York's Trump Tower, the disgraced ex FIFA official Chuck Blazer, is said to have rented an entire apartment just to house his cats.

According to the New York Post, 50 Shades of Grey writer E L James drew inspiration for the eponymous character's bachelor pad from this fancy apartment in Manhattan's Trump Tower. It was acquired in 2015 by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, who is having hard time selling it given the nosedive in demand for Trump-branded properties, despite slashing the asking price.

Now that Trump is no longer the leader of the free world, protest activity outside his signature Tower on Fifth Avenue has got a lot quieter (but hasn't died down entirely), which is good news for residents in the building. Over the years, they have had to scramble through placard-wielding activists on a regular basis when entering and exiting the edifice.

Residents of the tower did, however, benefit from Secret Service and enhanced police protection during their landlord's presidency, and as you might imagine security was top-notch. One realtor, Douglas Elliman, even went as far as to promote the presence of the USSS as a premium amenity in an email obtained by Politico.

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