I think I *wanted* to like this book a little bit more than I actually did.

Okay. Magic hotel. That sounds awesome, right?

And in theory, everything about it was really cool. There were magic enchantments that made doors appear and hallways change, and the staff were talented magicians in their own right, using their magic to entertain guests. All of this glitz and glamor hides a far more sinister plot.

I really wanted to love this, but I found Jani insufferable for basically the entire book. The only character I found interesting at all was, ironically, the villain. I wanted to know far more about him and his motivations and just, the whole why of it all.

Which, okay! I was very confused. The magic is...unexplained? People just have these gifts, and they use them, and like okay, cool. But I want to know how and who gets these gifts and why can you just have different abilities by using different objects??? But you must have magic to use them??? I'm just...again. confused.

If I don't think about it too much, I find myself really liking this book, but the more I ponder it the more questions I have.

Thank you Netgalley and Razorbill for the earc!

My first impression of Hotel Magnifique was that I’d read it before—or, more accurately, that I’d read other similar books before. The premise of two sisters becoming swept up in a magical traveling performance group immediately reminded me of Caraval by Stephanie Garber. A lot of other reviews already touch on these comparisons, however, so I won’t delve any deeper.

I always love stories that spotlight sibling relationships. In Hotel Magnifique, this relationship between Jani and Zosa is the main driving force behind the plot. I was excited to see how seventeen-year-old Jani would encourage thirteen-year-old Zosa, who has a beautiful gift for singing and a strong imagination to accompany it, while shielding her from the grimness of their situation in and outside of the hotel. But once they enter the circus, Zosa was almost never present. She still motivated Jani, but as the reader, it was hard to appreciate their bond when it was mainly presented in flashbacks.

The pacing was also off. I think the first ~150 pages could have been condensed as it veered into info-dumping territory. While I do think the writing conveyed Jani’s awe at finally exploring different parts of her world, I think it could have been more evenly dispersed. This might also be because Jani keeps disobeying authority figures—despite knowing the consequences, such as dismemberment—and risking her and Zosa’s safety, which felt more repetitive than inspiring. In contrast, the last ~100 pages of the book were very fast-paced. Even though I got a little lost in all the secret reveals and plot twists, I flew through the conclusion and found it satisfying.

Dark and glamorous but not the most well-developed.

If you're looking for a fantasy that's eerily enchanting, Hotel Magnifique's doors are open to you.

**Thank you Penguin Teen for an ARC of this book for an honest review**

Hotel Magnifique is a mysterious, magical hotel with renown across the land. It travels to a new location every night, only visiting the same location once in a decade. So of course tickets are hard to come by unless you are very wealthy or are fortunate enough to win a lottery ticket. No guest walks out of the doors with their memories of what happened inside, so the lore only proceeds to grow. When Jani, seventeen-year-old and orphaned, opens the paper one morning she sees ad: "Hotel Magnifique is hiring. Interested parties inquire tomorrow at noon. Pack a bag for Elsewhere & prepare to depart by midnight" she knows it's fate. Jani and her sister Zosa need a win, and to get out of their dead-end town, and Jani will do whatever it takes to secure them both a staff position in the hotel.

"Don't you get it? Home doesn't mean anything to me without the people I love." -Jani, Hotel Magnifique

I will stay vague to avoid spoilers but I will say Jani was a healthfully mistrusting and ask-for-forgiveness-not-permission protagonist and I really appreciated that. I came into this story with my crime and thriller whodunnit googles on, looking for the cracks in the beautiful facade and Jani was an easy character to connect to in that way. The characters that you're meant to like are easy to spot and it's so satisfying meeting the characters that Jani has suspicions about because you're wanting to know what it is that's off about them.

I found myself pretty entertained throughout the book, waiting for the plot twists and wrenches in the gears. The author did a great job of letting Jani take a few blows now and then and this book isn't afraid of going a bit dark into what consequences look like in this magical territory.

Overall I would recommend this read to fantasy lovers, especially if like me you also like thrillers and want to know who is good and who can't be trusted.

4.5 stars

As someone who loved the Caravel series, I think this is definitely a fun read for anyone who loved Caravel. If you haven’t had the chance to read Caravel, I would still recommend this to anyone who is a fan of a slightly mysterious fantasy that is also intertwined with romance.

The Hotel Magnifique itself reminds me of the Hogwarts castle, and is something that makes the story constantly changing and surprising.​ The magic is this story is unique and playful, yet has a hint of darkness. The characters are also similar in that sense.

