The Hotel Albatross by Debra Adelaide

If you have ever thought of running a boutique hotel or B and B, The Hotel Albatross could make you think twice. Set in small town Australia, Debra Adelaide’s novel follows the trials and tribulations of the Captain and his wife when they are left trying to turn a struggling hotel into a going concern.

While the Captain manages the bars and chats to customers, his wife takes on the day-to-day chores and staffing woes. Both of them dream of escaping, but the hotel is a millstone around their necks economically and increasingly putting a strain on their marriage. In spite of all this, The Hotel Albatross is a whimsical and often humorous novel, peopled with eccentrics and lively small-town characters.


Each chapter works as a separate story – for instance, the mysterious smell of Room 101, or the incident with the difficult wedding party. This makes the book ideal to pick up for a short spell of relaxation – an undemanding read yet something of a little gem.

Reviewed by Flaxmere Library Book Chat

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The Hotel Albatross, Debra Adelaide, 1995