The #1 New York Times –bestselling author of Airport reveals the inner workings of a New Orleans hotel—and the human drama unfolding behind its closed doors. During five sultry days, the lives of the guests, the management, and the workers at New Orleans' largest and most elite hotel converge. The owner has four days to raise the money to save his financially ailing property. The general manager, once blacklisted from the hospitality business, struggles with one crisis after another. A rebellious heiress will do anything to attain her secret desires. The duke and the duchess in the lavish presidential suite are covering up a crime. And within one of the many guest rooms hides a professional thief. Filled with memorable characters and authentic detail about the inner machinery and secrets of a five-star hotel, this gripping New York Times bestseller sold millions of copies and was adapted for both film and TV. Set in a time when travel was still glamorous and grand independent hotels set the standard for luxury, it's a read like a vacation in itself, from the author of such behind-the-scenes blockbusters as The Moneychangers and Wheels .