Although the romance in this story was somewhat predictable, the other plot lines helped provide movement and suspense. ​Meanwhile, the glamour of the imagery and the beauty of the magic helped provide the imagination with lots of colorful information.

Although I usually prefer when a fantasy is in a series to help better picture the magical world, this standalone tied up all the loose ends all while providing a detailed snapshot of this magical microcosm​.

While I enjoyed this book, all I could think about was The Night Circus and Caraval. I think the writing was wonderful and descriptive and that characters were well developed. I really liked the relationship between sisters, it was strong and made me want a sister. I was also happy to see some romance in the book and his snarkiness was great! I did not like some of the repetitiveness of some of the story plot points.

I think this is one of those stories where I’m more in love with the idea of it rather than the execution. While I was really invested and enjoying the story in the beginning, along the way it fell flat for me. A large part of that is because the writing felt like it didn’t really flow into a sequence of matching puzzle pieces that fit but rather oddly collided together. While the verbiage was complimenting, a lot of sentences felt one dimensional and because this is told in First POV it in turn made Jani, our lead, feel one dimensional as well.

A lot of the plot points felt repetitive as well with the never ending bouts of trouble we’d find Jani in. And while I get this was done to build up momentum and a sense of doom, it made me literally roll my eyes to a point that it rather built a feeling of boredom and insignificance.

I’m probably one of the few people who has read Caraval and was not a huge fan, so I can’t speak for if I would recommend it to fans of that but I will say this is very similar to it in the sense that it feels like a fever dream, where nothing is as it seems and you’re not sure what to believe.

My favorite part of the book was definitely the relationship between Jani and Bel, the sassy, sarcastic banter was right up my alley and I couldn’t help but giddily cheese everytime they interacted.

The world building was done quite well and the descriptions were amazing. It did feel very magical and enchanting. I loved the added work contract element and the allure of the hotel so much that I’m fairly certain had I liked Jani and the overall flow of the story this would’ve been a five star read for me.

All in all, this was a really good debut and i think many readers will love it!

Hotel Magnifique wears its Night Circus vibes proudly, but fails to craft a meaningful narrative. Great premise, but shaky execution.

DNF at 40%

I was really intrigued by this book when I first started it. A magical hotel that teleports across the world and is the only place where magic is allowed? I got major Hotel del Luna vibes from it, and I was excited to see what the plot of the book would be. I was drawn in by the lush descriptions of said magic and the initially intriguing character setups. Unfortunately, these were not outweighed by the bad in this book. Since I didn't finish the book I won't comment on the plot, but I will mention something that was really offputting: the author has a weird obsession with people's skin color? Every single time a new character was introduced, the narration mentions their skin color. The amount of times I read "beige-skinned" and "pale skinned" was criminal (/lh).

A magical tale about a magical hotel with magical people and a lot of secrets. I loved Hotel Magnifique because I LOVE MAGIC OKAY! I’m obsessed with magic and will read anything if it has magic in it. How many times can 1 review use the word magic?! We shall see.

When Jani comes to the hotel she starts to unravel the secrets that the maitre wishes to stay hidden. I loved the magic of the hotel that pops up in a new location every night at the stroke of midnight. And the “vexingly handsome” Bel. Swoon. I loved how the story unfolded as Jani exposed the secrets hidden amongst the hotel. I think the ending wrapped things up nicely and do not expect there to be a sequel but I would definitely read it if the author did decide to right one.

Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the egalley.

Hotel Magnifique is pitched as Caraval and the night Circus but make it ✨hotel✨ and I think it’s done incredibly well. Our main character is 17, which sometimes makes me roll my eyes because in the YA/NA genres everyone seems to be 17 but then they act like they are either 12 or 25. In this case I though Jani was a well developed 17 year old who actually acted her age. ⁣
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The true star of the show in this book is the magic system. People are either inherently born magical or they aren’t in this world, but magic is a thing to be respected and highly feared. There’s even a little twist to the magic system that I think fans of Shadow and Bone would enjoy. ⁣
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As Jani explores more and more of the hotel and starts to uncover its secrets, it truly feels like she’s prying back the shiny outer shell to expose the decomposing underbelly of this mystical place and the stakes are so high! ⁣
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I read this book on the tail end of a three month slump and it was the first thing I felt like I couldn’t put down in months. I went to bed thinking about it and woke up anxious to start reading again. This is definitely going to be one of my favorites of 2022.

