Near the Eiffel Tower and River Seine, in the heart of the Triangle d’Or area, the Hotel Plaza Athénée boasts incredible views over Paris. It opened in 1913, and has a long history, including the arrest of Mata Hari, and hosted celebrated artists from Monet to Matisse, Mondrian, Braque, Duchamp, De Chirico, Miro, and Magritte. In October 2013 the hotel closed for renovations and then reopened in the summer of 2014, now with 146 rooms and 45 suites.

This week, guests include Stephen Clarke, author of Talk to the Snail, A Year in the Merde, and Paris Revealed – The Secret Life of A City, who gives us the Parisian definition of the word “luxury;” Jim Holden, President of African Travel, Inc., to talk about Ebola and travel; and Thierry Hernandez, Head Bartender at the Hotel Plaza Athénée, who’s bringing classic cocktails into the 21st century.

Jim Holden, President, African Travel, Inc., talks fear (the worst four-letter F word), how to solve the ebola misinformation crisis, and what we must do to help West Africa.

Francois Delahaye, Chief Operating Officer of The Hotel Plaza Athénée, ponders why Paris is the number one destination for American travelers (are we all art history majors at heart?) and explains why Parisian markets aren’t just for the goods you buy there.

Leigh Gallagher, Fortune magazine editor and author of The End of the Suburbs: Where the American Dream is Moving, gives us some staggering statistics about our commutes to work and explains why this is causing people to flee the suburbs.

Valerie Wilson, travel agent and founder of ValerieWilsonTravel.com, talks about the best reason to start a travel agency and tells us the things that are most important to her in a hotel.

Chris McGinnis of the Travel Skills Group discusses loyalty programs and how airlines are adapting to keep business travelers.

Stephen Clarke, author of Talk to the Snail, A Year in the Merde, and Paris Revealed – The Secret Life of A City, explains why lifestyle is so important to people in Paris and why sometimes, luxury isn’t a luxury at all.

Laurant Poncelet, Concierge at Hotel Plaza Athénée, shares some of the craziest requests he’s received as a concierge (hint—kilos of truffles, baby lions).

Thierry Hernandez, Head Bartender for Hotel Plaza Athénée, describes the hotel’s beverage innovation and how they are taking drinks out of the glass.

By Jessie Marek for PeterGreenberg.com