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Hotel Vendome
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.
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.
418 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
1029 people are currently reading
3236 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Steel
915 books16.9k followersDanielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, 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; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 588 reviews
February 9, 2012
Danielle Steel used to be my favorite author. However, either the quality of her writing is declining in the past few years or her editor(s) are not doing their job.
The story in Hotel Vendome was fine. It was worth telling but it was too predictable. The big faults, in my opinion, are, first, that the story is 98% narrative. We don't get to read what happens as it happens or from one of the characters that it happens to. We only read it as the narrator tells us and only from that POV. How about letting some of the story unfold through action or dialog? I would much prefer that. Second, there is no variety in the sentence structure. It is probably written at about fourth or fifth grade level. Third, it was not as blatant in this novel as it was in Matters Of the Heart, but Ms. Steel uses the word "And" to begin most of her sentences. It's okay to use "and" at the beginning of a sentence, but not just as a lazy way to begin a sentence without having to think of a new way to begin it. On one page, there were 11 sentences with 7 of them beginning with the word "and". A bit much!
I don't like to tear apart other writers' work but in this case, her editor should be taking a good look at it before signing off on the project. I don't think I'll be reading anymore of her work. It's just too frustrating. It makes me want to take a red pen and mark it up.
The story in Hotel Vendome was fine. It was worth telling but it was too predictable. The big faults, in my opinion, are, first, that the story is 98% narrative. We don't get to read what happens as it happens or from one of the characters that it happens to. We only read it as the narrator tells us and only from that POV. How about letting some of the story unfold through action or dialog? I would much prefer that. Second, there is no variety in the sentence structure. It is probably written at about fourth or fifth grade level. Third, it was not as blatant in this novel as it was in Matters Of the Heart, but Ms. Steel uses the word "And" to begin most of her sentences. It's okay to use "and" at the beginning of a sentence, but not just as a lazy way to begin a sentence without having to think of a new way to begin it. On one page, there were 11 sentences with 7 of them beginning with the word "and". A bit much!
I don't like to tear apart other writers' work but in this case, her editor should be taking a good look at it before signing off on the project. I don't think I'll be reading anymore of her work. It's just too frustrating. It makes me want to take a red pen and mark it up.
November 30, 2011
I really should learn from other reader's reviews and truly listen to them. Most did NOT recommend this book. Lesson learned. I don’t think I’ve read a Danielle Steel book in about 15 years. And it may be that long before I read another one. I was quite interested in the premise of a luxury hotel and the story of a father and daughter. Steel did a great job of grasping the details of running the hotel and the relationship between the father, his daughter and the hotel staff was quite endearing. However, the author’s ridiculously annoying habit of constantly repeating each and every detail made me think that this was written specifically for someone with short term memory loss. That alone overwhelmed the pleasure I may have found in the story.
January 22, 2012
OK, I went to the library and there were a million Danielle Steel books on the best seller shelves. Even though I don't usually read her anymore, this one looked interesting. I decided to give her another chance. And her hero is a young Dad with a young daughter. And he buys and renovates a hotel. And this is about his precocious daughter. And her life. And the life of a 5 star hotel. And...ok, this is one reason why I don't read Danielle anymore. p. 8..."most of the time he was working at the hotel. The hotel came before all else for him...he believed that to run a hotel properly, you had to sacrifice your own life. He was always there... (Hugues runs the hotel to perfection is stated in almost every paragraph) p. 9 Hugues was at the front desk in the evening, as he often was (He runs the hotel to perfection) p. 10 "He had his hand in every aspect of the hotel, whether "front of the house" or back." p. 15 "Hugues ran it to perfection". This is where I seriously thought I was going to quit reading. Could the author PLEASE quit telling me the same thing over and over??? And over. Reading a Danielle Steele is a candy fluff vacation from reading everything else.
April 6, 2012
I should add this to the What Was I Thinking pile. I don't read this stuff.
If you want to know what it feels like to be a fly on the wall in the mundane and boring life of people you don't really care for this is the book for you.
