This was great a bit of a mix of mystery and horror which I don’t usually read but I really enjoyed this book.

18 year old Bex vowed never to return to the eerie old clifftop hotel after the events which happened ten years ago. She had been there with a group of student friends, one of whom disappeared and was never seen again. This traumatised Bex. Now ten years on the same group minus one return to the hotel will they find out what happened when they were last here.

This was great very creepy but kept me hooked until the very end. Will definitely recommend this to everyone. Excellent!

10 years after the disappearance of Leo, Bex returns to the strange old hotel where it all happened.
Whilst I found the story engaging, it was also quite frustrating and I didn't feel it was explained well . The end was disappointing.

This wasn’t for me at all- it seemed to be trying to be too many things at once: mystery, horror, melodrama in the vein of The Secret History but it never really took off. I couldn’t make myself care about the outcome because I couldn’t believe there would be a cult obsession with the random disappearance of a random Welsh teenager. Even scandalously violent multiple murders don’t engender that level of consistent interest for 10 years. If Leo had been a celebrity or there was some topical focus on podcast true crime detectives, I could’ve seen some sort of social media campaign ramping up the curiosity but we were just going to have to believe that hundreds of people would convene at the same place every year for 10 years to discuss something that just wasn’t that fascinating? Not enough for me.

A gripping, entertaining and well written novel, with satisfying twists and turns. Four 18 year old students explore an abandoned hotel, with a tragic history. Their plan to make a film succeeds beyond their wildest dreams, but only because their story also ends in mystery and probable tragedy. Returning to the hotel, after 10 years, to make a follow up documentary is a bold move for three of the original group. Following the success of their film none of them has found peace of mind. Their hope is that returning will give them the answers to the unsolved mystery. Cleverly interweaving the original events with the present day reunion, the characters are forced to re-examine their memories. I enjoyed this unusual story and would happily read more by this author.

A taut and suspenseful thriller. Bex vowed never to return to the eerie old clifftop hotel. Ten years ago she had been there with a group of student friends, one of whom disappeared and was never seen again. The event split their friendship and traumatised Bex. Now she has a chance to go back with her former friends and find out what really happened. Well-drawn characters, a spooky setting and a gripping, twisty plot make this a great read.

It’s a great feeling when you read a really good book by an author you’ve not read before and you discover they have written other books. So it was when I finished The Hotel and I found more by Louise Mumford waiting for me to explore.
The Hotel is an excellent thriller with a very evocative and atmospheric setting. The hotel itself is set high upon a cliff top on the rugged coast of West Wales and this is really brought to life as the story progresses. The four main characters are an interesting group with plenty of history between them so there is friction which adds to the tension. There are many surprises and twists along the way and this really keeps you reading as you do not know where the story is going or how it is all going to unfold.
The story flits between the events at Ravenclyffe, the abandoned hotel, ten years ago and the present day. A film crew returns to the hotel to “celebrate” the tenth anniversary of what happened. This brings back many unwelcome memories for this involved and, through the flashbacks, we discover what happened then.
There are some lighthearted moments involving film crew members which relieve the tension somewhat and these really add to the story. There is a part where Bex is remembering holidays with her parents and a particular line describing these holidays had me laughing out loud. (You’ll just have to read the book yourselves!)
I would really recommend The Hotel; it is well written, it has an excellent storyline and I am now looking forward to reading Louise’s other books.

With many thanks to Netgalley and HQ for this free ARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily
So Louise Mumford was on my list of ‘ new authors to read this year’ and I was not disappointed. The Hotel is a creepy twisty gripping read - the chapter where Bex is in the tunnel was so well written I almost felt claustrophobic myself! Good solid characters some more likeable than others. Bex whose pov the story is told from is portrayed brilliantly and the way the story goes back and forth in time is done very well. Not as a dramatic ending as I would have liked but nevertheless it was done really well and had a definitive end to the story. Very enjoyable read

Thanks for the ARC HQ and NetGalley, I was enthralled with this one!

Bex has been living the past ten years as a recluse, staying inside her place in the city to talk to her plants and a wild raven. Mostly to stay away from reporters, or fans- footage from that night turned into a movie that became a cult classic. But also because she can't move on from the tragedy of that night, the malignant presence she felt, that she still feels, everyday. Her friend, who is presumed dead, though a body has never been found, is a mystery holding her back from moving on from that place. Is there a logical explanation, or has the hotel simply claimed another soul?

