Hotel Novels
Checking into a new hotel inspires a sense of adventure when traveling. These hotel novels offer that same rush of excitement!
Whether you are looking to experience a vacation from hell, learn about haunted locales, or experience a whirlwind romance, the hotel books on this list will help you find the perfect read. There were so many fantastic books for this list that I had to create an entirely separate list of Thrillers and Mysteries Set in Hotels.
The hotel novels below are perfect to read during a weekend getaway or from the comfort of your own home. Who knows, they might even inspire your next vacation!
The Best Hotel Novels
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
The Best Fiction Hotel Novel
The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand- Jump to Section
The Best Historical Fiction Hotel Novel
The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell – Jump to Section
The Best Mystery Hotel Novel
The Club by Ellery Lloyd- Jump to Section
The Best Thriller Hotel Novel
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware – Jump to Section
The Best Hotel Romance Novel
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune – Jump to Section
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Fiction Books Set at Hotels
The Hotel Nantucket
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Year: 2022
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
As usual, Elin’s storytelling revolves around a large cast of characters, this time employees of The Hotel Nantucket. As readers spend a summer with the staff and select hotel guests, we get to see what goes on behind the scenes of a luxury hotel. Romances unfold and fall apart, there are multiple scandals, demanding guests, and even a ghost!
Trigger Warnings
Infidelity, Animal Death
Why Kirsten loves it
This is my favorite Elin Hilderbrand EVER. I love how everyone’s stories folded together while revolving around the glorious hotel. If only I could visit this beach town resort this summer!
Find this book in: Hotel Novels / Ghost Books / Beach Reads 2022
Five-Star Summer
Author: Sarah Morgan
Year: 2026
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Evie has taken on the role of temporary manager for a flailing hotel in Cornwall. She’s grown up in this hotel and is working hard to keep it open despite her staff’s resistance to change. Then Abby is sent from corporate to help out, and Evie is relieved to have another young woman to hang out with. But Abby has a secret, she’s the daughter of the company’s owner and has been sent to see if the hotel can be saved or if it should be sold.
Why Kirsten likes it
This was such a fun story! The hotel setting was wonderful and in one of my favorite places in the world to read about too. I like how the ending wrapped everything up nicely. #gifted by Mira Books.
Find this book in: Books Set in Cornwall / Hotel Novels
Plot
Suburbanites Keith and Kit Collins are at The Pink Hotel on their honeymoon, though Keith is secretly applying for a position at the illustrious hotel. As they are drawn into the glamourous trappings of the hotel, they become the playthings of the rich and famous.
Keith believes he can be one of them, but Kit feels lost. Will their marriage survive the crazy cast of characters inside and the wildfire raging outside the hotel’s walls? You’ll have to read this dark novel to find out.
Why Kirsten loves it
If you loved White Lotus, you’ll love this snarky look at classism in this book set at The Pink Hotel (aka The Beverly Hills Hotel.) I could not wait to see what would happen to the characters in this book.
Find this book in: Hotel Books / Books with Colors in the Title
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel
Author: Elyssa Friedland
Year: 2021
Genre: Fiction
More info: A Good Morning America Buzz Pick, A Best Beach Read of 2021 from Bustle, A Best Summer Read of 2021 from PopSugar
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is all about 2 families who own a resort in the Catskills and are thinking of selling or overhauling the Golden. This is the ultimate in family drama books.
Three generations of the Goldmans and Weismann clans have gathered to make the decision and family secrets are unspooling left and right in the midst of goat yoga, comedy shows, and salon catastrophes.
Why Kirsten loves it
It was a pleasure to read it while staying at the Hyatt on the Chesapeake and experiencing some resort life of my own.
Why Jackie loves it
This book had an amazing cast of characters that made me laugh out loud. I loved the dynamics of the family as they navigated to changes that come after the heydays of family resorts
Find this book in: Best Books of 2021 / Best Books for Book Clubs / Summer Camp Books / Books With Colors in the Title / Books with Summer in the Title / Books Set in the 1960s
Plot
Well, this book was such a treat! It takes place at a seaside resort over one fateful weekend. We get a glimpse into the lives of the various guests and what brought them to the resort.
Oh and did I mention it opens with a woman falling to her death by the resort pool? Was it a murder? Was it a suicide? Was it an accident? And which of the guests is the victim?
Why Kirsten loves it
It’s a light read perfect for the beach. Check out more beach reads at our beach read hub!
Find this book in: Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Poolside Reads / Hotel Novels / Books with Summer in the Title / Beach Mystery Books
Historical Fiction Hotel Novels
The White Octopus Hotel
Author: Alexandra Bell
Year: 2025
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This dual-timeline story takes place at a gorgeous hotel in the Swiss Alps, where Eve Shaw, an art appraiser in 2015, is visiting after meeting Max Everly, a man who shares the same name as her favorite composer, born over 100 years earlier.
When she arrives at the White Octopus Hotel, Eve is thrown back in time to 1935 as she tries to undo a mistake from her past, avoid falling in love with Max, and head back to her own time.
Trigger Warnings
Child Death, War, Grief
Why Kirsten loves it
This fantastic novel was steeped in such creative magic that I could vividly picture everything. The Art Deco hotel would have been a treat on it’s own, but adding in the magical paintings, objects, and others items really made it immersive. I was swept away by this charming story.
Find this book in: Hotel Novels / Historical Fantasy Books / Books Like the Night Circus / Best Books of 2025 / Fantasy Hotel Novels
The Coronation Year
Author: Jennifer Robson
Year: 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
The coronation is happening at just the right time for Edie Howard to save her beloved hotel. But things start going awry with threats to the hotel and the Queen herself that have Edie and her long-term residents in the middle of the danger.
Why Kirsten loves it
With interesting facts about the coronation, a romance sub-plot, and the thrilling race to ward off danger, this is the perfect royal read for fans of QEII!
Find this book in: Hotel Novels / Books About QEII / Royal Historical Fiction
The Christie Affair
Author: Nina de Gramont
Year: 2022
Genre: Historical Mystery
More info: February 2022 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, February 2026 Beyond the Bookends Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I adored this mystery novel set during the 11 days of Agatha Christie’s disappearance. It’s told from the perspective of Christie’s husband’s mistress and it is utterly absorbing.
This biographical fiction novel is totally fictional because there is no account of what actually happened to Agatha Christie during her missing days. There are layers of mystery throughout, with a side of a love story.
Why Kirsten loves it
I never felt I would be able to sympathize with a mistress but I was cheering for her by the end. I was also enchanted by the setting of the small hotel. If you love historical mystery books, this is a must-read.
Find this book in: Biographical Fiction Novels / Historical Mystery Books / Hotel Novels / Ultimate List of Mystery Books / Mystery Novels About Writers / Best Reese Witherspoon Books / Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2022 / Beach Reads 2022 / Historical Fiction Books About Books
Hotel Portofino
Author: J.P. O’Connell
Year: 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: Hotel Portofino #1
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
I was thrilled to have read this charming story of a Hotel in Portofino, Italy, during the years just after WW1.
In it, the new British owners of the Hotel Portofino settle into running a hotel with their adult children. The guests are eccentric, there is a mystery around a piece of stolen art, and some romantic relationships come together and fall apart.
Trigger Warnings
Rape
Why Kirsten loves it
It reminded me of the second Downton Abbey movie in which the Crawleys headed to the south of France for a vacation! It’s got all the family drama I look for in books like these.
Find this book in: Books set in Italy / Hotel Novels / Seaside Books / Books Like Downton Abbey / Beach Reads 2022
Beautiful Ruins
Author: Jess Walter
Year: 2012
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I adored this second-chance love story that wasn’t too girly. There was intrigue and insight into Hollywood today versus 60 years ago. It’s about a secret love affair revolving around the movie Cleopatra and the small, seaside hotel at the center of the story.
It features family secrets, Richard Burton, modern and old Hollywood, and so many other plot lines in a novel that isn’t very long for all it contains within it’s pages.
Why Kirsten loves it
I guessed the big reveal pretty early on, but it was still a wonderful book set in Italy about how love found, lost, and then found again can impact our lives.