I kept waiting for something to happen. My first attempt at a D. Steele book. I kept waiting for fangs to appear (yes, I am obsessed with vampires) or someone to get killed but nothing so far, absolutely NOTHING and I am many chapters in.
"You can't knock it till you try it." Well consider this book officially "KNOCKED".
If you want to know what it feels like to be a fly on the wall in the mundane and boring life of people you don't really care for this is the book for you.
I kept waiting for something to happen. My first attempt at a D. Steele book. I kept waiting for fangs to appear (yes, I am obsessed with vampires) or someone to get killed but nothing so far, absolutely NOTHING and I am many chapters in.
"You can't knock it till you try it." Well consider this book officially "KNOCKED".
March 13, 2012
You can count of Danielle Steel for a few things: light, fluffy reads; extreme repetition; and every other sentence staring with "And."
That being said, this was typical Steel fare. If you're familiar with Danielle Steel you'll know what you're getting. Beautiful people in beautiful surroundings with either minor conflict or tragic circumstances (there is rarely any in-between). For the most part this is conflict of the minor sort with the daughter reacting as if there's a major tragedy. A 19-20 year old pitching a fit over the fact that her father is dating? A 21 year old having a meltdown when he announces that he and the girlfriend are going to marry? It's difficult to have empathy for a character who acts llike a spoiled, bratty 5 year old having a major tantrum. Heloise was mainly likable but when her father dared to try to have a life of his own... look out.
That being said, this was typical Steel fare. If you're familiar with Danielle Steel you'll know what you're getting. Beautiful people in beautiful surroundings with either minor conflict or tragic circumstances (there is rarely any in-between). For the most part this is conflict of the minor sort with the daughter reacting as if there's a major tragedy. A 19-20 year old pitching a fit over the fact that her father is dating? A 21 year old having a meltdown when he announces that he and the girlfriend are going to marry? It's difficult to have empathy for a character who acts llike a spoiled, bratty 5 year old having a major tantrum. Heloise was mainly likable but when her father dared to try to have a life of his own... look out.
December 1, 2011
Another wonderful book by Danielle Steel! This one spans the life of a man with a dream and the daughter who lives it with him. The Hotel Vendome is the dream of Hughes Martin. Unfortunately 2 years after he buys a run down hotel to renovate his wife decides she can't live with being a wife to a man that works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so she runs off with a rock star leaving her 2 year old daughter in the care of her father. Not only is Heloise cared for by her father, she is cared for and loved by a whole hotel full of staff who watch her grow into a beautiful young woman who has as much passion for the Hotel Vendome as her father does.
This book takes you from the beginning of the hotel to the retirement of Hughes and his turning the reins over to his daughter. Are there bumps along the way? Yup, sure are. But they are minor ones that are quickly overcome and the story flows beautifully. As always, I couldn't put the book down until I was done. That is a standard I have come to expect from Danielle Steel and she has only let me down once. Pretty good record for saomeone who has written around 80 books. This book is a must read for all D.S. fans and a good book to become a new fan with.
This book takes you from the beginning of the hotel to the retirement of Hughes and his turning the reins over to his daughter. Are there bumps along the way? Yup, sure are. But they are minor ones that are quickly overcome and the story flows beautifully. As always, I couldn't put the book down until I was done. That is a standard I have come to expect from Danielle Steel and she has only let me down once. Pretty good record for saomeone who has written around 80 books. This book is a must read for all D.S. fans and a good book to become a new fan with.
April 23, 2012
I am not usually a fan of Danielle Steel's books, but the premise of this one sounded interesting. A page or so into it I remembered just why I dislike her work. The writing is horrible and redundant. The author has her favorite words and phrases and uses them -- constantly. Also, she starts a lot of sentences with the word "And." Here's an example: "And Franco had ordered all silver balloons. And within half an hour the celebration was under way." Even I was impressed by back to back uses of that word to start sentences. I wanted to like the book, honestly, but it was formulaic. I also couldn't get past the previously mentioned "and" situation, and the fact that she made everything seem so perfect at times. Like "Everyone loved Heloise." No one ever seems to not like her, it's always "Everyone." And thrilled is used all the time too. She also feels the need to repeat herself over and over. So I spent a lot of time thinking about how THRILLING it must be to have EVERYONE just LOVE one so much. How is there room for conflict if everyone is so blissfully in love with everyone else and their ideas? Ugh, never again.
