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Hotels of Death: The Famous Checked In But Never Checked Out
Hotels of Death
The Famous Checked In But Never Checked Out
Contents
Introduction
Hotel Murders and Assassinations : H.H. Holmes: The World’s Fair Hotel, aka ‘The Castle’, Chicago; Abe ‘Kid Twist’ Reles: Half Moon Hotel, Coney Island, New York; Albert Anastasia: Park Sheraton Hotel, New York City; Martin Luther King Jr. Lorraine Motel, Memphis; Robert Kennedy: Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles
Hotel Celebrity Deaths : Oscar Wilde: Hotel d’Alsace, Paris; Fatty Arbuckle and the Death of Virginia Rappe: St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco; Jimi Hendrix: Samarkand Hotel, London; Janis Joplin: Landmark Motel, Los Angeles; Nancy Spungen: Chelsea Hotel, New York; John Belushi: Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles; Anna Nicole Smith: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, and Casino, Hollywood, Florida; Whitney Houston: Beverley Hilton Hotel
Hotel Terrorism : King David Hotel Bombing: Jerusalem; Brighton Bombing: Grand Hotel, Brighton; 2008 Mumbai Attacks: Taj Mahal Hotel and Oberoi Trident, Mumbai
Hotels. We stay in them for a variety of reasons – for business, for pleasure or, perhaps, as we are passing through a town or city on our way to somewhere else. They provide a brief respite in such a journey or a place to retreat from the cares of a busy day. For some unlucky souls, however, they are the end of the line, the last place where they will ever lay their heads.
The notable and notorious have made a habit of taking their last curtain call in hotels. Some, of course, have had no choice – in 1957 mob leader Albert ‘Mad Hatter’ Anastasia was blasted at almost point-blank range by three gunmen as he dozed in the chair of the Park Sheraton Hotel, Manhattan. Meanwhile Murder, Inc’s most feared hit man, Abel ‘Kid Twist’ Reles, mysteriously ‘fell’ from a window of the Half Moon Hotel on Coney Island in 1941, despite being guarded by half a dozen armed police officers.
Great men, too, have met their ends in hotels, dispatched by assassins. Presidential hopeful Bobby Kennedy was killed in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles in 1968 after victory in the California primary and, in the same dreadful year, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, as he relaxed on the balcony of Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis.
Hotels of Death examines 16 instances of hotel tragedy. It even makes room for the man who created his own hotel purely to murder innocent women arriving in Chicago for the 1893 World’s Fair – H.H. Holmes, America’s first serial killer. Visitors to his hotel were like most of the others in this book…
…they checked in, but they didn’t check out.
Author Biography
Gordon Kerr was born in the Scottish new town of East Kilbride and worked in the wine trade and then bookselling and publishing before becoming a full-time writer. He is the author of numerous books in a variety of genres, including art, history, true crime, travel and humour. He has a wife and two children and lives in Hampshire and – when he can – South West France.
Print length : 120 pages
The Famous Checked In But Never Checked Out
Contents
Introduction
Hotel Murders and Assassinations : H.H. Holmes: The World’s Fair Hotel, aka ‘The Castle’, Chicago; Abe ‘Kid Twist’ Reles: Half Moon Hotel, Coney Island, New York; Albert Anastasia: Park Sheraton Hotel, New York City; Martin Luther King Jr. Lorraine Motel, Memphis; Robert Kennedy: Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles
Hotel Celebrity Deaths : Oscar Wilde: Hotel d’Alsace, Paris; Fatty Arbuckle and the Death of Virginia Rappe: St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco; Jimi Hendrix: Samarkand Hotel, London; Janis Joplin: Landmark Motel, Los Angeles; Nancy Spungen: Chelsea Hotel, New York; John Belushi: Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles; Anna Nicole Smith: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, and Casino, Hollywood, Florida; Whitney Houston: Beverley Hilton Hotel
Hotel Terrorism : King David Hotel Bombing: Jerusalem; Brighton Bombing: Grand Hotel, Brighton; 2008 Mumbai Attacks: Taj Mahal Hotel and Oberoi Trident, Mumbai
Hotels. We stay in them for a variety of reasons – for business, for pleasure or, perhaps, as we are passing through a town or city on our way to somewhere else. They provide a brief respite in such a journey or a place to retreat from the cares of a busy day. For some unlucky souls, however, they are the end of the line, the last place where they will ever lay their heads.
The notable and notorious have made a habit of taking their last curtain call in hotels. Some, of course, have had no choice – in 1957 mob leader Albert ‘Mad Hatter’ Anastasia was blasted at almost point-blank range by three gunmen as he dozed in the chair of the Park Sheraton Hotel, Manhattan. Meanwhile Murder, Inc’s most feared hit man, Abel ‘Kid Twist’ Reles, mysteriously ‘fell’ from a window of the Half Moon Hotel on Coney Island in 1941, despite being guarded by half a dozen armed police officers.
