What do you think?
Rate this book
Babylon Confessions #4
Beach Babylon
How does it feel to live and work in the world's most beautiful and luxurious tropical island resort, surrounded by white sandy beaches and aquamarine seas? How does it feel to be in the lap of luxury when you're thousands of miles from anywhere else? And when the guests are some of the richest and most demanding people in the world, where do you find the energy every day to smile, smile and smile again?
Beach Babylon takes you behind the scenes at a five-star tropical island resort. Do all the stories which take place behind the closed doors of the exclusive spa have happy endings? What do the world's richest people expect from room service during their fortnight in paradise? What does the windsurfing instructor do to keep sane after hours?
In the bestselling tradition of her previous Babylon books, Imogen Edwards-Jones investigates the rivalries and alliances between the staff at a resort where pandering to the guests' most extravagant whims is de rigueur. With a cast of millionaires, celebrities, hangers-on and prostitutes, Beach Babylon takes you to a world where extreme luxury is the norm and where excess somehow isn't always enough...
Beach Babylon takes you behind the scenes at a five-star tropical island resort. Do all the stories which take place behind the closed doors of the exclusive spa have happy endings? What do the world's richest people expect from room service during their fortnight in paradise? What does the windsurfing instructor do to keep sane after hours?
In the bestselling tradition of her previous Babylon books, Imogen Edwards-Jones investigates the rivalries and alliances between the staff at a resort where pandering to the guests' most extravagant whims is de rigueur. With a cast of millionaires, celebrities, hangers-on and prostitutes, Beach Babylon takes you to a world where extreme luxury is the norm and where excess somehow isn't always enough...
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
23 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
September 11, 2017
Exactly what I needed - frothy trash that just sort of erases itself from your mind while you read it, full of nonsense and rich people doing terrible things that I can judge them for.
March 15, 2024
I read this book because I liked Pop Babylon. This one is also funny :-D . I read this book out of curiosity to see what will be inside, because Pop Babylon was funny and I wanted to laugh out loud again. The books in this series are for good mood :) . Thats my opinion. I read them once
April 2, 2012
Terrible writing, but the behind-the-scenes look at the world of luxury resorts was interesting enough to allow me to finish it. Hour-long read at most, preferably lying on a gorgeous beach somewhere.
March 6, 2018
What did I think?
Well, I actually quite liked it, but I am not willing to commit to saying it is a good book, only that I find it quite humorous and enjoyed reading it.
The 'co-author' is pegged as Anonymous, and Anonymous is meant to be the manager of a five? (six?) star island resort. The description of trying to run this resort in the middle of nowhere, with a very exacting guest list and dissatisfied staff was one I found quite funny. The prologue claims all the events and anecdotes truly occurred, though the book condenses the events into a single week.
You know, I don't really doubt that. When the sheer unlikeness of some of the characters and stories is weighed against the pervasive realism of many of the stories, it does actually seem likely. The setting is clearly Indo-Pacific, I have actually been to resorts which had NO design features at all to allow for rainy days and I have stayed in places where the sheer idiocy of some of the guests boggles the imagination.
In short I found the long list of misadventures of this resort funny and believable. The writing was often uninspired, but the anecdotes carried the book.
Well, I actually quite liked it, but I am not willing to commit to saying it is a good book, only that I find it quite humorous and enjoyed reading it.
The 'co-author' is pegged as Anonymous, and Anonymous is meant to be the manager of a five? (six?) star island resort. The description of trying to run this resort in the middle of nowhere, with a very exacting guest list and dissatisfied staff was one I found quite funny. The prologue claims all the events and anecdotes truly occurred, though the book condenses the events into a single week.
You know, I don't really doubt that. When the sheer unlikeness of some of the characters and stories is weighed against the pervasive realism of many of the stories, it does actually seem likely. The setting is clearly Indo-Pacific, I have actually been to resorts which had NO design features at all to allow for rainy days and I have stayed in places where the sheer idiocy of some of the guests boggles the imagination.
In short I found the long list of misadventures of this resort funny and believable. The writing was often uninspired, but the anecdotes carried the book.
June 14, 2015
This was an odd one. Imogen Edwards-Jones takes the behind-the-scenes gossip she gleaned from an anonymous source at an island resort and spins it into... fiction? faction? some lumbering beast that resembles both fact and fiction but has the positive attributes of neither? (In Cold Blood, this is not. In case you were wondering.)
There are some interesting anecdotes about the ~lifestyles of the rich and famous~ in Beach Babylon, but the faux-novel structure really didn't work for me. Better to call a spade a spade and structure it as "the reminisces of a hotel manager" than to contrive a fictional storyline that delivers none of the emotion or drama of actual fiction.
Structuring issues aside, I feel that the book's fatal flaw is that it dwells too long on the negatives of its resort setting. Readers are after a vicarious vacation, surely? I'd rather have had a few more pages to enjoy smelling the sea air, rather than spending the entire book rifling through the guests' dirty laundry.
There are some interesting anecdotes about the ~lifestyles of the rich and famous~ in Beach Babylon, but the faux-novel structure really didn't work for me. Better to call a spade a spade and structure it as "the reminisces of a hotel manager" than to contrive a fictional storyline that delivers none of the emotion or drama of actual fiction.