February 16, 2012
Danielle Steel used to be one of my favorite authors. The quality of her writing has been going down hill but this is getting ridiculous. If a new author submitted this book to a publisher it would NOT have been bought....let alone published! I would hate to see the original manuscript submitted... must have been so bad that the editors couldn't even fix it...or maybe they didn't even try since it sold copies by the authors name alone. That will not last.
The characters were shallow and the dialogue was so stilted it was difficult to finish this book. The only reason I did finish it was I was hoping it would get better...NO such luck.
If you haven't read this book....Don't waste your time.
The characters were shallow and the dialogue was so stilted it was difficult to finish this book. The only reason I did finish it was I was hoping it would get better...NO such luck.
If you haven't read this book....Don't waste your time.
August 1, 2016
Does nobody edit Steel's books?
Does no one way say "Hey Danielle, I think your readers get this bit now".
She repeats everything! It's almost like she thinks we are too dumb to get it the first time she said it, so she reinforces it again and again. We get it! Hugues is the best, most perfect and most amazing hotel manager the world has ever seen. Heloise is the most perfect daughter ever! Urg! I really liked the characters but I was getting sick of being told about how awesome they are on pretty much every damm page.
And then we had all this silly business about Hugues being scared about telling Heloise he had a girlfriend. Understandable if he had only just divorced her mother or if Heloise was a kid but she is like 21 in this and he's been split up with her mother for years. And this is the weird part. She's not upset because she would rather he be with her mum, she's upset because she's being replaced. Hold up there Heloise, it's a completely different kind of relationship! I found it all abit odd.
The setting was good, the hotel sounds lovely and I liked the staff that were mentioned often. However Hugues always seems to be having some sort of trouble with the labour unions. But there are not as many 'celebrities' featured as it promises in the books tagline. I thought they would be more central to the plot.
Another okay Steel story that got lost in her waffling.
Does no one way say "Hey Danielle, I think your readers get this bit now".
She repeats everything! It's almost like she thinks we are too dumb to get it the first time she said it, so she reinforces it again and again. We get it! Hugues is the best, most perfect and most amazing hotel manager the world has ever seen. Heloise is the most perfect daughter ever! Urg! I really liked the characters but I was getting sick of being told about how awesome they are on pretty much every damm page.
And then we had all this silly business about Hugues being scared about telling Heloise he had a girlfriend. Understandable if he had only just divorced her mother or if Heloise was a kid but she is like 21 in this and he's been split up with her mother for years. And this is the weird part. She's not upset because she would rather he be with her mum, she's upset because she's being replaced. Hold up there Heloise, it's a completely different kind of relationship! I found it all abit odd.
The setting was good, the hotel sounds lovely and I liked the staff that were mentioned often. However Hugues always seems to be having some sort of trouble with the labour unions. But there are not as many 'celebrities' featured as it promises in the books tagline. I thought they would be more central to the plot.
Another okay Steel story that got lost in her waffling.
November 16, 2011
I usually love Danielle Steel's books, but this one, not so much.... It was a waste of paper. The best thing about the book is the jacket, which is exquisite, and tells the story of the book better than how it was written. It is about a man who owns a hotel and his daughter that grew up there. Danielle Steel made the characters weak and wimpy and there was no substance to the story. It could have been told in half the amount of pages, or less. I really looked forward to this and was really disappointed.
February 22, 2015
Loved this DS novel! Really enjoyed reading about the lives of the Hotel's owner and his daughter. You can see the love the author has for Paris. I listened to a tiny sample of the audio book and the correct pronunciation was so much better than my inner mumbling! If you're a DS fan, I hope you'll read it and enjoy it as much as I.
August 20, 2025
Симпатична история, която не е нищо забалежително, но и съвсем не е лоша.