Over the last year or so I've come to realize I have a fondness for fantasy novels that deal with performative magic in some way. So, it came as no surprise when I got my first glimpse at the synopsis for 'Hotel Magnifique' by Emily J. Taylor, that I felt immediately drawn to the story.

Swelling with enchantments, nothing is what it seems to be beyond the threshold of the hotel. Often, even the simplest of tasks are complex spells at work, but for those things deemed too unimportant to waste magic on.. there are employees to handle the details. Though, I hesitate to call anything that goes on behind the hotel's black lacquered door.. regular, they're as close as it comes.

Jani is our main character, a feisty.. devoted sister to young Zosa who is hired as a singer. While I appreciate her loyalty and desire to right wrongs, her inner monologues and dialogue border on annoying for me. Luckily, that's not even really a complaint, however.

Bel is probably the gem of the story in my eyes, though of course I often tend to connect better with a side character and this is no exception. Mysterious and playful from the beginning, the more we get to know him, the more likable he is. Likewise for Beatrice and Hellas, though sometimes interactions between the characters feel a little clunky.

The book does feature an interesting trinket-based magic system, which allows the author room to be creative and results in numerous different abilities, which I love. In addition to the threat posed by the antagonist, the hotel is constantly changing and traveling to a new location every day.. not only keeping the setting fresh and interesting, but also creating some more challenges along the way.

Though there are moments where the story feels a little choppy, I honestly think it's just because Taylor is keeping so many proverbial plates spinning at the same time. There's a lot going on at all times within the hotel, layers of mystery and I really enjoyed the journey the author took us on.

While there is plenty of beauty and whimsical magic at play, there's also plenty of darkness. Gruesome, cruel acts take place that actually kind of surprised me a little. So.. if you're squeamish, keep that in mind.

If you're a fan of Caraval, Where Dreams Descend, or Night Circus.. you'll probably enjoy this book as well.

Definitely a new favourite author for me, I loved the mystique, the rich writing style, the slow burn, world building and the characters. Such a unique concept and very well written. Reminded me of the Night circus and the hunger games. Highly recommend

One of my most anticipated new releases for Spring, was Hotel Magnifique. The hotel, where the story takes place, is magical. It shows up for just on day every and doesn’t repeat destinations for ten years. Once inside the hotel, patrons will get to experience two weeks of pure fantasy. The only catch is that you forget everything once you go back home. When the hotel shows up, Jani and her sister take jobs at the hotel and soon start to realize that all the glitter and enchantments are hiding a dark secret.

I’ve seen a few other books compared to Caraval and while I don’t always find that to be an accurate comparison, for Hotel Magnifique, it works. Like Caraval, this story has a mix of Alice in Wonderland surrealism mixed with dark undertones. I’ll be honest though I liked Caraval much better than this one.

While the story is unique and the imagery is vivid, the pacing of the story is off. The first half of the book was repetitive, as Jani starts to initially uncover the hotel’s secrets. The story picks up halfway through, but then ends rather abrupt. In addition there are some revelations that could have been cleaner, as it felt that they were just all getting dumped on the reader at the same time.

Having strong characters is really important to me in fantasy books and I find their development sets the tone for the story. Unfortunately, I didn’t find myself connected to any of the characters, and felt that more time could have been spent on character development. Jani was pretty ‘blah’ for me but we also don’t get to know too many other characters except on a superficial level. Even the main romance in the story felt pieced together and not entirely natural. In addition, the lack of magical development or more information around the magic system was also a huge detractor for me.

The story itself is unique and I can appreciate the vividness of the descriptions. I just needed more from the plot, the characters, and the magic system. This one definitely reads as a YA read and would be good for younger teens who enjoy a darker fantasy story.


Hotel Magnifique comes out April 5, 2022! Huge thank you to Razorbill & Penguin Teen for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

Loved loved this book. So cute, fantastical and magical. About obsession.

It is a story about a magical hotel that only appears in a city for one day. Only guests and employees are allowed inside. Jani has dreamed for a way to get out of the little village, where she and her sister are living poorly. She tries to get employed at the magical hotel, but is caught in a struggle, when her sister gets a position but she doesn't. Jani doesn't want to separate from her little sister, who is the last living relative of hers, and stubbornly wrestles her way in. The place is magical just as she imagined, but soon learns not everything is gold that glitters.

This was reminiscent of The Night Circus (others will say Caraval, which I haven't read, so can't comment) but for me this was what I wanted The Night Circus to be - intriguing, magical, with a little darkness behind the lines. The whole magical system was very lightly explained, but I still liked it, especially the magical artifacts. The obsession of collecting them, and using them to gain more power. It didn't have that lyrical writing, but I was fine with it.

