The Trident is one of the oldest landmark in Jeddah but as the city has expanded and newer places have sprung up it has lost its shine. For business travelers it still is a good option due to its proximity to the industrial areas.
Rooms and upholstery is old fashioned and does not have the glamour, but the free internet and a choice of TV channels add to comfort. One can relax in the big pool (open - so not available in winters) and tone up in the gym area. Food choices are sufficient to interest everyone.

I stayed in this hotel on my pilgrimage of Hajj, dated 6-7 Nov 2012. The hotel has a wonderful lobby, so spacious, nice sofas, a relaxing atmosphere. The food is ok, the dessert quite abundance, the room is nice with large bathroom, the AC is cold and work properly. The location is quite good with only a few minutes to reach the shopping centre Ballad / Corniche. What surprises me is that they provided a shuttle bus from the hotel to Ballad, and its free of charge ! The time is from 10.00 am till 01.30 pm. If you need more time for shopping, then you can ride a taxi for a mere 15 riyals, but you must ask the chauffeur first about the charge, and make sure he knows the hotel / Mina street. The minus of this hotel is that the lift is so small. I hope they will put a bigger lift in the near future.

I stayed at Jeddah trident for 5 nights and while the room was in excellent condition the hotel did not give a feel of four star property. I looked up more hotels in the market area and all of them were 2 stars with very small rooms, no television and individual noisy AC. If you need to stay in the market area and still want something which is better than noisy AC Jeddah Trident hotel is a good option. They also served vegetarian dish at breakfast which was a life saver during Ramadan.
Would stay here unless I get another hotel with basic comforts I am looking for.