The Real Hotel

Book excerpt: Once upon a time a noted author wrote a fairy tale about hotels that became a bestselling novel. It continued on as a movie and finally a successful television series. I would be the last to question Alex Haleys research, but he simply did not live the life. This book is no fairy tale. It is written by a bartender that lived the life and knew the people. The managers were not all brilliant or considerate. In fact, many could be referred to as downright rude and not all that bright. I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did writing it and living it to get the material. I would not trade anything on earth for the experience. Mike Addison The Real Hotel tells you the behind the scene stories of the small army of employees that take care of the guests in the historic old hotels that lie just off the Quarter in New Orleans. The author, Mike Addison, spent almost two decades working in the old hotels beside the numerous Cajun and Cuban workers, sharing their lives and stories. Combining humor and pathos, he tells their poignant stories in an earthy narrative that is very realistic and a pleasure to read. G.R. Williamson, Texas historian and writer