Great men, too, have met their ends in hotels, dispatched by assassins. Presidential hopeful Bobby Kennedy was killed in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles in 1968 after victory in the California primary and, in the same dreadful year, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, as he relaxed on the balcony of Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis.
Hotels of Death examines 16 instances of hotel tragedy. It even makes room for the man who created his own hotel purely to murder innocent women arriving in Chicago for the 1893 World’s Fair – H.H. Holmes, America’s first serial killer. Visitors to his hotel were like most of the others in this book…
…they checked in, but they didn’t check out.
Author Biography
Gordon Kerr was born in the Scottish new town of East Kilbride and worked in the wine trade and then bookselling and publishing before becoming a full-time writer. He is the author of numerous books in a variety of genres, including art, history, true crime, travel and humour. He has a wife and two children and lives in Hampshire and – when he can – South West France.
Print length : 120 pages
68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2008
About the author
Gordon Kerr
124 books25 followersGordon Kerr was born in the Scottish new town of East Kilbride and worked in the wine trade and then bookselling and publishing before becoming a full-time writer. He is the author of numerous books in a variety of genres, including art, history, true crime, travel and humour. He has a wife and two children and lives in Hampshire and—when he can—South West France.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 9, 2022
Its a scary world we live in. This book proves it
May 24, 2012
Houses of Death was a unique read in that the primary focus of the novel was the location in which most of these horrendous crimes occurred. From the small apartment of Jeffrey Dahmer to the huge castle inhabited by Countess Erzsebet Bathory as well as numerous prisons throughout the world, Gordon Kerr takes the reader on a journey to locations where some of the most horrific crimes have occurred. I was familiar with quite a few but there were those who I had not heard of nor read about.
Very good read.
Very good read.
March 30, 2019
Interesting
I wish a bit more had been said about some of the cases. I didn't notice if there were grammatical errors or typos. If there was, it was enough to distract from reading it.
Not sure when this was written, because I would have liked to have read about the concert shooting in Nevada.
I wish a bit more had been said about some of the cases. I didn't notice if there were grammatical errors or typos. If there was, it was enough to distract from reading it.
Not sure when this was written, because I would have liked to have read about the concert shooting in Nevada.
March 24, 2018
Good
This book is interesting and enjoyable to read. If you are interested in hotel history this is your book. Good to read
This book is interesting and enjoyable to read. If you are interested in hotel history this is your book. Good to read
February 10, 2021
Okay. Definitely could use an editor.
March 14, 2021
Very good and chilling book
I can't believe the things people will do . This true crime book had me in many emotions , most of all I couldn't stop reading it . Well written .
I can't believe the things people will do . This true crime book had me in many emotions , most of all I couldn't stop reading it . Well written .
April 22, 2023
Chilling.
May 6, 2012
One of my friends and I recently drove to Philadelphia to tour the ruins of Eastern State Penitentiary. I wouldn’t say that I love old ruins, orthat I’m a history buff in the least, but places like old prisons, insane asylums, and battlegrounds have always held a kind of awe for me. Walking through the ruins, listening to a tour guide describe events in detail is amazing, especially when the place is supposed to be haunted. Now, while Eastern State Penitentiary is a ruin, I wouldn’t say it was scary to tour. I imagine going there at night or being the sole person on the premise would have been freaky, but since it’s only open during the day time and many people are all over the sight, I wasn’t scared in the least, but more so intrigued.
Seeing those cells, and the remnants of prisoners from long ago was exciting, and so I went to find a book about it. Interestingly enough, I was unable to find any books about Eastern State Penitentiary via Kindle. Yes, there are hard copies galore, but in my haste to learn as much as I could and be able to download it stat, I found nothing aside from Houses of Death, by Gordon Kerr. Being the instant gratification kind of person that I am, I purchased it (.99 cents) and read it in one sitting—it’s relatively short. Now, I was a little sad to find that the section of Eastern State Penitentiary was only a few pages long, but the book itself was great, focusing on 38 infamous houses and wielders of death throughout the world—from the Manson family, to Sing Sing, to Lizzie Bordon, to Alcatraz, the list goes on. Kerr digs deep down into history, giving the reader an overview of the people and places where atrocities took place, explaining the crimes (if any) and places in detail, yet not expounding upon the gruesomeness of the murders, which is a plus. I found this book to be a great buy, and if you’re interested in historical crime, then this book is for you.
