The Hotel on the Roof of the World: Five Years in Tibet

by Alec Le Sueur

"The very aptly named Mr Pong had the kind of breath that could stun at over ten feet… This wasn’t just bad – there was something rotten down there. Something had crawled in and died. Gunter howled with laughter as he saw the look of horror on my face. It was the best entertainment he had seen since he had watched Chef chasing yaks through the kitchens."

Few foreigners are lucky enough to set foot on Tibetan soil, but Alec Le Sueur spent five extraordinary years there, working in the unlikeliest Holiday Inn in the world. Against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas unfolds a highly amusing and enlightening account of his experiences. Fly infestations at state banquets, unexpected deliveries of live snakes, a predominance of yaks and everything yak-related, the unbelievable Miss Tibet competition, insurmountable communication problems and a dead guest are just some of the entertainments to be found at the ‘Fawlty Towers’ of Lhasa.

Le Sueur, the only Westerner since the days of Heinrich Harrer to spend so long in Tibet, examines the country’s intriguing cultural background, providing a fascinating insight into a country that was only just opening up to the outside world.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Asia, China, Memoir, Audiobook, Autobiography

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun book to listen to. The author writes with a great sense of humour and is a great observer of people and cultural differences.

I really enjoyed the book and the person reading the audible was also excellent.

It cheered me up and made both me and my husband chuckle at some of the descriptions.

[Oggie Ramos · Rating 1 out of 5]

I somehow enjoyed the book although I have a lot of misgivings.

One, I feel like Alec was writing as if disembodied, talking about his experience but detached from it.

Two, the book could use some serious editing and proofreading to give the book a better structure, tighten up the pace as well as eliminate the numerous grammatical and typographical errors. The author loves to poke fun at the stilted English of the CAAC (the airline that ply the Chengdu - Lhasa route) as if he has a masterful grasp of the language (he doesn't); here are some samples of its generous share of "funny" English usage: (p. 176: "...but the only direct way to Nirvana, without passing go or having to suffer through..."; p. 152 "...our breathing became longer and our conversation stopped altogether..."; p. 269 "...so I built in an extra margin on the tour costs to cover any price rises..."; p. 312 "...we walked down the corridor of North Wing and the noise grew stronger and stronger..."; p.230 "...where Zhang Li had poured me a cup of five-hour strong Shanghai coffee..."; p.304 "...I left him as soon as I could -- he was completely crackers..."; p.276 "...I have always been sceptical of anything that cannot be explained by strict scientific principals..."; p. 341 "...Martial Law had been and gone..." ; and so many more errors especially on the last 20 or so pages where I felt the proofreader may have just given up and went home.

Thirdly, the timeline is very vague as one reviewer already noted; the author would write in chronological order one moment, then jump to another time, then skip back . A good editor could have jumped in early on and righted the direction, the structure of the book so it builds up and progresses, not wallow in one unidentified time frame then jumps into another. The book, as a whole, appears like a mishmash of experiences, then hurrying off in the final chapter to a rather hokey conclusion. How did he grow from a somewhat ignorant/innocent hotelier from Paris to a streetsmart (I hope) manager in his five years in Tibet? What aspect of Tibetan life did he take home with him (or did he remain skeptical and wary of whatever it represented?)?

Fourthly, Alec Le Sueur pokes fun at the Chinese and Tibetan cultures every chance he gets. He spent five years in Tibet but maybe, never really grew up because he deems the place inferior to the Europe he grew up in.

Fifthly, the author has a disdain for missionaries (more specifically, the ones pretending to be teachers but surreptitiously evangelizes); this was touched on twice but never really fully explained. I can only conclude that the author eschews anything spiritual -- makes fun of the Buddhist beliefs, hates the Christian covert proselytizers as well.