Find this book in: Books Set in Italy / Seaside Books / Hotel Novels / Old Hollywood Books / Books Set in the 1960s
A Gentleman in Moscow
Author: Amor Towles
Year: 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This historical fiction hotel novel is set in Moscow between 1918 through the 1950s, Count Alexander Rostov has narrowly escaped execution and has been sentenced to house arrest within his hotel, the Metropol for the rest of his life.
The Count is confined to the attic room. Once a part of the spoiled elite, he becomes friends with the staff and the inhabitants.
Trigger Warnings
Suicidal Thoughts
Why Jackie loves it
The book is beautifully written, and I grew to love the Count.
Find this book in: Books set in the 1920s / Hotel Novels / The Best Queen Camilla Book Club Books
Hotel of Secrets
Author: Diana Biller
Year: 2023
Genre:Historical Romance
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋
Age Range:18+
Plot
The granddaughter of the emperor’s mistress is reopening her family’s hotel when a CIA agent shows up to uncover shady financial issues and spoil her plans.
Trigger Warnings
Murder, Sexual Content
Why Kirsten loves it
Normally, historical romance books take place in England, so imagine my surprise when I found out this hotel novel takes place in Vienna! Finally, a new city to read about – and what a fun city it was! Vienna’s high society and its nightlife came to life in this fun romance.
Find this book in: Books With Secret in the Title / Hotel Novels
Mystery Books Set at Hotels
The Club
Author: Ellery Lloyd
Year: 2022
Genre: Thriller
More info: March 2022 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
The Home Club is clearly based on members-only celebrity clubs like SoHo House, but the newest Home Club is opening on a private island and features an opening weekend to die for.
Literally, because it’s a murder mystery. Except we, the readers, don’t know who is murdered, how, or why at the beginning…but instead we are treated to various narrators telling the points of view of the weekend as it unfolds.
Why Kirsten loves it
This contemporary fiction book was a WILD ride, and I loved every exhilarating twist and turn! The layered approach to telling the story of the celebrity shenanigans and the murder of a key figure in the Home Group family had me flipping through the pages of this isolation novel. A truly enjoyable beach read!
Find this book in: Locked Room Mysteries / Isolation Books / Hotel Novels / Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2022 / Beach Reads 2022 / Thrillers and Mysteries Set in Hotels
The Newcomer
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Year: 2021
Genre: Mystery
More info: New York Times Bestselling Author
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Can you believe this was my first Mary Kay Andrews story? What a story it was!
After Letty discovers her sister murdered, she whisks her niece, Maya, down to Florida so they can go into hiding. While Letty tries to untangle her sister’s web of secrets at The Surf Motel, Joe, the owner’s son, tries to untangle his growing feelings for Letty.
Why Kirsten loves it
Part mystery, part suspense, part romance, but pure delight, this won’t be my last Mary Kay Andrews novel. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for my review copy. All opinions are my own.
Find this book in: Cozy Mystery Books / Hotel Novels
The Maid
Author: Nita Prose
Year: 2022
Genre: Mystery
More info: January 2022 Good Morning America Pick
#1 New York Times Bestseller, EDGAR AWARD Finalist, Anthony Award Winner
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Molly Gray works as a maid in a grand hotel and gets joy from leaving things orderly and pristine. Molly struggles with reading social cues and has had even more trouble since her gran can no longer help.
When Molly finds the body of Mr. Black in a room at the hotel, she becomes a prime suspect and will need all her friends to help her. She calls her friend, Mr. Preston, the doorman at the hotel, for help. His daughter is a lawyer. Soon, it becomes clear that Molly, in her naivete, is involved in a drug scandal as well.
Why Jackie loves it
I loved the description of this book and I hoped it would live up to my expectations. It did that and more. I adored every minute of this story and closed the last page smiling. Molly is such a wonderful character who has more depth than is apparent initially.
