Absolutely Faking It : Thirteen Luxury Hotels, Five Months . No Money Review

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(More customer reviews)The premise for Absolutely Faking It is a twist on the "What would you do if you won the lottery?" fantasy. Author Tiana Templeman wins round-the-world air tickets and three-night stays in twelve of the most luxurious hotels in the world. The catch (of course there's a catch) is that aside from hotels and airfares, she and her photographer husband Trevor are on their own. They love to travel (that's why they entered the contest in the first place) but they usually travel on a tight budget. They bring their backpacks, stay in downscale hotels, and eat ramen noodles. They have a great time.
So economy airfare and thirty-six nights are covered, but for the rest of the five months they plan to spend traveling, they will have to make their budget stretch as far as possible. This means they'll be staying at the Dorchester in London for three nights, then crashing with friends for a few nights, staying in budget hotels the rest of the time. They'll be enjoying champagne breakfasts some mornings and sharing a leftover baguette other mornings. Aside from the bipolar nature of the trip, there's the problem of clothes. How are they going to pack clothes suitable for both hostels and the Paris Ritz?
For the most part, it all works out, and the Templemans' occasional missteps are politely overlooked by staff and posh clientele alike, usually. Once they get into the swing of living among the 'other half,' they become more comfortable with not worrying about making mistakes or embarrassing themselves. What an admirably healthy attitude!
Not surprisingly, the most memorable parts of the trip are the fabulous hotel stays. Yes, Venice is lovely and Syria is strange and exotic, but the luxury hotels are so foreign to the Templemans that they overshadow the rest of the trip. I can understand this, having been accidentally bumped to first class once from economy on a transatlantic flight. It was remarkable - so quiet and plush, with fully reclining seats, tablecloths with dinner, a masseuse and manicurist on call, a stand-up bar - that I can't actually remember anything else of the trip other than the flight itself.
Absolutely Faking It lives up to the intriguing premise - I read it a few years ago and when I came across it again recently, read it again and enjoyed it just as much the second time. First Class!

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