When somebody offers to let you stay in their penthouse at the St. Regis in New York City, say yes. Don’t worry about work or transportation. Quit if you have to and walk if you must, but by all means, say yes. And when the bellhop rolls up in a $400,000 Bentley to take you to the bus station? Say yes again.

Here’s how it happened. I was living in Washington, DC, a few years ago, and my aunt and uncle invited my mother and me to spend a few days with them at the St. Regis in New York. My mother flew up from her home in Phoenix, and I took the bus up from DC.

Some people say that staying the St. Regis is like staying at a palace. This is not true and those people are stupid. It’s much nicer than a palace. To be fair, it’s like a palace in two ways: 1) the butlers, and 2) Elton John routinely stays there. I didn’t see him, but you bet I looked.

As nice as the hotel was, what I remember most about staying there was spending time with my family. While running to catch a Broadway play, we al…