"Here is your suite, Mr. Steel." The grand living room was luxuriously furnished with a beige couch and matching chairs, along with glass end tables with gold trim and a matching coffee table. Lavish furnishings greeted us at every turn.

"Thank you. This is beautiful," I said, offering him a discreet and sizable tip. "Thanks for getting us in on such short notice."

He shook his head, declining the tip. "It is indeed my pleasure, Mr. Steel. And if there is anything that ...