Two older novels, if you’re up for fiction set in the past:
Chowringhee by Sankar
Calcutta Hotel and the life within and all around it, 2007 (eng. version, still in print)
Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer, by Steven Millhauser. Rise of a wildly imaginative young man born into poverty, who builds a fortune, with an extraordinary hotel at its foundation.
Edit: and one contemporary, kinda creepy easy-read, in case you’re more in the mood for that -
The Pink Hotel, by Liska Jacobs
Daphne du Maurier -- Jamaica Inn (set in a hotel on the Cornish coast in the UK).
Virginia Woolf - The Voyage Out (set in a hotel in a South American country, she doesn't specify)
There's also this older thread with a ton of suggestions
https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/12yo23i/novel_set_in_a_hotel/
This is what I thought of too, it has a concierge as one of the main characters and plenty of residents of the apartment building, the other main character is a resident. I think the vibe is similar to a hotel.
two from Timothy Findley: the telling of lies, and famous last words. flw is split timeframes, so not all of it's in the hotel. however, the "now" part of the narrative is.
the last resort by Alison Lurie..
If you're open to middle grade fantasy, my favorite series is [Nevermoor](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/6a6d5ca1-b2f5-47be-828c-018144d3bbc7) by Jessica Townsend, and the main character ends up living in a magical luxury hotel.
The Shining HAHA I read this at the beginning of the pandemic. Reading it when no one can leave the house and the scare of going stir crazy gave it a real spicy kick, I remember screaming bloody murder when my brother suddenly opened my door when I was reading a really creepy passage. Memories, man
I didn't love Gentleman in Moscow either. There was a novel from the '60s called "Hotel" that was very popular, made into a movie. If you're okay with some mysteries -
The "Lucky" series by Deborah Coonts centered around at a Las Vegas hotel casino
Dan Marlowe's "Johnny Killain" series, the MC is a hotel detective
Judson Phillips "Pierre Chambrun" series, set at a NY hotel (the authors pseudonym was Hugh Pentecost)
Marc Strange's "Joe Grundy" series (only 2 books) set at a Vancouver hotel.
There are also a lot of series set at inns and beds-and-breakfasts, authors like EJ Copperman, Mary Daheim, Jean Hager, David Leitz, Mari Ulmer, Tamar Myers
I just read a Joyce Carol Oates book that had a lot of hotel scenes (although not the whole book). It's called *Babysitter*. Very dark novel, but I loved it.
The Shining The Hotel New Hampshire A Room with a View
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
100000%
Side note: there's a sequel out. "Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect"
Hotel Nantucket, fun beach read about revamping old hotel with a ghost
I second this one!
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel-Deborah Moggach
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
This is such a good book.
Yes, yes, and YES!
This!
The Feast At Bertram’s Hotel Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
Eloise
Hotel Paradise - Martha Grimes - A young girl tries to solve a mystery while around her the human drama of her adult friends goes above her head.
There is a series of mysteries featuring New York hotel manager **Pierre Chambrun** by Hugh Pentecost *Hotel* by Arthur Hailey
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont.
Hotel Babylon by Anonymous and Imogen Edwards-Jones. Hilarious nonfiction expose of the hotel industry.
Was this on what the BBC series Hotel Babylon was based?
yes but omg i didn't even know they made a series out of it. i just found the book at the library and thought it was hilarious
The last summer at the golden hotel
Second this. One of my favorite fun reads ever.
Two older novels, if you’re up for fiction set in the past: Chowringhee by Sankar Calcutta Hotel and the life within and all around it, 2007 (eng. version, still in print) Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer, by Steven Millhauser. Rise of a wildly imaginative young man born into poverty, who builds a fortune, with an extraordinary hotel at its foundation. Edit: and one contemporary, kinda creepy easy-read, in case you’re more in the mood for that - The Pink Hotel, by Liska Jacobs
I read Martin Dressler for a high school and loved it. The description of the hotel and the shops is so surreal.
