Pamela Wade follows in Hillary Clinton's footsteps at a famous US hotel
Check in: Surrounded by quantities of marble, elaborate flower arrangements, thick Persian carpets underfoot, huge crystal chandelier, a sweeping staircase — if you're going to have a disaster, this is the right place. For Hillary Clinton, it was losing the election. For me, it was merely a missing booking. Murmuring, solicitous staff sorted my problem in minutes. Hillary was less lucky.
Room: A Deluxe corner suite, it had just the three rooms, including an elegantly decorated sitting room and separate bedroom. Of course, Hillary would probably have gone for the fancy six-room Peninsula Suite up top.
Price: The cheapest rooms start around $1000; but it was just over $6000 a night for the Deluxe. Hooray for upgrades on complimentary accommodation. For Hillary, special price.
The bed: If only I had the resolution to undo all that neatly tucked-in smooth linen bedding, I would have looked for the manufacturer's name, because this bed was a marvel. So soft. So comfortable. It was more of an embrace than a bed. And huge, squashy pillows, ideal for soaking up tears.