Hotel Magnifique

Written by Emily J. Taylor

Narrated by Suzy Jackson and Simon Hedger

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“Hotel Magnifique opened the door to a sumptuous and glittering world of magic and mysteries and left me enchanted. Perfect for fans of Caraval and The Night Circus.” –Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows and Small Favors

Decadent and darkly enchanting, this lavish YA fantasy debut follows seventeen-year-old Jani as she uncovers the deeply disturbing secrets of the legendary Hotel Magnifique.

All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.

The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets.

With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9780593502303

Emily J. Taylor

EMILY J. TAYLOR is a writer of YA fantasy. Emily was born and raised in California and has since refused to stay put. She's lived in four states and two continents, all of which have given her an endless amount of story fodder. She currently works as a creative director in Minneapolis, where she spends the long winters dreaming up glittering worlds to spin into dark tales. Hotel Magnifique is her debut novel.

Reviews for Hotel Magnifique

[laphenix · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful story similar to Night Circus. I really enjoyed this!

[enid007 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book, I liked this magical fantasy story, I mean who wouldn't like a hotel that appears randomly that's filled with mystery and mysterious people. The length of what a sister would do for another, I personally don't have a close connection with my sister but I would do whatever I could for my brother so I could relate. The book had everything I enjoyed, magic, mystery, loyalty, twists and turns.
What I didn't like and why it isn't 5 stars is mild, there was a part that felt just maybe rushed or chaotic but other than that I love this book and it's one I would reread and recommend for sure.

[kiaya40 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! It definitely lived up to the hype and I can see why it's compared to Stephanie Garber's Caraval series. They are quite similar in magic and multiple things and the stories have the same feel to them.
This story is about a girl and her younger sister who get involved in experiencing and discovering the secrets of the Hotel Magnifique, which is a well-known place that's full of magic and travels, is always moving from place to place. Magic is only safe inside the walls of this hotel and not outside of it.
The characters are interesting, the bellhop is handsome and the romance between Jani and Bel - the bellhop is swoon-worthy, conflicted, and tortured. The close sister relationship between Jani and Zosa is one of a kind and there are dark secrets in the dazzling hotel to be uncovered. There are also a couple of reveals and one big one at the end that changes everything. It's a very engaging read that kept me going and wanting to know everything so I read it all in one sitting.
This book cover is everything too - it's gorgeous and reflects the story well. If you loved the Caraval series by Stephanie Garber or Night Circus or The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern or love magic and intrigue then make sure to pick this one up.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill for letting me read and review this engaging read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[AnnTarditti · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful book, it kept me captivated until the end. I didn’t know what to expect since I haven’t read many magic books, but it pleasantly surprised me! Highly recommended for those who enjoy love stories, even though it's not very youthful to read it haha ☺️ (Translated from Spanish)

[luciajulieta · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A hotel with a lot of magic and charm where everyone is part of it. A hotel that travels the world at midnight. Everyone wants to travel through the Magnidic, so if they cannot afford to stay as guests, they want to work to explore the world and enjoy the magic. But behind that charm lies a secret, many contracts made with ink that is impossible to erase, making it impossible to leave the hotel. Two sisters will travel through the hotel and will try to explore the world through the hotel... or not. (Translated from Spanish)

[librarianryan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not what I was expecting, but better than I hoped. The best way to describe Hotel Manifique is a cross between Caraval and Gunslinger Girl, however, it ends better, and doesn’t leave you going, “that’s it”. Jani is a big sister trying to make a better life for everyone. Upon seeing that the Hotel Manifique is hiring, she knows that is exactly where she and Zosa need to be. They can earn enough money in a year to live move back to the homeland and live comfortable for a few year. But the hotel is more than Jani ever expected. While it is believed to be full of magic, and it is, it is not as wondrous as imagined, its dark and deadly. For some strange reason the hotel does not affect Jani like it does other worker. She get to keep her memories and other specialties others do not. Is it because Bel is helping, or is the handsome Bel who mans the door, hindering Jani and her quest to see her sister has a good life. This book was a lot of fun. Some of it was extremely predictable, others not so. It wraps up in a happy and satisfying end which one would expect. There is no need or want of a sequel. This book delivers what the cover, the title and description tell you it will. It whisks the reader to a land of magic where every day is different, and magic isn’t always good.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

teen/adult fiction-magic and dark magic adventure with some romance - contains kissing, violent punishments, no language.

The waitlist at my library for this book is growing; I could see this being adapted to a miniseries with some adjustments to pacing. Not a standout book in terms of suspense, but a good escapist story.

summary: 17-y.o. girl Jani's 13 y.o. sister Zosa gets job at magic hotel, Jani convinces bellhop (the dangerously good-looking Bel) to give her a job as well so they can stay together, it turns out Zosa's employment contract contains a magical clause that erases her memory of "all she left behind" while by mistake, Jani's contract does not. The action in the story stalls a bit in the middle while Jani discovers Bel is a magician charged with hunting down magical artefacts for the Maitre's collection, that she herself is a magician, her mother's necklace has been protecting her from the Maitre's spells this whole time, and Bel suspected as much but kept the truth from her in an effort to keep her safe. In the end, they figure out how to negate the contracts and free themselves (by destroying the Maitre's source of power, with information gained from the Maitre's sister who went into hiding, and other magicians who also wish to free themselves). The end.

[lea.pearl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not everything is as it seems at Hotel Magnifique! Be prepared to be transported to a lush, dark world full of mystery and twists that you won't see coming.

Hotel Magnifique was one of my most anticipated reads for 2022 and it definitely lived up to my expectations. The world building is gradual as the story progresses so you don't get a big info dump at the beginning. The magic system felt unique and was woven really well into the story. Emily J. Taylor spared no small detail and I absolutely love when authors don't skirt around some of the more...gory details. :) I was easily immersed from the first few pages and as someone who's not big on high fantasy, I always appreciate an easier transition into the world that the author has created.

Jani was a bit hard for me to connect to though. As the character leading the story, I felt like she was just a bit lacking. Her insecurities seemed to get the best of her at times, but that does make for a more natural, realistic character which I can appreciate even if I don't necessarily vibe with them.
Now, Bel I absolutely adored...vexingly handsome doorman...what's not to love? I was happy with those little bits of romance added in.
The sisterly bond between Jani and Zosa was very sweet...I really appreciated their bond being more of the driving force behind the story. I definitely would've loved a few chapters from Zosa's point of view though as she ended up being my favorite character.

Overall, absolutely loved this dark, enchanting story and I highly recommend it if you love Caraval or The Splendor!


Big thank you to PenguinTeen for providing an ARC for me to read and honestly review!