The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is a very fun read. It's the perfect summer book: funny, very readable, and breezy. The Goldman and Weingold families are best friends and co-owners of the iconic Golden Hotel in the Catskills. A former hotspot for family vacations, the hotel's glory days are far behind them. As the hotel crumbles, the two families come together and discuss the possibility of selling their landmark resort.

This is a great read. I breezed through it in 2 days and enjoyed every chapter. Every member of the Goldman and Weingold families are interesting, and no characters feel unnecessary. I especially loved reading about the heyday of the Catskills. I love when a book can throw me into a deep Wikipedia dive. Who else never knew the "Borscht Belt" was a thing? I highly recommend this book.

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

While Last Summer at the Golden Hotel was my very first Friedland title, it won't be my last! This novel was sweet, tenderly emotional and funny, while also chockablock with three generations of characters. As numerous as they are, I thought each character was well-written and unique. The interaction between the generations was a driving force and heightened the nostalgic feeling for the hotel's glory days. While I really liked this multigenerational aspect, it was also a bit of a double edged sword as it sometimes felt a tad repetitive to review plot happenings from the viewpoints of the different generations. All in all, this was very much a wonderful comedy-drama/ dramedy!

One sentence review: I enjoyed this nostalgic story of two families grappling with the decision whether or not to sell what used to be a grand family resort.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel centers around the Goldman and Weingold families. The two families have owned the resort, which used to be THE place to visit in the Catskills during the summer, for decades. The years have not however been kind to the resort and the two families meet to determine the fate of the resort. Along with the visit comes a fair amount of family drama and scandal.

My thoughts:

- I enjoyed the nostalgic look at times gone by. It reminded me of the resort in Dirty Dancing (which I will definitely be rewatching).
- The story makes me want to take a big family vacation - although ours would probably be more rustic and less peopley.
- This would be a good book for readers looking for Jewish representation.
- If I had a criticism it is that the book would drag a little in parts.

I'd recommend this book to people who enjoyed Dirty Dancing or who enjoy books with a nostalgic feel. It would also be a good choice for someone looking for Jewish representation. If you are one who likes a lot of action, this would probably be one to skip.

Golden summers in our memories

I thoroughly enoyed this story and it brought back great memories of summers camping with friends and family. We didn't have a Golden Hotel with resort fun, food, and games; but we did have our own Texas version with fishing, tacos, and canasta tournaments. Also added bonus of family and friend functional and dysfunctional relationships. I loved the Goldman and Weingold families for their imperfectness and their love of the Hotel even while considering letting it go.

*** I received an advanced copy of this book***

Well hello Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland, how I enjoyed you!! And not least of all because the audiobook is narrated by my favorite narrator, Julia Whelan. This book was a lot of fun, and it made me giggle as well as gave me all the family drama and summer vibes I could possibly want. This is a character-driven novel as well as being packed with them, so it is really helpful that the book has family trees for both the Goldman's and the Weingold's. I would recommend that if you are going to listen to the audiobook you should also have a copy of the physical book as well. The family trees aren't all that large, but they were so helpful to have. I loved getting to know all of the characters and it reminded me a little bit of the show Schitt's Creek for some reason.

I really enjoyed the switches between past and present, and Friedland did an incredible job of describing not just the characters, but the hotel as well. And oh, the drama, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is a dramedy at its finest, and I loved the tension created between the two families. At its core that's what this book is all about, family, and I loved how heartwarming it ended up being. I haven't watched Dirty Dancing in an age so I can't speak to how much it reminds me of that movie (everyone is comparing it to that), but I can tell you that it immediately made me want to watch it again. This is my first time reading Friedland, but I definitely want to read more from her now and I have a sneaking suspicion I will be doing another listen of this one at some point.

I received a complimentary listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#LastSummeratTheGoldenHotel
(Published 18 May 2021)
#ElyssaFriedland


A nostalgia ridden book reminding me of endless summers spent in returning to the same location and rediscovering a place we already knew well.