Having read a lot of travel books from Iyer, Theroux, Bryson, I am open to yet another author to give his perspective. However, this one is less elegantly written in comparison and apologies to the first reviewer but I think saying this badly-edited book is on par with Theroux, Iyer and Bryson is an affront to the three travel writers' mastery. It doesn't come anywhere close. Not to the flowing prose of Iyer and Theroux that transports the reader to another place and time; certainly not to the often self-effacing humor of Bryson who's not afraid to poke fun at himself.

I've already bought the book when I noticed in the back page that it is published by Summersdale, the same publisher of "The Sea On Our Left" which suffers from the same set of problems -- tighter editing, more vigilant proofreading, and better focus. I should've seen it early on but then again, it's not totally a waste of time. I only wished the author collaborated with a better publisher, with a better editor as well as a sharper proofreader. This could've been a gold mine with a better structure, better writing, more careful proofreading.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

great great book I was laughing even without oxygen

[Iván · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro muy divertido. Una historia sencilla, interesante y bien contada que contiene mucho humor. El protagonista llega a Lhasa para trabajar en el Holiday Inn. El libro nos traslada a sus aventuras trabajando, a la burocracia china, a la magia espiritual y paisajística del Tibet, pero también a su pobreza y problemas. Un libro muy recomendable que forma parte de la extraordinaria Biblioteca Grandes Viajeros de Ediciones B, sin duda una de las mejores colecciones de literatura de viajes en español.

[Dorien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le Sueur heeft ook veel geschreven over de geschiedenis van en het huidige leven in Tibet. Dat is wel heel interessant.

[Mae Lender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Le Sueur on noor mees hotellinduses, kes mõningate kokkusattumuste leiab end ühel hetkel Holiday Inn hotelliketi kõige-kõigemas hotellis. Lhasas, see tähendab Tiibetis, eks ole. Hotell, kuhu keegi naljalt tööle ei ihka. Või kes ihkab, sel peab mingi väga totter põhjus olema, igatahes äratab see kohe kahtlust. Ja siis see nali vaikselt kerima hakkab. Ja nali, ma hoiatan, on taolises situatsioonis kerge tekkima. Esmalt juba kõik see kommunismist johtuv - täna oskame juba ka meie selle üle ju naerda. Teiseks, hotellitöö ise on väga viljakas pinnas erinevateks ekstreemsusteks. Ja no viimane, ent mitte vähem tähtis on loomulikult ekstraordinaarne asukoht. Geograafiline asukoht ja suletus on see, mis häälestab viimse piirini nii töötajate närvid kui suudab aeg-ajalt üllatada ka laekuvaid turiste.

Toon vaid mõned näited. Kuidas motiveerida töötajaid (õitsvas kommunismis, ma meenutan!), kes ei tahagi ametiredelil tõusta? Vastavalt kehtivale ideoloogiale palk ju oluliselt ei tõuseks, tõuseb vaid vastutus ja muutub ülesannete iseloom. Kuidas korraldada tööd, kui vaat et kõige olulisem on "maine säilitamine", kõik muu kahvatub selle kõrval? Kuidas korraldada missivalimisi? Tiibetis! Madalhooajal! Kommunistlikule ideoloogiale sobivalt! Kuidas võidelda rottide invasiooniga, eriti kui samal ajal on ka majutujad sees? Kui palju võimalusi on menüü mitmekesistamiseks, kui varustusülemal õnnestub hankida vaid Hiina lihakonserve ja kapsast? Samas vaimus aiva edasi...

Ka keerulised olud ja enneolematu laiskus suudavad inimesi muhedalt leidlikuks teha. Esimesena selles vallas meenub kohe, kuidas hotelli kokk ei kavatsenudki jännata brüleekreemi karamellise krõbeda koorikuga (mis tõepoolest võib veidi tüütu teha olla), vaid "avastas", et kui eelmisel õhtul magustoidud sügavkülma pista, siis näituseks brüleekreem saab juba iseenesest jäise kaane peale. Noh... sama hea kui koorik, kas pole :)

Hirmus vahva raamat - aitäh, Lembe!

