Absolutely Faking it

For Tiana Templeman, travel has always meant hiking boots and hostels, so when she wins a trip for two to stay at thirteen of the world’s most exclusive five-star hotels, it sounds like the chance of a lifetime, an opportunity to see how the other half lives. But with a travel budget stretched tighter than the straps on their bulging backpacks, Tiana and her man have no room for diamonds and designer clothing (if they actually owned any in the first place). From the Ritz in Paris to the Dorchester in London and the Peninsula in Hong Kong, Tiana is faced with questions of etiquette she never thought she’d have to answer: is it all right to cook instant noodles beside the Chanel toiletries in the bathroom? How do you deal with tipping when you can’t even afford a bottle of water from the mini-bar? And what on earth are you meant to do with a private butler? Through fourteen countries, over five months and with countless hilarious and mortifying adventures, Tiana learns that in establishments catering for those with champagne tastes, when you’re on a beer budget life can be harder than it looks.