Structuring issues aside, I feel that the book's fatal flaw is that it dwells too long on the negatives of its resort setting. Readers are after a vicarious vacation, surely? I'd rather have had a few more pages to enjoy smelling the sea air, rather than spending the entire book rifling through the guests' dirty laundry.
April 3, 2009
I did enjoy Beach Babylon, although not as much as my favourite (Air) Babylon book. It is very breezy although I certainly would not want to work 24/7 in paradise like the manager - delegation would be the answer although then of course there would be no story. I guessed the plight of Ben (Assistant Manager) in the end and it was really like watching a documentary on the very wealthy, knowing that this life is very much out of reach unless I win the lottery.
February 17, 2024
Complete trash. Enjoyable trash, but trash nevertheless. Will I remember it in 2 weeks time? Not a hope. Did it pass the time now? Yup.
September 13, 2008
One of my favorite beach reads! Read while in Playa
July 27, 2011
I happen to live in this environment, so I found it quite entertaining and cute...
August 13, 2012
These books exist for a reason, and that reason is for when your brain goes doolally and needs to stop thinking so much.
January 19, 2022
Jak wakacje, to W A K A C J E !!! Czy pozwolicie zabrać się do sześcio-gwiazdkowego kurortu na pacyficznej wyspie? 10 km linii brzegowej, biały, codziennie grabiony piasek na plaży, 20 tysięcy palm kokosowych, tropikalny las, piękne widoki lazurowego morza i luksusowe jachty. A wśród tego wszystkiego 140 luksusowych willi, wszystkie z pełnym wyposażeniem, tarasami, a nawet basenami. Każdą willą i jej mieszkańcami opiekuje się specjalny gospodarz, który jest dostępny 24 godziny na dobę, siedem dni w tygodniu. Nurkowanie, masaże, butiki, spa, siłownia, restauracje z najbardziej wyszukanymi potrawami z całego świata. Szampan, wina i inne napoje leją się tam hektolitrami, a każda butelka, to koszt nawet kilku tysięcy dolarów. Na wyspę przyjeżdżają najbogatsi z całego świata, arabscy szejkowie i rosyjscy oligarchowie, jak również gwiazdy telewizji. Chcecie się tam wybrać?
No, to wyhamujcie, bo nie jedziecie tam na urlop, tylko... do pracy.
Książka opowiada o jednym tygodniu pracy managera tego tropikalnego raju. Nie jest to do końca historia, która się przydarzyła komuś konkretnemu, ale podobnie, jak w całej serii "Babylon", ich zlepek. Zdarzyły się naprawdę, ale niekoniecznie w tym miejscu i tej osobie. Ze snutej przez managera opowieści dowiemy się, jak przebiega zwykły dzień kogoś, kto jest odpowiedzialny za wszystko, co dzieje się na wyspie, za cały ten ekskluzywny raj. Począwszy od bójek między pracownikami, do obowiązku zwiedzania stumetrowych jachtów gości. Dowiemy się, jak wyglądają stosunki między pracownikami, a także między pracownikami, a gośćmi. Przekonamy się też, jakie najdziwniejsze zlecenia i o jakiej najdziwniejszej porze doby, można otrzymać od gościa, który przyjechał się zabawić. Dlaczego jednego dnia żywopłot trzeba wykopać, a za kilka dni posadzić go na nowo? Czego potrzebuje szejk o drugiej nad ranem? Napiwki też są. Chcecie się dowiedzieć, ile może otrzymać manager, a kto nie otrzymuje ich wcale?
Zapraszam do lektury książki, a z książką w walizce na urlop... w Bieszczady? ;)
No, to wyhamujcie, bo nie jedziecie tam na urlop, tylko... do pracy.
Książka opowiada o jednym tygodniu pracy managera tego tropikalnego raju. Nie jest to do końca historia, która się przydarzyła komuś konkretnemu, ale podobnie, jak w całej serii "Babylon", ich zlepek. Zdarzyły się naprawdę, ale niekoniecznie w tym miejscu i tej osobie. Ze snutej przez managera opowieści dowiemy się, jak przebiega zwykły dzień kogoś, kto jest odpowiedzialny za wszystko, co dzieje się na wyspie, za cały ten ekskluzywny raj. Począwszy od bójek między pracownikami, do obowiązku zwiedzania stumetrowych jachtów gości. Dowiemy się, jak wyglądają stosunki między pracownikami, a także między pracownikami, a gośćmi. Przekonamy się też, jakie najdziwniejsze zlecenia i o jakiej najdziwniejszej porze doby, można otrzymać od gościa, który przyjechał się zabawić. Dlaczego jednego dnia żywopłot trzeba wykopać, a za kilka dni posadzić go na nowo? Czego potrzebuje szejk o drugiej nad ranem? Napiwki też są. Chcecie się dowiedzieć, ile może otrzymać manager, a kto nie otrzymuje ich wcale?
Zapraszam do lektury książki, a z książką w walizce na urlop... w Bieszczady? ;)
July 14, 2023
Beach Babylon is an interesting accumulation of accounts from an employee in the resort/hotel industry, all condensed into a week in the life of said employee.
While feeling like you have a backdoor pass or peephole through which to view the scandals and absurdness of the rich (and some of the famous), it makes you aware of how ridiculous they can be. Life for them is absolutely, in no way at all, the same as it is for us.
For the most part, this book was enjoyable although I did find myself scanning over a number of pages closer to the end - I had honestly just had enough. I doubt that I will read any of the other Babylon books bar Hospital Babylon.
While feeling like you have a backdoor pass or peephole through which to view the scandals and absurdness of the rich (and some of the famous), it makes you aware of how ridiculous they can be. Life for them is absolutely, in no way at all, the same as it is for us.
For the most part, this book was enjoyable although I did find myself scanning over a number of pages closer to the end - I had honestly just had enough. I doubt that I will read any of the other Babylon books bar Hospital Babylon.
September 7, 2017
Talk about how the other half lives! These ultra-rich (& ultra-spoilt) holidaymakers want it all & generally get it!
While this is supposed to be based on the experiences of an actual resort manager it's hard not to think that some of it's been exaggerated but I guess folk like these are out there - although I can't imagine I will ever come into contact with someone who can afford to spend $10k a day to have a yacht on standby!
Anyhow, exaggerated or not it's an entertaining read about a lifestyle which I can only dream about....
While this is supposed to be based on the experiences of an actual resort manager it's hard not to think that some of it's been exaggerated but I guess folk like these are out there - although I can't imagine I will ever come into contact with someone who can afford to spend $10k a day to have a yacht on standby!
Anyhow, exaggerated or not it's an entertaining read about a lifestyle which I can only dream about....
December 5, 2021
dit boek is geen fictie, maar ook geen non fictie
alle dingen zijn echt gebeurd, maar niet in de tijdspanne van 1 week en ook niet op dit paradijselijke eiland. Dat haalt voor mij al een stuk de geloofwaardigheid van dit boek weg vermist het hoofdpersonage wel erg vaak moe is en geen slaap krijgt en ...
maar het boek is wel met vaart geschreven, leest vlot weg en is best wel grappig met momenten.
alle dingen zijn echt gebeurd, maar niet in de tijdspanne van 1 week en ook niet op dit paradijselijke eiland. Dat haalt voor mij al een stuk de geloofwaardigheid van dit boek weg vermist het hoofdpersonage wel erg vaak moe is en geen slaap krijgt en ...
maar het boek is wel met vaart geschreven, leest vlot weg en is best wel grappig met momenten.
March 15, 2024
It wasn't the greatest book, but it was entertaining. It is based on the stories and secrets that an employee is sharing about his time as a general manager at a 6-star resort in the tropics.
I was trying while I read, to get my head wrapped around the fact that people actually behave as entitled as we are led to believe they do in real life. I can't believe that people are so spoiled and act so poorly.
I was trying while I read, to get my head wrapped around the fact that people actually behave as entitled as we are led to believe they do in real life. I can't believe that people are so spoiled and act so poorly.
November 17, 2019
Reading this book was like watching a soap opera about a five-star resort. Juicy gossips between the hotel staff and judging the clients in the head of the general manager were interesting to read and kept me going. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested to learn more about hotel operations.
April 6, 2021
Can’t go on a holiday right now, so this is the second-best thing. An insider’s look at the island resort industry, filled with gossip and all the antics guests get up to. If you’ve read any of the other books from the Babylon series, you’ll like this one too. A quintessential entertaining beach read!
August 1, 2021
This series has been my guilty pleasure. I’m a bit sad I have read them all now, as there doesn’t seem to have been anymore written.
I’ve neither worked or stayed at a beach resort and after reading this, I have no great desire to!
I’ve neither worked or stayed at a beach resort and after reading this, I have no great desire to!
March 3, 2022
I like the Babylon series and although this is a weaker one in the series it is still interesting.
A 6 star island resort and all the day to day workings with a demanding clientele and a very volatile balance to keep.
Good fun.
A 6 star island resort and all the day to day workings with a demanding clientele and a very volatile balance to keep.
Good fun.
December 21, 2017
Just the palette cleanser I needed after the last book....
July 27, 2018
A good summer read! An insight into the lives and luxuries of this paradise resort. Very funny!
November 4, 2018
Funny. Short. Fast. Cultured. Fun & easy to read..
September 11, 2019
Shallow trash but easy to read on a long plane/train/bus trip
November 10, 2019
The perfect book to get me out of my reading slump
July 24, 2020
A nice beach read, very quick. Must read before going to certain resorts.
January 23, 2021
Utter trash but I thoroughly enjoyed it for a bit of escapism to a luxury island in the Maldives.
August 21, 2021
2.5 stars. Complete and utter fluff, but I knew this when I started reading it. Was expecting fluff on the same level as Hotel Babylon, which was actually great. This one though, not so much.
April 19, 2024
DNF page 16.
brother eugh
brother eugh
December 20, 2024
I will read the others in the series.
September 10, 2020
Absolutely amaizing! I like how the book is written and the language used, all these stories I can say they exists as one who has been in the industry for 17 years.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews