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America’s #1 bestseller! There are some places you visit, and some places you never leave behind. Danielle Steel’s new novel follows a devoted father and the daughter he raises in the fascinating upstairs-downstairs world of a glamorous Manhattan hotel. HOTEL VENDÔME The hotel was old, run-down. But to Swiss-born hotelier Hugues Martin, it is a rough diamond tucked away on a quiet New York City street. So Hugues scrapes together everything he has to purchase the building—and transforms it into one of the world’s finest luxury hotels.
Under Hugues’s exacting supervision, the Hotel Vendôme is soon renowned for its unparalleled service and discretion—the ideal refuge for the rich and famous—and a perfect home for Hugues’s family, until his young wife abandons him, leaving Hugues the single parent to their four-year-old daughter. Still, Heloise grows up happily amid a colorful milieu of celebrities, socialites, politicians, world travelers, and the countless hotel employees who all adore her.
As the years pass and unexpected challenges arise, Hugues and the hotel are the center of Heloise’s life. She longs to follow in her father’s footsteps and one day run the Hotel Vendôme. The lessons she learns at his side will carry her through it all, illuminating a story no reader will forget.
Welcome to the Hotel Vendôme. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Danielle Steel's Sins of the Mother.
America’s #1 bestseller! There are some places you visit, and some places you never leave behind. Danielle Steel’s new novel follows a devoted father and the daughter he raises in the fascinating upstairs-downstairs world of a glamorous Manhattan hotel. HOTEL VENDÔME The hotel was old, run-down. But to Swiss-born hotelier Hugues Martin, it is a rough diamond tucked away on a quiet New York City street. So Hugues scrapes together everything he has to purchase the building—and transforms it into one of the world’s finest luxury hotels.
Under Hugues’s exacting supervision, the Hotel Vendôme is soon renowned for its unparalleled service and discretion—the ideal refuge for the rich and famous—and a perfect home for Hugues’s family, until his young wife abandons him, leaving Hugues the single parent to their four-year-old daughter. Still, Heloise grows up happily amid a colorful milieu of celebrities, socialites, politicians, world travelers, and the countless hotel employees who all adore her.
As the years pass and unexpected challenges arise, Hugues and the hotel are the center of Heloise’s life. She longs to follow in her father’s footsteps and one day run the Hotel Vendôme. The lessons she learns at his side will carry her through it all, illuminating a story no reader will forget.
Welcome to the Hotel Vendôme. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Danielle Steel's Sins of the Mother.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Excerpts-
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
The scene in the lobby of the Hotel Vendôme on East 69th Street in New York was one of impeccable elegance and meticulous precision. The black-and-white-checked-marble floors were immaculate, red runners were rolled out the instant there was a drop of rain outside, the moldings on the walls were exquisite, and the enormous crystal chandelier that hung in the lobby was reminiscent of the finest palaces in Europe. The hotel was much smaller than the one that had inspired its decor, but for practiced travelers, it was remarkably similar to the Ritz in Paris, where the Hotel Vendôme's owner had worked as an assistant manager for two years, during his training in the finest hotels in Europe.
Hugues Martin was forty years old, a graduate of the illustrious and respected École Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland, and the hotel on Manhattan's Upper East Side was his dream. He still couldn't believe how lucky he had been, how perfectly it had all come together five years before. His Swiss banker father and equally conservative mother had been devastated when he announced that he wanted to go to hotel school. He came from a family of bankers, and they thought that running a hotel, or working in one, had a seamy quality to it, of which they strongly disapproved. They had done everything they could to talk him out of it, to no avail. After four years at the school in Lausanne, he trained and eventually had respected positions at the Hotel du Cap in Cap d'Antibes, the Ritz in Paris, and Claridge's in London, and even did a brief stint at the famed Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong. He figured out during that time that if he ever had his own hotel, he wanted it to be somewhere in the States.
Hugues worked at the Plaza in New York before it closed for extensive renovations, and he assumed that he was still light-years away from his dream. Then it happened. The Hotel Mulberry was put up for sale, a small tired hotel that had been run-down for years and had never been considered chic, despite its perfect location. When he heard about it, Hugues put together every penny of his savings, took out every loan he could get in both New York and Switzerland, and used all of the modest inheritance his parents had left him, which he had carefully put aside and invested. And the combination made the purchase of the hotel possible. He just managed to do it, with a mortgage on the building. And suddenly Hugues was able to buy the
Mulberry and do the necessary renovations, which took two years, and at the end of it the Hotel Vendôme was born, to the amazement of New Yorkers, most of whom said they had never even realized that there was a hotel in that location.