[Jason Pyrz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. When it comes to travelogue-type books, I don't usually like to read ones that were published so long ago that the places they describe are no longer the places that exist, but because this book was really about a specific place at a specific point in time, I gave it a go. I had this book on my wishlist for years, but because it wasn't published for the Kindle or available from my local library, I just never got around to buying the paperback because it was easier to just download something else from my wishlist. This was the first non-kindle book I've read in probably about eight years, and I'm glad I finally did.

I saw a review somewhere that likened this book to Fawlty Towers, if Fawlty Towers were set in Tibet. I think that's a fair portrayal. The stories within might not be as absurd as a Fawlty Towers episode, but there are plenty of stories that come close and, as a result of being true, are sometimes funnier than anything Basil Fawlty ever encountered. I also really enjoyed Le Sueur's writing style, and the personality he conveyed therein. His self-effacing, playful, and seemingly kind nature really made me like him and, ultimately, the book probably more than I would have if this were written by someone like Paul Theroux - who seems difficult to like as a person, but is able to temper that with his stories and observations.

I would definitely recommend going old school and getting this book on some dead trees. Take a break from the kindle and remember what a real book smells like. It's the only way you'll get your hands on this book, and it will be worth it.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alec didn't understand that the assignment he thought of as a challenge, was seen as a hardship posting.

Even the flight was a challenge, on an industrial rather than luxury seating plan and a lunchbox of basic, awful food was served. If the food wasn't eaten it was packed up again for the next plane.

The hotel in Lhasa was the highest hotel in the world and had to comply with Chinese enforced regulations as well as local Tibetan customs and weather. The staff didn't know how to work a flush toilet or a vacuum cleaner. When the cleaner bag was full, the staff didn't know to change it. They had thought the dust went up the cord into the wall.

The hotel had to have a thirty percent occupancy before the heating would be switched on. As Alec and other staff lived there, they were keen to fill the rooms and dreamt up a Miss Tibet pageant and other gimmicks to draw media. The journalists usually had to say they had other jobs or China would not allow them into the country.

Alec got to see a good deal of the local life and had mixed feelings about the Chinese invasion. While modern standards were being brought to the impoverished, isolated people, he also thought they should be allowed to worship in the way they wished. This is an entertaining and engaging read.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read as many travel books as I always intend to. Those I have read I have tended to really enjoy, and on the whole this was no exception. However this is much less a book about Tibet and it's people as it is about the least likely Holiday Inn in the world. Alec Le Sueur introduces us to the peculiar people who work there, visit there and the hilarious fawlty toweresque chaos that comes with them. Le Sueur seems to write with real affection for a place he spent a good deal of time in, he pokes gentle fun at some of the more bizarre misunderstandings that stem from vastly differing cultural differences, but is never cruel. It is quite deliberate - Le Sueur explains in his epilogue - that he hasn't delved deeper into the cultural political and religious aspects of Tibet - there are many other books that do that. This is therefore a fairly light, entertaining read about a hotel in one of the unlikliest places on earth.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an amusing account of the absolute craziness that can happen in a hotel, fuelled, in this case, by relative isolation and the clash of Communism, Buddhism and Capitalism. Although the author doesn't dwell on the Chinese disregard/destruction of the Tibetan culture, religion and landscape, it is evident and is so awful/frustrating.

[Nuria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si os gustan esos paisajes, ese país, no lo dejéis de leer. Puede que en la actualidad todo esté muy cambiado, pero conforme vas leyendo te metes en esos años y en la historia. Fantástica.

[LT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing anecdotes. Not laugh aloud but as I have travelled in Nepal it feels familiar. I have read it twice.

[Rosalind Bryden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many years ago I read Heinrich Harrer's account of his time in Tibet and I suppose that since that time I have wondered if one day I might be able to travel there. When I came across The Hotel on the Roof of the World I was immediately drawn to read it - and I enjoyed every minute.

