I was at the Swisshotel in Beijing, back in the day when that was probably the most luxurious hotel in town. However the Peoples Press didn't report on Diana's death til a day or two later, so I was one of the last Westerners to find out. Diana eventually warranted a paragraph in the local paper as the "Peoples Princess". I had already booked a flight to London several days later, connecting via CPH on BA, which was fortunate as all flights into London were sold out for the funeral. And I had booked a room at the Savoy well in advance. So I guess I have two luxury hotels for that event.

On the night of 9/11 I also flew to London, this time staying at the Sheraton Belgravia, which was fairly luxurious. They kindly let me extend my stay in an upgraded suite for several days as flights back to the USA were of course cancelled.