Can family and friends save a Catskills hotel from closure? In its heydays, The Golden Hotel was the toast of the Catskills with an enviable guest list, rooms sold out much in advance, and the owner families ensuring memorable stays for the Jewish families wanting to escape the heat of NYC as also make the most of music evenings and bountiful cuisine.

Over time the Catskills resorts languished, fell into disrepair, lost clientele, closed business. The Golden continued to survive, but just about.

When a substantial offer comes along, three generations of the Weingolds and Goldmans meet. Can they resurrect the hotel in keeping with new times or will it become a relic of the past?

Friedland’s writing is descriptive and the setting itself is an important character.
It focuses on families, friends, and their baggage that comes with relationships. It’s not all black and white; lots of grey; which is how life is.

I loved spending time with the families Weingold and Goldman. To see two ends of spectrum: the older generation and their beliefs vs the newer millennial wired to technology was an insight into how minds work. I particularly enjoyed the family squabbles and laugh - out-loud moments. Seemed so much like my own! The book has a fair number of characters. The character map included by the author was of immense help. I did feel the book could’ve been a tad shorter in length and the ending, less rushed. The author makes a valid point of how it is not easy to ‘let go’ but one must adapt to change and time.

A fun, fast paced read, this book will appeal in particular to fans of Dirty Dancing and Mrs Maisel; and to those who love the old-world charm.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel was an enjoyable and witty character-driven book!

Two Jewish families meet up at their resort during the summer to decide whether it’s finally time to let it go. The Golden Hotel has been owned and operated by the Weingold and Goldman families since 1960 and was once one of the hottest summer vacation spots in the Catskills, but business has gone way downhill and there’s an enticing offer to sell it to a casino developer. Will they be able to put aside their differences and come to a mutual decision about the fate of the hotel?

With two different families and three generations, the multiple POVs made this story even more entertaining. There was plenty of scandal and a lot of humor! I loved the dynamics between the older and younger generations, and my favorite parts were when the older family members reminisced about the hotel back in its heyday. I also enjoyed reading the comment cards from previous guests and I wish there had been more of them!

This fun book full of family secrets and drama is out now, and it would be a great summer read! Definitely pick it up if you’re a fan of Dirty Dancing or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel!

What a fun and entertaining book! There was drama around every corner of this hotel, and I actually enjoyed it a lot by the end! I wondered how I would feel overall because there were times where I was thinking, “is this a soap opera?!...Push her down the stairs! Push her down the stairs!” (If you get that reference, we are meant to be friends 😁), but it wound up being an endearing read for me by the last page. I finished the book smiling. The families were real, and I just wanted to go make memories at their hotel with my own family. One of my favorite things that can happen with a novel is that I picture myself there and wish it truly existed.

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for this arc in exchange for my honest review ❤️

Reading this book made me feel so ready for summer and made me miss travelling with the fambam! Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is about 2 families - the Goldmans and the Weingolds, who own the once prestigious The Golden Hotel in Catskills. Unfortunately, it is now a dwindling resort, unable to keep up with the multiple casinos sprouting in the area. When they received a generous offer to sell the hotel, all the family members agreed to meet to discuss and decide whether to keep their more than 60-year-old legacy or to let go before they go bankrupt. With 3 generations of both families in one roof, chaos and dramas are to be expected. There’s also secrets to be unearthed, conflicts to be resolved and feelings to be validated. It was so much fun reading this book! I love the generational gap and how the second generation tries to be the middlemen and bridge the differences! It’s certainly making me nostalgic of my own family traditions. The book takes a closer look on love, loyalty, friendship and family. The traditional grandparents and the social-media loving grandkids were the highlights for me — so hilarious and totally relatable! This book is available now and is the perfect summer/beach read!

If you always wished you could go to the hotel in Dirty Dancing, this is the book for you. While a little slow at times, this was an enjoyable family drama in a fun setting. It made me wish for simpler times right along with the characters. Overall, I really enjoyed this and the ending left me with a warm fuzzy feeling.