Главните герои Юг и дъщеря му Елоиз са симратични, а животът им в техния семеен хотел е представен по много приятен и интересен начин..
В един или друг момент и двамата ме дразнеха с решенията, които вземат и нещата, които избират, но като цяло историята е приятна и ненатоварваща. И типично в стила на Даниел Стийл има щастлив край, което понякога е най-доброто решение.
Главните герои Юг и дъщеря му Елоиз са симратични, а животът им в техния семеен хотел е представен по много приятен и интересен начин..
В един или друг момент и двамата ме дразнеха с решенията, които вземат и нещата, които избират, но като цяло историята е приятна и ненатоварваща. И типично в стила на Даниел Стийл има щастлив край, което понякога е най-доброто решение.
April 30, 2018
tw: drug use, parental neglect
Another solid piece coming from good old Danielle Steel. This was another before GR read and I wanted to see if my feelings on it were still the same, as I read it back in high school. I still had most of the same feelings, which of course, I'll discuss in my review.
One of the biggest things that bothered me was Heloise and her behavior when an event happened involving her dad. I'll discuss this more in the next paragraph as it's not really a spoiler, but maybe avoid the next paragraph if you want to go into this completely blind. Her behavior was complete inappropriate for a woman her age. She was 19 years old when this event occurred
Let me give a little backstory: Heloise grows up with just her dad, Hugues. There were each other entire world. Maybe a little too much. I admit, their relationship made me a tad uncomfortable. But then Hugues meets someone really important to him and Heloise basically has a melt down and demands she be the only woman in his life and ignores her dad for months because she is suddenly not the only woman in his life. The book was going really well until this part and I was completely disgusted with Heloise. Sure, there are mean step moms and step dads but Natalie was kind and considerate. Heloise treated her like garbage and I wasn't okay with this. And the worst part? Hugues just let it happen because he was afraid of his daughter and upsetting her. I'm sorry but that is not okay. Heloise was behaving incredibly inappropriately and needed to be called out on it.
Okay, enough of that. The book itself wasn't bad. Just classic run of the mill Danielle Steel. She does alot of telling and not showing. But I find I don't mind this at times as I get lost in the story. And as for Heloise, she did redeem herself slightly and mellowed out as she got older. But I still couldn't rate the story any higher after that event and her behavior.
Overall, not bad but not the best thing I have read from her. Setting the story in a hotel is a sure fire way to make any story magical and despite Heloise, parts of it were still magical. I wouldn't mind living in a hotel and reading this novel makes me really want too!
Another solid piece coming from good old Danielle Steel. This was another before GR read and I wanted to see if my feelings on it were still the same, as I read it back in high school. I still had most of the same feelings, which of course, I'll discuss in my review.
One of the biggest things that bothered me was Heloise and her behavior when an event happened involving her dad. I'll discuss this more in the next paragraph as it's not really a spoiler, but maybe avoid the next paragraph if you want to go into this completely blind. Her behavior was complete inappropriate for a woman her age. She was 19 years old when this event occurred
Let me give a little backstory: Heloise grows up with just her dad, Hugues. There were each other entire world. Maybe a little too much. I admit, their relationship made me a tad uncomfortable. But then Hugues meets someone really important to him and Heloise basically has a melt down and demands she be the only woman in his life and ignores her dad for months because she is suddenly not the only woman in his life. The book was going really well until this part and I was completely disgusted with Heloise. Sure, there are mean step moms and step dads but Natalie was kind and considerate. Heloise treated her like garbage and I wasn't okay with this. And the worst part? Hugues just let it happen because he was afraid of his daughter and upsetting her. I'm sorry but that is not okay. Heloise was behaving incredibly inappropriately and needed to be called out on it.
Okay, enough of that. The book itself wasn't bad. Just classic run of the mill Danielle Steel. She does alot of telling and not showing. But I find I don't mind this at times as I get lost in the story. And as for Heloise, she did redeem herself slightly and mellowed out as she got older. But I still couldn't rate the story any higher after that event and her behavior.
Overall, not bad but not the best thing I have read from her. Setting the story in a hotel is a sure fire way to make any story magical and despite Heloise, parts of it were still magical. I wouldn't mind living in a hotel and reading this novel makes me really want too!
August 16, 2012
So it took me up until now to read a Danielle Steel book. Much to my relief, I've found that I wasn't missing a whole heck of a lot, in fact - I want the several hours I spent in the car listening to this piece of crap...back. I want to sue Danielle Steel for taking away this time I could have spent just driving and not listening to anything, which would have been preferable to the experience she subjected me to. This was a recent title - to those who have read earlier creations - has she just gone downhill, is she getting senile in her old age? Truly, I cannot imagine anyone actually liking this book.
November 20, 2011
One of her worst and she wrote it poorly and her characters were thin and the errors were so blatant and she does not know there is a limit to how many "ands" can be in a sentence. And doesn't she know you do not start a sentence with " and"? Hotel manager raises spoiled daughter. Daddy wants to remarry when daughter is grown and whiny brat stomps her feet. Wait to get this at a garage sale, and don't hesitate to ask for change for your nickle.
March 9, 2012
Typical Steel...easy, quick read.
March 20, 2012
Hotel Vendôme by Danielle Steel
Hugh has built a hotel that is fit for a king or queen. After a few years his wife leaves them and he gets to raise their daughter which he has no problem doing.
His whole life is Heloise and the hotel.
As years go by Heloise also loves the hotel business and applies to a Swiss school to get further training. She gets in and he finds himself lost while she's gone
so he undertakes a new project: redoing some of the larger suites. The designer is one he feels very comfortable with and really likes what she's done with the one
suite, enough to offer her the job of doing the rest.
Heloise is now doing an internship for 6 months in Paris along with her lover but things don't go so well.
She had visited with her mom a few times over the years but she was so wrapped up in her drugs, new babies and her music lover to even give her notice.
Now that she's back in NY with her dad they find their interests are the same and they get to talk about their love for one another and how they can further their
relationship and allow others to come in.
Love where this book took me and the new things I got to learn.
Hugh has built a hotel that is fit for a king or queen. After a few years his wife leaves them and he gets to raise their daughter which he has no problem doing.
His whole life is Heloise and the hotel.
As years go by Heloise also loves the hotel business and applies to a Swiss school to get further training. She gets in and he finds himself lost while she's gone
so he undertakes a new project: redoing some of the larger suites. The designer is one he feels very comfortable with and really likes what she's done with the one
suite, enough to offer her the job of doing the rest.
Heloise is now doing an internship for 6 months in Paris along with her lover but things don't go so well.
She had visited with her mom a few times over the years but she was so wrapped up in her drugs, new babies and her music lover to even give her notice.
Now that she's back in NY with her dad they find their interests are the same and they get to talk about their love for one another and how they can further their
relationship and allow others to come in.
Love where this book took me and the new things I got to learn.
February 7, 2012
I loved this book! I couldn't stop reading it.
It is a romance if I ever read one. Its a story of love between a father and daughter, and how their deep connection effects their personal lives. Like any family Hugues and Heloise have problems. Sometimes when you try everything to protect your children from hurt, your end up causing the pain you never wanted them to experience.
This book is also a coming of age story of a young girl. Its about the pains of growing up. It's about becoming an adult and learning that your parents are people too, with their own feeling and faults. Heliose has to learn to adjust to the adult world she finds herself in. At first I found her character rude and stubborn. She acts a little spoiled at times but no different I guess then any teenage girl. This book reinforces the idea that love doesn't have a limit, it grows, and has different forms
It is a romance if I ever read one. Its a story of love between a father and daughter, and how their deep connection effects their personal lives. Like any family Hugues and Heloise have problems. Sometimes when you try everything to protect your children from hurt, your end up causing the pain you never wanted them to experience.