Find this book in: Books like Lessons in Chemistry / Best Mystery Books / Feel-Good Books / Books for Book Clubs / Best Cozy Mystery Books / Books With Neurodivergent Characters / Adult Versions of Favorite Childhood Books / Beach Reads 2022 / Thrillers and Mysteries Set in Hotels
Thriller Books Set at Hotels
Plot
This is an isolation thriller from one of the best there is. Five couples participating in a game show are trapped together on an island when a storm comes in. They are cut off from everyone without phones, but that is the least of their worries.
Without power, their food and water supply dwindles quickly; the radio has a very limited battery supply; people are sick and injured; and one of them may be a murderer/ serial killer
Why Jackie loves it
This is a page-turning thriller with unexpected twists and turns I did not see coming. This is a perfect beach read- it will keep you on your toes.
Find this book in: Fictional Books About Serial Killers / Best Beach Reads of 2024 / Books Set at a Hotel / Isolation Books / Best Thrillers 2024 / Epistolary Novels / Thrillers and Mysteries Set in Hotels
Rock Paper Scissors
Author: Alice Feeney
Year: 2022
Genre: thriller
More info: Instant New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This book by Alice Feeney is another great read. Her books always have me turning the pages. This novel starts with Adam and Amelia Wright headed to a weekend away in a remote Scottish getaway to save their marriage. It turns into a locked-room thriller that you will not be able to put down.
Told from the point of view of both Adam and Amelia, it is clear that one weekend away may not be enough to save what is left of their failing relationship. Each year of their marriage, Adam and his wife exchange traditional wedding gifts and she writes him a letter that she will not let him read.
When reading a thriller, you expect twists and turns because that is part of the fun and while I expected a few, some of the ones in this book were completely unexpected!
Why Jackie loves it
I love Alice Feeney as a writer. She never fails to surprise me with her books which is something I love. The twists never feel like they are too much, rather, I feel like I should have known all along!
Find this book in: Locked Room Mysteries / Domestic Thriller Books / Halloween Thriller Books / Hotel Novels / Alice Feeney Books in Order / Thrillers and Mysteries Set in Hotels
The Guest List
Author: Lucy Foley
Year: 2020
Genre: Mystery
More info: New York Times Bestseller, June 2020 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I’ve just read THE thriller
Why Kirsten loves it
I’ve become very picky about thrillers recently and this one is hands down my favorite of the year so far. It also made our Best of 2020 list!
Adaptation Information
This story is soon to be a TV series on Hulu. Liz Tigelaar is set to write and produce the show.
Find this book in: Locked Room Mysteries / Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Best British Mystery Books / Best Beach Reads / British Books /Best Psychological Thriller Books / Popular Thriller Books / Best Reese Witherspoon Books
Romance Hotel Novels
Meet Me at the Lake
Author: Carley Fortune
Year: 2023
Genre: Romance
More info: New York Times Bestselling author
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range:18+
Plot
Will and Fern spent one amazing, adventure-filled day together in their early 20s with a promise to meet up again one year later. When Fern shows up and Will doesn’t, she is heartbroken.
Now, nine years later, Fern has inherited the lakeside resort that she never wanted to run, her ex-boyfriend is the resort manager, and she needs help. When Will shows up at the resort with an offer to help get things back in order, she doesn’t know if she can get over her old feelings and trust him again.
Why Jackie loves it
Set between Muskoka and Toronto, it reminded me of my childhood and teenage years! This is a romance novel that left my heart feeling gushy. I wanted to start at the beginning as soon as I was done the last page. This is my favorite of Carley Fortune’s books.
Why Kirsten loves it
I love a good lake romance- especially since I met my husband at camp (which had a small lake). There is something about this book that is so romantic and hopeful, it left me wanting more.
Adaptation Information
Archewell Productions, headed by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is slated to release this film to Netflix.
Find this book in: Second Chance Romance Novels / Hotel Novels / Ultimate Beach Reads 2023 / Carley Fortune Books In Order / Books Becoming Movies
The Heartbreak Hotel
Author: Ellen O’Clover
Year: 2025
Genre: Romance
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
When Louisa catches her superstar boyfriend cheating on her, she has one thought -she can’t lose her house. Unable to afford rent, she decides to ask her landlord, Henry Rhodes, if she can rent out the rooms in the house as a bed and breakfast. He agrees, and she is shocked when she learns that he is not only young and handsome, but single and heartbroken as well.