Perhaps in-part inspired by a New York Times article about the changing face of the Catskills in New York, this tri-generational family drama addresses the complexity of family and friendship whilst finding ways to keep heritage alive. As a way to escape the city humidity in the summer, and the discrimination Jewish families faced elsewhere, Benny Goldman and Amos Weingold created a family orientated hotel together that has now passed through the generations.

Unfortunately however, due to a variety of cultural and social shifts The Golden Hotel is no longer an attractive holiday option. Described through a variety of family perspectives including Grandchildren Zach, Maddie, Michael and Phoebe, the family must now come together for potentially one last summer to decide on the fate of their hotel after an offer has been made to knock it down to make way for a casino to be built on the land.

Starting off fairly slowly, the narrative meanders through a variety of perspectives, and it isn’t until perhaps the 5th chapter that things start taking shape. Benny & Louise’s daughter Aimee discovers that her husband Roger has been involved in significant criminal activity and whilst hadn’t intended on being present for the vote on the fate of the hotel escapes from the drama in her own life, taking two of her three children Maddie and Zach with her.

The last time the two families were together was for Benny’s funeral and it seems that there is some water under the bridge that laps over the family banks each time they are together. And whilst the bond and memories between the two maintain their connection, it is clear there are some deep seated animosities and various insecurities that cause enormous friction. For Aimee, it is the thought of being present with her life-long crush Brian, son of Franny and Amos on top of the fact that her life is seemingly falling apart that creates mutual trepidation and excitement. And this is just one of the many mini-dramas that unfold whilst the fate of the Golden Hotel is determined.

Friendship, bonding, family values, and tradition are key themes that are unpacked throughout, along with the era wherein comedians, musicians and actors became famous due to the hotel’s success at the time. In some was there was a bittersweet sense of times forgotten and yet, like the two families, it appeared that taking a trip down memory lane is definitely worth the adventure if for no other reason than to remind us who we are and what really matters. Despite the sentimental value in keeping things as they are, there was a clear point that letting things go to make way for the new is essential to the rejuvenation of not just materialistic objects but also values within the family unit.

Overall, this is a good hearty drama that was written in the spirit of moving with the times as ultimately it is the memories that really matter in the end, particularly the good ones.

What a sweet book filled with nostalgia, intrigue, and fun. In places, the book was very bittersweet much like the legacy of the two intertwined families.

I am not overly familiar with the Catskills’ history- my main exposure prior to this book was Season 2 of the Marvelous Mrs Maisel! But this book drew you into that world- the old and the new. The blend between the stories of the past and the goat yoga of the present worked really well.

Overall, 4 stars. It was a little slow at the beginning and a little rushed at other times. But very enjoyable and would definitely recommend.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.

Five stars! Elyssa Friedland’s novels are a delight to read and this one is no exception. It’s a breath of fresh air with the perfect balance of entertainment and humor with some drama, mystery and romance thrown in. I still chuckle when I think about certain parts of the novel.

Benny Goodman & Amos Weingold and their families were like Jewish royalty owning one of the most popular hotels in the Catskills, well 60 years ago. Benny has passed. Louise Goodman and Amos & Fanny Weingold contemplate whether it’s time to sell. Given that a casino would be erected in its place, Benny would die all over again.

The Goodman & Weingold adult children get a say in the decision and there’s no chance it will be unanimous. Each has their own personal drama that could sway how they vote.

Getting these two families together drudges up the past and the happy façade quickly fades. The hotel provides a microcosm of nostalgia and memories, some better off forgotten. They recall the good times, the celebrities who entertained or holidayed there with Benny & Louise basking in the limelight while Amos & Fanny provided the stability behind the scenes. There are veiled rivalries and some that are openly contentious. There is bedhopping, secret keeping and lots of gossip. There are life lessons and love. And it’s not just what happens with the guests and staff!

I’m not going to give away any spoilers. To put it simply, this novel is just a fun and yummy read. I highly recommend it for book clubs and vacation reading.

I received an advance digital review copy of this book all opinions are my own.