The building had been a small private hospital in the 1920s and was turned into a hotel in the 1940s, with abysmally bad decor. In contrast, in its transformed state, every inch of the Vendôme was magnificent, and the service was superb. Hugues had brought chefs from all over the world for their now extremely popular restaurant. His catering manager was one of the best in the business, and everyone agreed that even the food from room service was fantastic. In its first year it had become an overnight success and was booked months in advance now, with reservations made by visitors to the city from around the world. The presidential suite was one of the finest in the city. The Hotel Vendôme was an absolute gem, with beautifully decorated suites, and rooms with fireplaces, moldings, and high ceilings. The hotel faced south, so most of the rooms were sunny, and Hugues had chosen the finest china, crystal, and linens, and as many antiques as he could afford, like...
About the Author-
Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world’s most popular authors, with over 650 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Country, Prodigal Son, Pegasus,A Perfect Life, Power Play, Winners, First Sight, Until the End of Time, The Sins of the Mother, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina’s life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children’s book Pretty Minnie in Paris.
Reviews-
July 4, 2011 Swiss hotelier Hugues Martin owns and operates the Vendôme, one of Manhattan's most prestigious and hip hotels. His supermodel wife, Miriam, runs off with rock star Greg Bones (she meets him when he stays at the hotel) and leaves Hugues with their four-year-old daughter, Heloise, after which the hotel quickly became the focus of Hugues and Heloise's lives. Miriam marries Greg, has a child with him, and essentially has little interest in Heloise, who grows up enamored with the hotel business, even though Hugues had hoped she would choose another profession. Like her father, she studies at the Ecole Hôtelière in Lausanne. The close-knit relationship between father and daughter, though, has made it impossible for Hugues to start any romantic relationships until, with Heloise away at school, he hires designer Natalie Peterson to redo the hotel and falls in love. When he finally confesses his feelings for Natalie to the protective Heloise, she is furious, convinced she will lose her father to a woman she considers a gold digger. And the sparks ignite. As usual, Steel leaves nothing of her character's feelings, backgrounds, or attitudes to reader inference, preferring to spell out every last detail, but who can argue with success? The formula works, and while one can throw the critical book at Steele, she always delivers to her devoted fans. This time out is no exception.
October 15, 2011 Can a jilted husband and abandoned daughter learn to trust again and even find true love? The latest offering from Steel (Legacy, 2010, etc.) spins the romantic tale of a young girl growing up in a posh hotel with her kind father. Hugues Martin strides into this novel as the perfect romantic hero. Passionate about his calling, he has trained at the best schools, interned at the best hotels, invested his inheritance wisely, and fate offers him the chance of a lifetime, which he, of course, seizes. He purchases and renovates a small, forgotten hotel in New York. Under Hugues, this small hotel becomes the exquisite Hotel Vendôme. Décor is elegant, spa services luxurious, employees capable and security discreet. In this castle he lives with his supermodel wife and lovely daughter, Heloise (references to Eloise at the Plaza are discouraged). Until bad-boy rock-star Greg Bones comes to stay and steals Hugues' wife. After Miriam's departure, Hugues becomes both father and mother for his daughter, raising her with great care. Like his hotel, Heloise is perfect, taking care of not only her father but also the homeless. Potential villains (such as a gold-digging catering manager) are quickly unmasked and sent packing before inflicting any lasting harm. Devoted to his daughter, Hugues keeps his affairs superficial, yet he deserves the love of a good woman. As the story unfolds, both father and daughter find themselves transformed. A novel that will appeal to the most dedicated of Steel's fans.
(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
June 1, 2011
Middle Eastern terrorists who think they're angels plan to blow the entire world sky-high, and their plan hinges on kidnapping an American scientist who possesses a pair of ancient stones that reputedly allow one to talk with God. Only the scientist's wife can save him; she has psychic power over the stones. If you loved the author's The Secret Supper, you'll probably love this, too.
Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 15, 2011 Heloise has grown up at her Swiss-born father Hugues' carefully renovated and luxurious Hotel Vendme in New York City, much like Eloise at the Plaza in Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight's beloved books. Heloise's story parallels that of her single father as he struggles to keep his dream hotel running smoothly while being a responsible parent. Heloise loves every facet of hotel life, from the guest services to the big weddings. She realizes that hotel management is her destiny, despite her father's warning that it takes up most of his life. Steel brings romance to both the busy father and the maturing daughter amid their devotion to the hotel. Although Heloise's entire life span is covered quickly in the novel, she and her father are warm and fully dimensional characters, and readers will find their journey enjoyable. Steel fans, travelers, and those who love travel writing will all enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at a five-star hotel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)
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