Hotel Stories: Legendary Hideaways of the World [Hardcover]

Francisca Matteoli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002

Open Hotel Stories and you will be transported to the most talked about haunts across the globe: Greta Garbo was "born" in a Berlin palace; "James Bond" was created in a house in Jamaica; Al Capone lived his last days in a hotel in Miami; Frida Kahlo escaped with Leon Trotsky to a hacienda in the Mexican countryside. Throughout the world, mansions, domains, palaces, and haciendas: today these places have been transformed into hotels, where magic and mystery floats in the air. Stories of incredible adventures, unsolved mysteries, political intrigues, film shoots and illicit liaisons from Rome to Hong Kong, Nairobi, Chile and Mexico are collected in this colorful book. See these famous spots as they were yesterday and as they are today along with beautiful shots of the celebrities who put these places on the map. Travel the world from your couch, or use the detailed hotel information provided to go see the rooms for yourself. Either way, Hotel Stories is a trip you will never forget.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Francisca Matteoli was born in Santiago, Chile. Now living in France, she writes about countries as diverse as Rwanda, Turkey, France, and Japan for National Geographic France, Conde Nast Traveler, Air France Monsieur, and the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Assouline Publishing; First Edition edition (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 2843233429
• ISBN-13: 978-2843233425
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 7.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #505,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Big Disapppointment and Lost Opportunity, July 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Hotel Stories: Legendary Hideaways of the World (Hardcover)

The list of hotels covered is excellent. However, the author gives only the most superficial treatment to the 'stories' from the hotel -- as if a small clip from ONE gossip column would suffice. NONE of the pictures have captions or idenitfiers. I KNOW that many of these hotels have more extensive and interesting stories to tell, even in the limited space for each entry. Space is wasted on travel stuff best sourced from a Fodor's or Frommer's, e.g. the fact that a certain hotel is close to the shopping on Fifth Avenue. Overall, a slapdash work with little real research effort. This is a lost opportunity that is an embarassment to the publisher, and some other author should take up the project. Buy this book only if you can get a very cheap remainder price, and do some library research on your own.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Places to dream, October 10, 2003

By 

henri heyraud (Pacific Palisades, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hotel Stories: Legendary Hideaways of the World (Hardcover)

This new book brings stories of legend ands anecdotes with a new twist that enticed me to visit most of these places. Looking at this book that seem to have been published years ago has this "passe" flavor of the old times. I enjoyed it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars STAYING WITH LEGENDS, July 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Hotel Stories: Legendary Hideaways of the World (Hardcover)

HOTEL STORIES by Francisca Matteoli is an intriguing tour of some famous and not so famous hotels around the world. Each place she writes about is described as it is today and as it was at the time of the visits of some legendary figures who stayed in them.It is a delightful and pleasant read for the stay at home traveler or for the traveler planning her next trip.