The Last Summer At The Golden Hotel is a fun, breezy beach read, and a great book to kick off summer. The Golden Hotel us a resort in the Catskills, reminiscent of the resort used in the movie Dirty Dancing. Fans who grew up loving that movie will love this book.
Benny and Amos, friends and business partners, opened the Golden Hotel in 1960. It quickly became a premium vacation destination. Now sixty years later, it is no longer the destination hot spot that it had been in it's heyday. The hotel is outdated and has fallen into disrepair. Times have changed and it will take a lot of money to make the hotel desirable to today's vacationers, who have many more options available to them. Benny has passed away and the Golden is being run by Brian, one of Amos’s sons. An offer has been made to buy, and demolish the Golden in order to build a casino. Three generations come together to make a final decision. Should they sell their beloved hotel, or make updates and improvements in order to be competitive in today’s market? The generation gap is apparent when the younger generation comes up with suggestions to make the hotel more current. It is difficult for the older generation to understand why the once popular getaway has fallen out of favor. The buyer has set a deadline and the families have five days to make a decision tangled up in 60 years of memories and nostalgia.
Filled with secrets and family drama, the story engages the reader from the first page. I enjoyed the setting of the novel. It made me wish that I had such a vacation experience. Families flocked to the Golden every summer for generations. I enjoyed how the families came together, and the younger generation rose to the occasion of trying to save the hotel. This is a fun page turner, with all the summer feels. I received an Advance Review copy. All opinions are my own.

The description of this book had me interested right away. There's the setting, a Catskills resort that in its heyday is not only the hottest place to be, but a place of tradition, where the same families go year after year. The hotel is created by two men and co-owned by their families. At the point where the action of the book begins, the families are each three generations, full of colorful characters with different perspectives.

First, the Golden Hotel, who is probably the main character in this book. There's so much nostalgia in the descriptions of the hotel in its prime. The details of the appearance, the food, the events, and the people make it feel real. By the time the book starts, the hotel has fallen out of fashion and into disrepair. I had the movie "The Grand Budapest Hotel" in my mind as I was reading.

I love a good intergenerational saga, and this book does it well, spending enough time with each family member for them to be memorable as individuals. There's good humor mined from the differences in perspectives between the oldest and youngest generation, especially with one of the younger characters being an Instagram influencer. And of course, there's lots of drama, old unresolved business, misunderstandings, and love within and between the two families as they gather at the hotel to decide whether or not to sell their beloved hotel.

Definitely recommended to anyone who finds the description interesting at all. I think it would also make a fantastic movie. Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a gifted galley of LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL by Elysa Friedland for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL follows two families, the Goldmans and the Weingolds. The family patriarchs were best friends and opened the Golden Hotel together years ago. It was once the most popular Catskills vacation destination where families would book in for a summer of food and activities and fun. Over time, the families had a bit of a falling out and wound up taking separate vacations.

In the present day, the hotel has been long neglected and it has become run down and long loyal customers are no longer showing up. Though it was the scene of many happy family memories, the families are struggling. Three generations of the families are gathering together to see what can be done to save the Golden if anything or if this will be the last summer before it is sold to developers interested in the land.

This was a fun read that brought back family memories of my own. Though we weren’t the family who could take off for the summer to some destination vacation, my grandparents did treat the three generations of our family to a week’s vacation at a ranch resort every spring for a lot of years which was always a good time. I could feel for these families and their memories for the Golden Hotel and how heartbreaking it was to consider its loss.

Having three generations of the family together from those who founded the place to the social media savvy youngest generation with some wild ideas to revitalize the hotel, it made for some fun moments in the book. Each family has its own dramas in addition to the tensions between families which add to the fun as well.

I really enjoyed this one and it had me immediately needing to rewatch Dirty Dancing after I finished! LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL is out today and I encourage you to add this one to your TBR list!