This book is also a coming of age story of a young girl. Its about the pains of growing up. It's about becoming an adult and learning that your parents are people too, with their own feeling and faults. Heliose has to learn to adjust to the adult world she finds herself in. At first I found her character rude and stubborn. She acts a little spoiled at times but no different I guess then any teenage girl. This book reinforces the idea that love doesn't have a limit, it grows, and has different forms
April 19, 2012
I think I've outgrown Danielle Steel. The plot was nice, but nothing amazing. I wasn't enthralled. I wasn't intrigued. I was reading because I had forgotten my other book. The story, a girl being raised by her father in a hotel he owns, was just that single plot until the last 50ish pages of the book where, in that small fraction, the father got re-married, had a heart attack, the step-mom had triplets after hemmoraging, and the daughter was engaged. Talk about packing it in. It's like she had a goal of writing 320 pages and didn't realize she had been writing for 270 before hitting anything she wanted to put in.
July 24, 2015
بعد انتهائي من قراءة الرواية رميتها رمي إلى قسم الكتب المقروءة,
ما هذه المهزلة؟.
أنا رفعت آمالي بدرجة كبيرة وغبية عندما اعتقدت أنها ستُناقش العلاقات الاجتماعية و الرومانسية بعمق لكنها بالنهاية سطحية بشكل بحت. .الأحداث مملة ومتوقعة لدرجة إني أجرؤ على القول أنه لم تكن هناك أحداث أصلاً
قد تكون هذه الرواية لا تصلح بأن تكون أول قراءة لدخل عالم دانيال ستيل لكن ما العمل بعدما وقع الفأس في الرأس؟.
لا أزال أبحث عن الرواية الدرامية التي ستصهر روحي في أحداثها وأعتقد أني سأقتني خارطة الحب
قد تكون هذه الرواية لا تصلح بأن تكون أول قراءة لدخل عالم دانيال ستيل لكن ما العمل بعدما وقع الفأس في الرأس؟.
لا أزال أبحث عن الرواية الدرامية التي ستصهر روحي في أحداثها وأعتقد أني سأقتني خارطة الحب
July 6, 2012
This was the first Danielle Steel book I have read, and will likely be the last. Though the plot summary seemed interesting, I spent the entire novel waiting for something to happen. I found Heloise's actions in the middle of the book hard to believe and made her somewhat unlikeable. The book is interesting in terms of the hotel descriptions and overall management and running of a boutique hotel, but that's really the only enjoyable aspect.
March 23, 2016
Actually, I'll give this 3.5 stars.
The story is pretty good. I liked the majority of the characters, but I didn't care much for Heloise - I found her to be spoiled and bratty. At times, I found Hugues to be a wuss - mainly towards his daughter's views on how he should live his life. That was fairly annoying to me. Predictable ending, but that's the case with most DS novels. I still enjoyed it.
The story is pretty good. I liked the majority of the characters, but I didn't care much for Heloise - I found her to be spoiled and bratty. At times, I found Hugues to be a wuss - mainly towards his daughter's views on how he should live his life. That was fairly annoying to me. Predictable ending, but that's the case with most DS novels. I still enjoyed it.
April 22, 2012
Every once in a while, I try another book by some of the wildly popular authors whose work I haven't much enjoyed in the past. I've not changed my mind about Steel. I find her writing to be repetitious, bland bordering on insipid, character development shallow, & plot lines thin. This book was no exception. Good thing I borrowed it from the library instead of spending any money!
September 15, 2021
Repeat, repeat and then repeat again. I was fascinated by the length of some of her sentences. 45 words to 1 sentence is common. Shallow characters who are the "best" at what they do and of course, are the most beautiful ever. Whey do I keep trying??
December 31, 2020
Very enjoyable.
August 6, 2021
Loved this book!
August 5, 2015
I enjoyed reading this novel, but it left me hardly nothing except a lot of enthusiasm for hotel management.
The cover for the edition I read promised "Glamour, celebrities and secrets..." The book delivered on none of these aspects.
The only secret (and sole conflict) within felt totally fabricated and Heloise, the young main character, ends up steering completely off character. For hundreds of pages she's presented as a compassionate and mature young woman, wise beyond her years and sure in the mutual affection she shares with her father. Then suddenly she's a possessive, narcissistic, insecure child.