This light-hearted book tells of Alec Le Sueur's time in Lhasa, working as Sales Manager for the Holiday Inn. At times the book is just hilarious. It is one of those accounts which, were it not true, would seem ridiculous. It describes the efforts of the hotel staff to run an international hotel in impossible circumstances. How, for example, do you prepare a menu when all that is available is yak meat, spam and cabbage? And when seafood is sourced and sent from Beijing it comprises single frozen prawns in blocks of ice. It takes a lot to make me laugh out loud but I nearly exploded when I was trying to read this in bed at night and keep silent so I didn't wake my husband.

The book cannot fail to touch on the impact which the Cultural Revolution and Communism have had in Tibet as every action taken in the hotel had to be party approved. The author does not intend it to be a comprehensive account of the political situation, but the story could not be told without an account of the changes which have and indeed are still taking place.

And do I still want to visit Lhasa. Well... I think the place I wanted to visit has probably changed beyond all recognition. However, what is very clear is that the Tibetan spirit is strong and whatever changes may be imposed the life-blood of Tibet will remain the same. If I am fortunate enough to go, however, I will certainly take a supply of tea bags. The description of yak butter tea was enough to turn my stomach...

[Melanie Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this on a recommendation and what a top notch book it is. What made Alec Le Sueur decide to stay for so long in the hotel is a definite conundrum but I, for one, am so glad he did. This account is really very funny. Mr Le Sueur has a dry, dark sense of humour and his writing is packed full of wit, quips and razor sharp observations. Indeed, so sharp is his prose that you may find you benefit from having a box of plasters to hand, lest you cut yourself laughing. Even his commentary on Chairman Mao, the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward, a tragic time in China's history, receives a dose of Le Sueur magic and comes under some tongue-in-cheek scrutiny. Steven Kynman had his work cut out for him with so many accents and I thought his performance was nothing short of remarkable. Mr Kynman, stand up and take a bow whilst I roundly applaud you. This is a witty, wicked and wonderful account of a unique and unusual journey taken by an intelligent and inquisitive young man. As I will never be able to take such an adventure myself, I am grateful to Alec Le Sueur for sharing his memoirs in such an enthusiastic and entertaining way. A generous gift of a book that I am delighted to recommend. I am completely smitten with this scintillating story. Buy The Hotel on The Roof of The World today - you can always thank me later.

[Debbie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. I found myself laughing out loud in places which I haven't done when reading a book for a while. What a nightmare. A Holiday Inn hotel in Nepal. 2 sets of managers, a Chinese tier and a western tier (supposedly there to show the Chines how to become hoteliers), both sets having to agree with any suggestions or changes in the hotel, what a farce, the one upmanship was tremendous. Guests paying thousands for the holiday of a lifetime and going to what they thought was a Holiday Inn of Western standard which it definitely was not. Lazy staff, crackers staff and a doctor nobody trusts, I could go on..............but then the new 'mad as a box of frogs' Italian manager turns up and so the book gets even better. He is mad, has bonkers ideas to bring in trade during slack periods like building a swimming pool and having a Miss Nepal competition and to top it all has amazing temper tantrums.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

Audiobook narrated by Stephen Kynman

Occasionally funny but also a lot of waffle and uninteresting parts.

The Good:
- The description of Chengdu was incredibly accurate and amusing.
- Sections of the culture of Tibet and it's transition over the 20th century were interesting and well described though not in a lot of depth.
- Faulty Towers-esque shenanigans that were amusing.