To see my full review (5/22/12):
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
Seeing those cells, and the remnants of prisoners from long ago was exciting, and so I went to find a book about it. Interestingly enough, I was unable to find any books about Eastern State Penitentiary via Kindle. Yes, there are hard copies galore, but in my haste to learn as much as I could and be able to download it stat, I found nothing aside from Houses of Death, by Gordon Kerr. Being the instant gratification kind of person that I am, I purchased it (.99 cents) and read it in one sitting—it’s relatively short. Now, I was a little sad to find that the section of Eastern State Penitentiary was only a few pages long, but the book itself was great, focusing on 38 infamous houses and wielders of death throughout the world—from the Manson family, to Sing Sing, to Lizzie Bordon, to Alcatraz, the list goes on. Kerr digs deep down into history, giving the reader an overview of the people and places where atrocities took place, explaining the crimes (if any) and places in detail, yet not expounding upon the gruesomeness of the murders, which is a plus. I found this book to be a great buy, and if you’re interested in historical crime, then this book is for you.
To see my full review (5/22/12):
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
March 6, 2014
Hotels of Death had a lot of potential, but ultimately I was disappointed. Though the title implies this book is about death in hotels, it was really more about the background stories of the people who coincidentally happened to take their last breaths in hotels. Each story was very high-level and only a few pages in length, and most of these stories are already well-known to many people, it wasn't the kind of book that kept me itching to read on.
Aside from the stories themselves, the author made no notations of sources and even managed to reference a conflicting date of death for Jimi Hendrix (the chapter title states September 18, 1970, but the narrative itself references October 18, 1970). The issue of credibility and accuracy led me to take the details in these stories with a grain of salt.
Luckily it was a quick read. It could have been a lot more interesting, but it just struck a wrong chord with me.
Aside from the stories themselves, the author made no notations of sources and even managed to reference a conflicting date of death for Jimi Hendrix (the chapter title states September 18, 1970, but the narrative itself references October 18, 1970). The issue of credibility and accuracy led me to take the details in these stories with a grain of salt.
Luckily it was a quick read. It could have been a lot more interesting, but it just struck a wrong chord with me.
March 29, 2013
I could not put this book down!
A brief look into the most disturbing murders that have ever taken place.
The book fascinated me to learn of what a human is capable of doing to another human being.
Each 'chapter' lists a brief description of the murderer(s)/crime(s) and then explains with a little bit more detail.
As I was reading, I would look up photos on the Internet of where the murders took place to give me more of an image in my head.
WARNING: A very good read but not for the easily offended or squeamish.
A brief look into the most disturbing murders that have ever taken place.
The book fascinated me to learn of what a human is capable of doing to another human being.
Each 'chapter' lists a brief description of the murderer(s)/crime(s) and then explains with a little bit more detail.
As I was reading, I would look up photos on the Internet of where the murders took place to give me more of an image in my head.
WARNING: A very good read but not for the easily offended or squeamish.
February 16, 2014
The first couple of chapters were good. However, once the book veered to assassinations and hotel celebrity deaths it became a superficial retelling of the gossip surrounding each case. Even the section on hotel terrorism did little more than recite the barest of facts already known in each case. If you are unfamiliar with any of these deaths the book may be somewhat interesting, but if you remember the headlines this book will not offer anything new.
April 2, 2020
Brief overviews of true murders.
November 13, 2016
A decent overview of some horrific murders and murderers. If you are looking fro an in depth analysis, this is not the book for you. Generally only a few pages are spent on each topic with and include a brief rundown of the events. A quick and easy read for a coffee table, or the bathroom!
May 31, 2018
Captivating
This captured my interest from the first page.I’d recommend this novel to the suspense or crime/horror genre lovers because the author seems to have done a great job in research! Truly intriguing!
This captured my interest from the first page.I’d recommend this novel to the suspense or crime/horror genre lovers because the author seems to have done a great job in research! Truly intriguing!
December 6, 2012
Interesting but lacking in some detail as if you weren't familiar with the case you didn't get a lot of detail about the crimes within
April 8, 2013
This was very very interesting. I am usually not very into true crime but this caught my attention after reading about the Amityville murders. Its creepy and I wanted to read more.
March 3, 2014
The stories were nothing new to me. Shouldn't have bothered really.....
March 30, 2015
Great book, short but factual chapters on several crimes. Enjoyable and well written.
August 1, 2015
Excellent
Facts informative clever this book was a very good one. There is so much I learned while being entertained I cannot comprehend a better written book.
Facts informative clever this book was a very good one. There is so much I learned while being entertained I cannot comprehend a better written book.
January 16, 2016
Good
Pretty good book. There is some word misusage, but other than that, a fine read. I could use an editing job if anyone is hiring.
Pretty good book. There is some word misusage, but other than that, a fine read. I could use an editing job if anyone is hiring.
October 2, 2023
Good book looking at the crimes that took place in properties now forever associated with those crimes.
November 30, 2012
Eh.. nothing I had not read before and every story was far too short for my taste.
April 7, 2017
Meh. Too shallow and poorly written. The subject meanders all over the place. It reads like a bad school book report. Not worth finishing.
May 14, 2019
It's truly shocking to read what some peoples minds drive them to do to others.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews