The Seventeenth Line

I need a vacation.

Ideally, someplace warm and sunny.

I’ll plan a trip soon. I’d like to put my toes in the sand! But for now, I’m going to lean into books for some short-term escapism.

When I need a “virtual vacation” I read travel writing, stories of other’s adventures to boost my mood. I’ve also done some armchair traveling by reading a few novels set in the same location, it’s a fun way to “explore” an area.

Do you use books in this way?

I’m just starting my vacation planning, so I’m going to look back on a few books about hotels.

Plus, I really like hotels.

There’s a tension in hotels that intrigues me – public verse private, glamour verse grind, and, maybe most apparent, the difference in class between guests and staff.

Hotels feel like a world unto themself. Sometimes, I even daydream about working for a large hotel brand. But daydreams about my work life are for another time.

Back to the books!

Here’s one fiction and two non-fiction books centered around hotels. If you’ve got any hotel-themed books to recommend share them in a comment.

Fiction

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel, published in 2020, was fairly popular, due in part to the success of her earlier novel, Station Eleven. I haven’t read Station Eleven, but I watched the HBO series and I loved it. This book was just “ehh.”

The Glass Hotel is partially set at the Hotel Caiette, a luxury hotel in a remote area of Vancouver Island in Canada. The hotel’s large windows give the hotel it’s name, those windows also factor into the story. I enjoyed the portion to the novel set in the Glass Hotel – the lux atmosphere and the remote, forested setting – but beyond that the novel was a hodge-podge, with the overarching story being about a ponzi scheme.

Mandel creates a rich atmosphere. I could hear the clink of the glasses on the highly polish bar, see the warm glow of the fireplace, and feel soft leather of the armchairs while peering out the enormous glass windows at the fog hanging in the trees. I could also imagine the bone chilling dampness staff experienced when leaving the hotel after a long shift to make their way down a narrow dirt path to the rundown staff quarters hidden in the forest. Mandel played up the clear contrast between the these two settings, guest and staff, wealthy and work-a-day people, which reflected the overall idea of the novel.

Non-Fiction

The Castle on Sunset: Life, Death, Love, Art, and Scandal at Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont by Shawn Levy is an historical account of this iconic 1929 building, the dream of prominent Los Angeles attorney, Fred Horowitz. Originally intended to be an upscale apartment building modeled on the Chateau d’Amboise in France’s Loire Valley, things took a turn during the depression, ownership changed hands, and by the end of the 1930’s the Chateau was remade into a hotel and short-term residence for Hollywood.

I enjoyed this book, even more so after finishing it.I’ve thought about it a lot since I first read it in the spring of 2023.

Chateau Marmont has become something of a special place in Los Angeles, a hideaway and a place to be seen, it’s a spot where anything goes and discretion is paramount. There’s a long list of famous and infamous hotel guests, including Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Desi Arnaz, Marlon Brando, members of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Courtney Love, Lorne Michaels, Dustin Hoffman, John Waters, Keanu Reeves and Lindsay Lohan, just to name a few. Some stayed a few nights and some lived at the hotel for years.

The Chateau also shows up in movies, most notable Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere,” set in the hotel, and makes an appearance in “La La Land,” “A Star is Born,” and The Doors.” Whenever I watch a movie set in Los Angeles I look for Chateau Marmont. The hotel is referenced in music and books too. 

What I most liked about Levy’s book was learning the history of Los Angeles through the lens of this one building. There is something wistful about imagining the Chateau Marmont on the hill at the end of Sunset Boulevard overseeing the city of LA grow while nearly a century of time passes.

Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality by Jacob Tomsky is a memoir about his time working in hotels. It’s a fun read, there’s snark, pop culture references, a bit of philosophy, and an honest take on life in the service industry. I’m disappointed Tomsky hasn’t written more. I looked him up on social media, it looks like he went into music.

After earning a philosophy degree Tomsky takes a job as a valet for a newly opened luxury hotel in New Orleans, quickly moving up to the front of house (FOH) team. Later, after taking time to travel, he reluctantly returns to the hotel business in another front desk job at a mid-level, midtown Manhattan hotel.

He shares a fair bit about the people he works with and some tales of memorable guests. Learning about the people who populate hotels was what I found most interesting.

Throughout he offers up “insider” knowledge. The big secret really isn’t a secret. Tip. That’s it, tip. Give people money to get what you want. Want an early check in, late check out, a better room – tip the front desk staff. Tip housekeeping staff (their work is hard!). Let the bellman carry your bag, and don’t ever say “it’s no problem” to their offer because carrying your bag really is their only job. That said, who knew bellmen were making bank – all in cash.