The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand Summary

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand follows the transformation of a once-glamorous Nantucket hotel that fell into disrepair after a tragic 1922 fire killed 19-year-old chambermaid Grace Hadley. When a new owner purchases the property with dreams of restoring it to its former glory, Grace's ghost haunts the renovation. The story weaves together multiple characters—from the general manager Lizbet to dedicated staff members—as they work to revitalize the hotel while navigating personal dramas, secrets, and romance.

Elin Hilderbrand is a New York Times bestselling author known as "the queen of beach reads" who has written 30 novels, with 29 set on Nantucket where she resides. Born in 1969, she graduated from Johns Hopkins University and earned her MFA from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her first novel, The Beach Club, was published in 2000 and named People Magazine's Beach Book of the Week. Her 2018 novel The Perfect Couple was adapted into a Netflix series starring Nicole Kidman.

The Hotel Nantucket is perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven beach reads with layered storylines, supernatural elements, and vivid settings. Fans of workplace dramas will appreciate the behind-the-scenes look at running a luxury hotel, including the long hours and dedication required. This book appeals to those who love Nantucket settings, ghost stories, complex characters with secrets, and contemporary fiction that blends romance, intrigue, and pop culture references. It's ideal for anyone seeking escapist summer reading with emotional depth.

The Hotel Nantucket is worth reading if you enjoy Elin Hilderbrand's signature style of layered characters and intricate community dynamics set against a beautiful Nantucket backdrop. Reviews praise it as "another tour de force" with "addictive storylines" and entertaining drama. However, some critics note it's "drawn-out and overly descriptive," reading more like a travel guide than a typical beach read. With 95,000+ five-star ratings on Goodreads and strong reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal, it delivers satisfying entertainment despite pacing concerns.

The ghost story in The Hotel Nantucket centers on Grace Hadley, a 19-year-old chambermaid who died in a devastating 1922 hotel fire. Grace remains at the hotel as a supernatural presence, haunting the property through its decline from a gilded-age gem to an abandoned shell and witnessing its eventual revitalization. Her ghostly presence adds a historical fiction angle to the narrative, connecting past tragedy with present-day transformation. Grace becomes an integral character whose perspective enriches the multi-layered storytelling throughout the novel.

The Hotel Nantucket features an ensemble cast led by Lizbet, the hotel's general manager tasked with restoring the property to five-star status. Grace Hadley, the ghost of a chambermaid killed in the 1922 fire, serves as a supernatural narrator connecting past and present. The story includes various hotel staff members whose interconnected lives create a tight-knit community within the larger Nantucket setting. Hilderbrand crafts these characters with her signature depth—no one is entirely good or bad, just "humans trying to get through life the best they can".

The Hotel Nantucket stands out among Elin Hilderbrand's 30 novels by incorporating a ghost story and historical fiction elements, which she began exploring in her more recent work. Unlike her typical contemporary beach reads, this novel spans from 1922 to present day, following the hotel's rise, tragic fall, and ultimate redemption. The behind-the-scenes workplace setting offers unique insight into luxury hotel operations, staff dynamics, and hospitality industry challenges. The supernatural angle with Grace Hadley's haunting adds a fresh dimension to Hilderbrand's traditional romance and mystery formula.

The Hotel Nantucket includes romance as one of several interwoven storylines, though it's not the sole focus. Elin Hilderbrand blends "just the right amount of romance" with food, intrigue, supernatural elements, and character drama throughout the narrative. The romantic subplots develop naturally within the hotel setting as staff members and guests navigate personal connections alongside professional challenges. True to Hilderbrand's style, the romance is realistic and layered rather than fairy-tale perfect, with characters facing real obstacles and making complex emotional choices within the tight-knit Nantucket community.

The Hotel Nantucket explores themes of transformation and second chances, both for the deteriorating hotel building and its complex characters seeking redemption. Community and belonging emerge through the tight-knit hotel staff who support each other while harboring secrets. The novel examines how past tragedies shape present realities, embodied through Grace's ghost witnessing decades of change. Additional themes include workplace dedication, the hospitality industry's demands, resilience after failure, and the interconnected nature of small-town island life where everyone's stories overlap.

The Hotel Nantucket is marketed as a beach read, though critics debate whether it fits the traditional definition. One reviewer argues it "shouldn't be classified as a beach read" because it's "drawn-out and overly descriptive," reading more like a comprehensive Nantucket travel guide. However, other reviewers celebrate it as a "breezy, engrossing beach read" and "deeply entertaining" summer escape. Written by the self-proclaimed "queen of beach reads," the novel delivers Hilderbrand's signature escapist storytelling with lighter entertainment value despite its historical depth and multiple complex storylines.

Critics of The Hotel Nantucket note the pacing can be slow, with one reviewer describing it as "a little slow" and another calling it "drawn-out and overly descriptive". Some readers felt Hilderbrand includes "maybe a tiny bit too much" description, making the prose read like a Nantucket travel guide rather than pure entertainment. The novel's length and intense detail may overwhelm readers seeking lighter beach reads. However, these criticisms are balanced by praise for the layered characters, addictive storylines, and entertaining drama. Most negative feedback centers on pacing rather than storytelling quality or character development.

The Hotel Nantucket shares Elin Hilderbrand's signature elements—complex characters, Nantucket setting, and overlapping storylines—while introducing unique historical fiction and supernatural components. Unlike standalone novels like The Rumor or series like the Winter Street saga, this book blends contemporary drama with 1920s history through Grace's ghost. It's more workplace-focused than family-centered novels like Summer of '69, offering behind-the-scenes hospitality industry insights. The Perfect Couple was Hilderbrand's first murder mystery, while The Hotel Nantucket returns to her characteristic multi-threaded community dramas with romantic subplots rather than crime-solving.