What could have been better?:
- There were several reasonably large sections of the book that did not hold my interest at all. These were mostly in the first half of the book which made for a slow start.
- Overly descriptive sometimes which added to the disconnect I felt in some sections of the book.
- Whilst I'm not sure this was intended, several sections of the book came across as quite condescending to Tibetan and Chinese culture. Nothing outright awful but it is a narrative clearly told from a Western perspective with incredibly Western expectations on lots of things.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting account of a Westerner's five years in Tibet in the late 80s/early 90s, working at the Lhasa Holiday Inn (no longer so called).
The author didn't set out to be political, but it would be almost impossible not to be when writing about Tibet. It was fascinating to hear about local peoples, religion, and customs and how their way of life was changed with Chinese "improvements".
The Audible version was mostly well narrated, but be aware that the narrator uses accents to differentiate between the various people that Alec interacts with...
I've researched so much about Tibet while listening to this book - it's been wonderful to learn so much about it. Alec is very complimentary about the country and its people; it made a real impression on him, which has in turn, made an impression on me.

[Katy Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed out loud at a number of places in this book which, since I was listening to it while driving around on my own holiday, has probably made the locals think I'm a little crazy, but it did also make me glad that I'm staying in holiday cottages and not a hotel!

Whilst a culture shock at first, he seemed to get the hang of rolling with the red tape fairly quickly, even if some of his colleagues were less resilient. Having worked overseas myself, I understood the frustration he felt at the start - when you've always done things a certain way, you assume everyone else does too, and learning to readjust your expectations is a large part of working in a country/continent that is not your own.

[Kara of BookishBytes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes me I wish I'd visited Tibet 30 years ago. Alec Le Sueur describes his experiences there with such warmth and fondness, even while describing the absurdities and contortions of the Chinese business model he was working with. Since I can't travel back in time (and I read this during the 2020 pandemic when I can't travel internationally), reading this book was the next best thing to being there.

[Sjors · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally amusing account of an expat in Tibet that manages to steer clear from controversy or the overly personal. As a long-time expat myself (though not in Tibet), recognised many typical fraught situations one encounters along the road. The end of the book would have benefitted from some more editing as there are quite a few repetitions of exactly the same sentences or even paragraphs.

[Carpasmeencasiola · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Tibetian Faulty Towers with a crack pipe. From escaped snakes to frozen coffee. From dead bodies that should be cremated to smelly yak coats to impress the foreigners. Killing a zuzilian rats in the ventilation system to karaoke nights under a totalitarian Chinese regime. What’s not to like about it?

[Rebeca Toader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to finish this book, even though it describes in a fun and vivid way how the communist system impacts life in Tibet, I somehow felt that it was hard to follow the storyline.

I still can't understand why I don't like travel books, but this was once again a proof that readings about travelling are not my cup of tea.

[Alessandro Vicenzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'improbabile (e autentica) storia dell'Holiday Inn di Lhasa, Tibet, tra gli anni ottanta e i novanta, raccontata dall'interno.
A un certo punto fa irruzione sulla scena un italiano (fratello del regista teatrale Eugenio Barba) e si divora la scena in un boccone solo.
Divertente.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny and entertaining book. Interesting as not many British people get to spend time in Tibet since it was taken over by China. The frustrations of the Chinese bureaucracy and of working with the Tibetans are legion.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was full of laugh out loud moments as well as sharing plenty of Tibetan cultural information.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys both travel writing humour.

[Ciara M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, funny at times but wasn't exactly what I was hoping for in that it wasn't much of an insight into Tibet. Also I had no idea what the time line was it seems to jump forward wildly. Otherwise enjoyable and interesting

[Nicki Deridder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining and fun to read. Multiple times I found myself nodding and grinning at certain things happening or vivid descriptions I could remember after spending some time in Tibet. Read like a breeze, filled my heart with joy and clothed my face with a smile for hours on end.

[Floris · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Le Sueur describes a fascinating place in an interesting period. Worth a read to learn more about Tibet and a bit about Chinese communism.
The tone of the book is light and the writer is a keen observer with eye for the sometimes absurd situations.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geweldig!

[Camio.Dontchaknow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adventures of life behind the scenes of a hotel in Tibet. Entertaining read.