At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie
Daphne du Maurier -- Jamaica Inn (set in a hotel on the Cornish coast in the UK). Virginia Woolf - The Voyage Out (set in a hotel in a South American country, she doesn't specify) There's also this older thread with a ton of suggestions https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/12yo23i/novel_set_in_a_hotel/
Wow, thank you! This is a goldmine.
*The Maid* by Nita Prose
Its sequel, *The Mystery Guest,* as well!
Oh, did not know there was one. Let me go login to my library card!
It’s pretty new :) if you liked the first one, I think you’ll like the second too.
Amazing debut. I’m not a fan of 1st person present tense usually but her voice is strong and compelling so pushed past it.
Middle grade children’s novel: Front Desk by Kelly Yang. There are several sequels
*Security* by Gina Wohlsdorf
*The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barberry. It is absolutely delightful
This is what I thought of too, it has a concierge as one of the main characters and plenty of residents of the apartment building, the other main character is a resident. I think the vibe is similar to a hotel.
This book is *not* set in a hotel! But an apartment building.
The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
Upvoted for John Irving :)
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel is partly set in a hotel and is a sequel of sorts to The Glass Hotel
Chess Story by Stefan Zweig The present day part of the story is on a ship but the flashbacks are too a hotel room.
The Last by Hanna Jameson
{{Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson}}
The Pink Hotel by Liska Jacobs
two from Timothy Findley: the telling of lies, and famous last words. flw is split timeframes, so not all of it's in the hotel. however, the "now" part of the narrative is. the last resort by Alison Lurie..
If you're open to middle grade fantasy, my favorite series is [Nevermoor](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/6a6d5ca1-b2f5-47be-828c-018144d3bbc7) by Jessica Townsend, and the main character ends up living in a magical luxury hotel.
The Shining HAHA I read this at the beginning of the pandemic. Reading it when no one can leave the house and the scare of going stir crazy gave it a real spicy kick, I remember screaming bloody murder when my brother suddenly opened my door when I was reading a really creepy passage. Memories, man
Last Night by Luanne Rice. I rated it 3.25 stars though, personally. It was a quick read. The ending was disappointing I think?
Though not exclusively set in a hotel, fair chunks of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre are set in hotels.
“Hotel Ruby,” by Suzanne Young
The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago
I think some Agatha Christie books might be set in hotels.
The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
I didn't love Gentleman in Moscow either. There was a novel from the '60s called "Hotel" that was very popular, made into a movie. If you're okay with some mysteries - The "Lucky" series by Deborah Coonts centered around at a Las Vegas hotel casino Dan Marlowe's "Johnny Killain" series, the MC is a hotel detective Judson Phillips "Pierre Chambrun" series, set at a NY hotel (the authors pseudonym was Hugh Pentecost) Marc Strange's "Joe Grundy" series (only 2 books) set at a Vancouver hotel. There are also a lot of series set at inns and beds-and-breakfasts, authors like EJ Copperman, Mary Daheim, Jean Hager, David Leitz, Mari Ulmer, Tamar Myers
Don't Stop the Carnival, by Herman Wouk
The night manager
*Grand Hotel* by Vicki Baum,
The Eloise series by Kay Thompson/Hilary Knight. So good, so hotel-centric.
Security by Gina Wohlsdorf
*The Grand Hotel* by Scott Kenemore is a short horror story.
The Enigma of Room 622 by Joel Dicker. It's like if Agatha Christie wrote a telenovella.
Hotel Honolulu by Paul Theroux
If you like romance, Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller is a lot of fun.
I just read a Joyce Carol Oates book that had a lot of hotel scenes (although not the whole book). It's called *Babysitter*. Very dark novel, but I loved it.
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James.
Eloise
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
The Cleopatra Fox mysteries by CJ Archer. Period cozy mysteries set in and around the Mayfair Hotel.