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland comes out tomorrow and was an early release BOTM selection this month as well. Be sure to grab it if you are a fan of Dirty Dancing and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel because this story is full of Catskill vacation nostalgia. I loved it.
⠀
I felt like the main character in this book was the Golden Hotel and it began to feel as precious to me as if my family had been vacationing there my whole life. The multigenerational cast of characters relating to the hotel, their memories, and the future was so well done and gave me so many different perspectives on their decisions.
⠀
The two families who have owned and run the Golden Hotel in the Catskills for over sixty years get together to discuss someone has made to buy the hotel and it’s land. From the grandparents who started the hotel to the millennial grandchildren who grumble about the poor WiFi, they all have an opinion about what should be done.
⠀
This is a great summer read. It makes me long for large family vacations and lazy summer days. It also makes me nostalgic for things of the past yet excited for what the future holds. Wow. This book did all that!
⠀

⠀

Quick disclaimer: I did not know anything about the #borschtbelt or that the fictional getaway from the movie Dirty Dancing was among several Jewish focused resorts throughout the Catskills. Didn't know that was a thing! So this added to my enjoyment of reading this lovely book. (Because you know how I do love learning things when I read for entertainment!) The Golden Hotel has been owned by two families for the past 60 years. As other resorts around them have completely shuttered, the Golden Hotel has barely stayed a float and is suffering from deferred maintenance and the allure of other destinations. This engaging and charming book relates the history of the hotel, the families that own it, and the resort lifestyle. I loved the Goldman and Weingold families and the story itself was a wonderful combination of nostalgia and soap opera, even if your family isn't Jewish and didn't spend their vacations in the Catskills. If you want your own vacation, I'd suggest booking a weekend at the Golden Hotel! And be sure to save room for the Golden Palette!

When you're packing your beach bag this summer and you're looking for the perfect vacation read, grab THE LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL.

The Golden Hotel, owned by the Weingold and Goldman families, was THE place to summer in the Catskills for decades but lately, it's seen better days. When an offer comes in from a developer who wants to tear down the resort to build a casino, the estranged families come together to decide the fate of a place that holds a place in all of their hearts.

I've seen lots of references to "Dirty Dancing" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" in descriptions of this book and I can see why - The Golden Hotel has a lot in common with Kellermans (please tell me I'm not the only one thinking "At Kellerman's the friendships last long as the mountains stand...") and The Steiner Resort and also focuses on the same culturally important touchstone for so many Jewish families. Told through dual timelines as the family wrestles with whether to keep or sell the hotel, we see how not only the place but what it represents has changed for each generation - the now-grandparents who were in their twenties when they opened it and presided over the glory days, their children who grew up as Golden Hotel royalty but have their own lives to focus on and the grandchildren whose Gen Z sensibilities are more about how strong the WiFi signal is and where to take their selfies than badminton and borscht.

I love a multi-generational story and THE LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL is a rich one that's both poignant and funny. Each member of the family is dealing with his or her own issues which cloud their view of what to do with the family legacy. While some of the characters could easily descend into stereotypes, Friedland does a wonderful job of giving them depth and keeping them - and the world - relatable to readers who don't understand the culture or traditions. The story's ending surprised me in the best way and I was sad when the book was over because I had come to love the Goldmans and the Weingolds the same way I'm sure The Golden Hotel's guests did over the years.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for a copy to review.

What a treat! Benny and Amos built and nurtured the Golden Hotel in the Catskills but the time has come to decide if it's worth trying to renovate or if it's better to sell out. That's the decision facing the Goldmans and the Weingolds. Benny's dead but his daughter Aimee and widow Louise have to make a decision, as do the grandchildren, Zach, Maddie and Scott. Oh and Aimee just found out her husband the doctor is an Oxy pusher. Amy and Franny's son Brian has been running the place while his twin Peter runs a law firm. Peter's kids Phoebe and Michael have some thoughts too. Know that the large cast of family members might be a little much at first but then you'll find yourself swept into the drama. There are some very funny scenes as well as some poignant ones. I've never been to the Catskills but I have stayed in some grand places that are visibly fraying around the edges- and Friedland has done a good job with that atmospheric. I liked the use of newspaper articles, texts, instagram comments to separate the chapters. This could have gone very serious but instead it's filled with positives (strange as that might sound). Everyone discovers something they did not know and it's all ok in the end. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Very much enjoyed this.