HOTEL 1982

Synopsis

Hotel 1982 follows an 18-year-old boy from the country, who stumbles into working in a London hotel during an unexpected gap year, where he gets more of an education than any university can provide.

​

The story starts with Marcus failing to get the grades he needed at A-level and why teenage life got in the way of revision. This leads to him ending up starting a job in the mini-bar department of a big London hotel, having been persuaded by Richard, his chaotic friend from school, to turn a weekend visit into a full-time stay.

​

Readers follow the naive Marcus as he finds cheap accommodation and are introduced to the diverse characters that he works with, including a failed DJ; a mafia-style gigolo; a couple of contrasting Frenchmen and a Freddie Mercury impersonator.

 

As events unfold, Marcus learns about life - especially sex, cigars and rock and roll. Each encounter with guests and workmates in the hotel teaches him more about the ways of the world: from room service waiters wedged in lift doors and dubious invitations from naked couples, to tourists giving him £50 tips to let them sleep.

​

The story is told with humour and self-deprecation and balances his hotel experiences with those of sharing a bedsit with Richard, his over-confident friend, and trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with his girlfriend, Alison, who is more interested in getting to know a certain future famous politician.

​

Will the two friends stick it out and learn how to live in the big City and make the most of their experience?

​

Everything in the book actually happened, although some of the dialogue may have been embellished as a result of the effect of failing memory. The language and prejudices are also of the time.