Louisa opens the door to the Comeback Inn, a hotel for the brokenhearted, and Henry, while sceptical of her marketing, ends up helping her run it while she’s waiting to get certified as a therapist. As the two get to know each other, they cannot deny their chemistry. And as Louisa helps her guests to get over their heartbreak, she is also able to help herself and Henry heal.
Trigger Warnings
Grief
Why Kirsten loves it
I listened to this story on a crisp fall day while I was clearing out my garage, and it was the perfect distraction to an otherwise terrible task. The story was more emotional than I was expecting, but the character growth felt so realistic that I just know Louisa and Henry are going to last.
Find this book in: Hotel Novels
Tempt Me
Author: K. A. Tucker
Year: 2015
Genre: Erotica
More info: The Wolf Hotel #1
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Abbi is an innocent, virginal young girl whose long-time love recently dumped her to see other women. Heartbroken, Abbi takes a job for the summer at a Wolf Resort in Alaska, as far away from her home state of Pennsylvania as she can get.
She thought the time away would help heal her heart and open her life up to new opportunities – she did not expect one of those opportunities to begin as the personal assistant to Henry Wolf, billionaire playboy heir to the Wolf Hotel fortune. Henry is trying to impress his father into handing over the reigns of the hotel business with this Alaskan venture, but his attraction for Abbi might just get in the way.
Why Kirsten likes it
I was instantly sucked into this fast-paced novel. It was cheesy, steamy, predictable, and exactly the kind of book I love to read on vacation. When I finished the first book, I immediately started in on the rest of the series.
Find this book in: Billionaire Romances / Hotel Novels
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Author: Emily Henry
Year: 2021
Genre: Romance
More info: #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range:18+
Plot
Do you believe Harry (from When Harry Met Sally) when he said “Women and men can’t be friends”?
We are sure think he’s wrong, but one of our favorite tropes is friends to lovers. People We Met on Vacation is the latest beach read from Emily Henry and it’s addicting.
Poppy has been best friends with Alex since a car ride home from college a decade ago. Since then, they’ve gone on vacation together every year until 2 years ago when it all came crashing down.
Will they recover their friendship with one more trip or will their relationship be irrevocably ruined? This is the perfect beach, poolside read, or vacation read. You should be sure to add it to your summer reading romance books list. And if you are looking for the best friends-to-lovers romance novel, this is it.
Why Jackie loves it
This is one of the best friends to lovers romances I have read. I love the way Emily Henry’s books. The stories are so relatable and utterly charming
Adaptation Information
Tom Blythe and Emily Bader are set to star in the Netflix movie adaptation which will be out on January 9, 2026. Sarah Catherine Hook, Lukas Gage, Lucien Laviscount, and Jameela Jamil have also joined the cast.
Find this book in: Friends to Lovers Romance Books / Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Books Becoming Movies / Emily Henry Books Ranked / The Best Audiobooks of All Time
Plot
In this delightful romantic comedy, rival hotel receptionists Izzy and Lucas must set aside their differences and work together when they stumble upon a collection of lost wedding rings.
As they compete to return the rings and save their struggling hotel, their rivalry transforms into a love story that might mend more than just the business.
Why Kirsten loves it
While set over the busy holiday season, this hotel book isn’t too heavy on the Christmas backdrop. This is one of the new Christmas books of 2023 that could be read any time of year! #gifted
Find this book in: New Christmas Books of 2023 / Hotel Novels
Expert Tip
Hotel novels are such a fun subgenre of books. You will find fiction, historical fiction, thrillers, mysteries, and romances on this list. If you need help picking a book you will love, here are a few things to consider:
- Jackie and I read all of these books. Have a look at the descriptions and why we like them when choosing your next book.
- There are books from many genres on this list. Pick a book that’s from your favorite genre.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a hotel novel?
A hotel novel is a fiction book where a hotel is the main setting. The hotel will almost be another character in this book.
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Epilogue
Did you find any Hotel Novels to bring on your next vacation?
