Researching my novel in five different London hotels made me appreciate why they are such a rich source of stories and characters for writers

Hotels, then, gift writers with stories. The presence of a guest is not strictly necessary, since the story of a hotel room and to whom it has played host (president? gangster? call girl?) is sufficient. Even an object within a room throws up ready vignettes, as Arnold Bennett in The Grand Babylon Hotel (1902) is typically quick to exploit: “…one of the great vases is cracked across the pedestal, owing to the rough treatment accorded to it during a riotous game of blind man’s buff, played one night by four young princesses, a Balkan king, and his aides-de-camp.” But there is certainly much more to it than this story-rich environment. Even where the author has decided to focus on characters, the hotel setting has a great deal to offer.

See the full article from “Prospect Magazine”



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