Although I could sympathize with her later confusion and sadness over Natalie's pregnancy, I couldn't understand her rage at her father for simply being in love.
Other than that, the novel offers no actual conflict or negative event whatsoever. It's merely a narrative which follows the main characters' lives from when Hugues Martin buys and renovates the Hotel Vendome to when Heloise, his daughter, takes over as manager. The plot is so straightforward and predictable, I can't even consider that as a spoiler: there's never any hint or chance throughout that things may end up differently.
Everyone loves Hugues and Heloise and all employees are wonderful, professional people. So much so that even the occasional mention of a strike or any personnel problem also seems fabricated just so that the author can actually prove that Hugues and Heloise (and, later, Brad) have a lot of work on their plate.
All in all it's a cute story, which makes running a hotel look like a very nice and fulfilling job. But nothing more.
The cover for the edition I read promised "Glamour, celebrities and secrets..." The book delivered on none of these aspects.
The only secret (and sole conflict) within felt totally fabricated and Heloise, the young main character, ends up steering completely off character. For hundreds of pages she's presented as a compassionate and mature young woman, wise beyond her years and sure in the mutual affection she shares with her father. Then suddenly she's a possessive, narcissistic, insecure child.
Although I could sympathize with her later confusion and sadness over Natalie's pregnancy, I couldn't understand her rage at her father for simply being in love.
Other than that, the novel offers no actual conflict or negative event whatsoever. It's merely a narrative which follows the main characters' lives from when Hugues Martin buys and renovates the Hotel Vendome to when Heloise, his daughter, takes over as manager. The plot is so straightforward and predictable, I can't even consider that as a spoiler: there's never any hint or chance throughout that things may end up differently.
Everyone loves Hugues and Heloise and all employees are wonderful, professional people. So much so that even the occasional mention of a strike or any personnel problem also seems fabricated just so that the author can actually prove that Hugues and Heloise (and, later, Brad) have a lot of work on their plate.
All in all it's a cute story, which makes running a hotel look like a very nice and fulfilling job. But nothing more.
January 2, 2018
This book was a wonderful story of the adventures of running a hotel. With a mix of hotel elegance to the journey of a young girl Heloise who, as the years pass, follows in her fathers footsteps managing the hotel he (Hugues) has built, it’s an easy read and definitely one that’s hard to put down. Found this at Dollar Tree and immediately fell in love with the story of how Hugues hard work definitely pays off and admired the love he has for his daughter. So many interesting scenarios as we are taken on several rides as Heloise ages. From 4 years old to a grown woman with thoughts and emotions of her own, she is definitely learning that her father may have found room for love in the end.
February 12, 2020
It's been awhile since I last read Danielle Steel, however I was glad to have read this riveting novel which showcased her at her best-selling top form, with a deeply moving story which contained all
the hallmarks for which she has become world reknowned. Hotel Vendome engaged me from the
very beginning and is a deeply affecting and emotionally evocative story. For anyone new to Danielle Steel this novel would be a great place to start as novices would be hooked and season followers who devour her books the moment they come out will have enjoyed a reading experience that only Danielle Steel with her deftness of touch can bring to the page.
Truly Outstanding!!
the hallmarks for which she has become world reknowned. Hotel Vendome engaged me from the
very beginning and is a deeply affecting and emotionally evocative story. For anyone new to Danielle Steel this novel would be a great place to start as novices would be hooked and season followers who devour her books the moment they come out will have enjoyed a reading experience that only Danielle Steel with her deftness of touch can bring to the page.
Truly Outstanding!!
April 27, 2017
Hughs Martin finds himself a single father to four-year old Heloise when his wife and Heloise mother abandons them for a rock star. Heloise grows up in the exclusive hotel that her father had purchased, refurbished, and managed. While Heloise was in college, Hughs met the woman he wanted to marry. When Hughs told Heloise about the relationship, she flips. It takes a devastating event to bring Heloise around. Hotel Vendome is a very good read.
Fred Stella did an extraordinary job telling the story.
Fred Stella did an extraordinary job telling the story.
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