Overall a fun story to read/listen to. Would love to return to this world again.

This story is whimsical and otherworldly. I absolutely adored the relationship between the sisters and Jani’s relentless pursuit of trying to free Zosa. Further in, I really started to love the deeper sinister layers of the hotel that kept peeling back. Not everything that glitters is good. Yrsa was an especially curious character with her teacup. Bel was my favourite and I really enjoyed the blossoming romance between Bel and Jani. Overall, this book was very cute.

However, the pacing of this book was very slow. And that was one of the downsides for me. I wanted to see more of Zosa and Jani interact as well.

"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."

I LOVED this book! The magic, the fight for family, the unexpected love, all of it was wonderful. I loved the world building that went on in this book. Taylor made me feel like I was in the Hotel with Jani, Bel, and Zosa. It gave me serious Caraval vibes.
If you are looking for a new magical reading escape, this is the book for you! 💜 I can't wait to see what she writes next!

If you love Caravel you will love Hotel Magnifique! Fun Dark YA fantasy. This story is full of twists and turns and it is very fun.

An enchanting hotel that appears in a different place each morning sounds like the dream vacation. I enjoyed the concept of the hotel and the behind the scenes look with the employees. I have mixed feelings about this novel that stem mostly from the Heroine Jani. She seemed like a relatable character, but she continued to make rash, immature, and sometimes selfish decisions throughout the novel. I found myself liking and disliking her, which isn't a bad thing, but it made her frustrating to read. I wish the magic system was more concretely explained and I wasn't a fan of the romance. It felt stiff and predictable, but it did have its purpose to the story. I started the novel with high hopes and interest. This waned in the middle, but in the last quarter my interest was renewed. Overall, I would recommend this novel to fans of YA Fantasy and I know many who will enjoy this, it was just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

**Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Young Readers in connection with Library Con Live! for the ARC of this title. It in no way changed my rating**

Y'all, I'm calling it now: This is making my year-end top 10, if not top 5, unless something DRASTICALLY outshines it, which I doubt. I'm about to be controversial, but I got nervous when I saw it compared to Caraval. I read a sampler of this title last summer and finished needing more of the story, so I knew I'd give it a shot. This book was like if Caraval was good 🤷🏽‍♀️ I know that book is and was beloved by many, but the magic system was not well explained and a lot of things were written in flowery language for no reason. This calls out that kind of writing a few times and had magic that was eventually explained instead of purposely continuing to have characters who have no idea make their best guesses. I really appreciated that.

The book is about a magical hotel that travels around the world of the book at midnight each night. Guests stay for two weeks, but the contract they sign says that they will lose their memories of specifics upon check out except for a sense of euphoric happiness. Our protagonist, Jani, ends up working in the hotel after making a deal with a powerful suminaire (title of magicians in this book) named Bel, so that she can stay with her sister, Zosa, who is hired to be a singer. My own sister is my best friend and I also felt a lot of the same feelings of responsibility Jani felt for my sister as a teen. The lessons she learns were relatable, as was her relationship with her sister. I love a book with great sibling relationships.

The romance was sweet and well done. I loved Bel and thought he and Jani balanced each other well. I also thought the twists and turns were well done. There were some I guessed and some that left me SHOCKED. The mysteries of the hotel just got more and more interesting. If I had to do a short elevator pitch, I'd say "if you like the song Hotel California and Fantasy books, this one is for you."

Overall, I really enjoyed this and think it will become a Bookstagram/Booktok darling. It was one of the stronger YA books I've read in a while with real stakes, threatening villains, a great plot, and full of magic. Go pick up a copy, if you can!

5/5 stars

When I saw this compared to The Night Circus I had to pick it up. It’s also compared to Caraval but I haven’t read that one yet. Two sisters look to escape their difficult lives by joining the staff of a magical hotel that moves to a different place every night. But under all the glamour are some dangerous secrets.

This was a fun YA Fantasy. I think it would have benefited from alternating POV’s because Jani kinda drove me nuts. The magic system didn’t feel fully fleshed out but it was interesting. There are some darker elements, so if you’re sensitive to certain things I’d recommend checking out the warnings before diving in. Its hard to give more details without spoilers. Overall this was a quick, enjoyable read. Just don’t go into it expecting The Night Circus, I may have liked it more if I wasn’t comparing the two. Thank you to @penguinteen and @netgalley for an eARC of this book.