In this eye-opening account of a decade spent in relentless pursuit of luxury, award-winning journalist Matthew Brace takes the armchair traveler inside the hallowed walls of the world's most glamorous hotels.

Whether recalling close encounters with hyenas in the Botswanan wilderness, or - equally alarming - collisions with A-listers in the Beverly Wilshire, Brace is a wonderfully charming and eloquent companion. But he's not just a witty raconteur: he has plenty to say about our species' obsession with luxury and where it may lead us.