Ravencliffe Hotel is a multilevel Victorian estate, complete with rolling cliffs of gardens, woods, and the view of the sea. There's grand fountains, chandeliers and ballrooms, and an enormous maze in the front. The Hotel is no stranger to misfortune and death. The Hotel waits.

Louise Mumford creates such an atmospheric backdrop to this twisty, goosebumps-enduring journey. I couldn't put the book down, I was intrigued every step of the way. I would recommend it!

The story is a good one but the book failed to grab me. The start was very slow-going, and it was difficult to become involved in the main character. It all felt a bit formulaic, which was a shame.

Description
‘Heart-pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat… Definitely one of the best books this year.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Four of them went to the hotel

Four students travel to Ravencliffe, an eerie abandoned hotel perched on steep cliffs on the Welsh coast. After a series of unexplained accidents, only three of them leave. The fourth, Leo, disappears, and is never seen again.

Only three of them came back

A decade on, the friends have lost contact. Oscar is fame-hungry, making public appearances and selling his story. Richard sank into alcoholism and is only just recovering. Bex just wants to forget – until one last opportunity to go back offers the chance to find out what really happened to Leo.

Ten years later, they return one last time

But as soon as they get to the hotel things start going wrong again. Objects mysteriously disappear and reappear. Accidents happen. And Bex realises that her former friends know far more than they are letting on about the true events at Ravencliffe that night…

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy. I was so excited to read this and it did not disappoint

Four teenagers are looking for adventure in those halcyon days between finals and results. Bex discovers a story about an old haunted hotel not too far from where the friends live, so a plan is made to investigate. All their adventures and horrors are filmed by Rich and Leo. When the night takes an unexpected twist, the film becomes the holy grail for ghost hunters and horror fans. Ten years later, ready for the big reunion, the remaining members agree to a return to Ravencliffe Hotel to relive their youth, though Bex is very reluctant to do so. What happens next is more than their fans, the Ravens, could have hoped for.

I love horror, and after reading the blurb thought this was definitely one for me.

A long, slow start that really took time in warming up. About halfway through the story became more interesting, but it still lacked any wow factor. The denouement was limp, though I did like the Holly twist.

Writing and plot were good, but more could have been done. The slowness was a downer for me.

An ok read, but not a great one, too slow and lacking in macabre. If you are writing horror, really go for it, readers do appreciate it more.

2.5*

Thank you NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a really good read. It definitely kept me wondering till the end and I wasn’t at all expecting the ending. Bex was a likeable main character, though I didn’t much care for Oscar and Richard.
Loved the atmosphere.

Sorry this one just wasn’t for me and I gave up at around the half way mark. I can see that others enjoyed it but the storyline was too slow paced for me and I decided to call it quits

Oh my word! It is 1:30 in the morning because I couldn’t put this book down.
What a well written story. I could feel myself in Bex’s shoes. Feel the hotel around me.
A brilliant story.
I must find more by this author.

I can see why people enjoy this/will enjoy this. I just wasn't ever hooked by this story. Until around the halfway mark, nothing exceptionally strange or spooky happens, so I just found my interest really waning. I think that the writing and idea were good, but the pacing really lowered my enjoyment of the story.

I just reviewed The Hotel by Louise Mumford. #TheHotel #NetGalley

I was really looking forward to reading this book about Bex and her friends revisiting an old delaminated hotel where they had previously done a ghost hunt but lost their friend, Leo, in a tragic accident…. Or did they? Bex, Richard and Oscar are coaxed into going back 10 years later by a production company but Bex is beyond reluctant.

Strange things occur but only when you’re about halfway through the book so the build up to them re-entering the hotel takes some time….. It’s a nicely written story with a good outline for a really scary tale but it just misses the mark for me and takes too long to get to any action. I’m sure horror buffs will like it but it just wasn’t for me.

I recieved an ecopy for free from netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I read 20%. The writing is good and it feels like a potentially good story. It just did not grab my attention.

The Hotel by Louise Mumford is a gripping mystery thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. The story follows four university friends who travel to an abandoned hotel on the Welsh coast. After a series of unexplained accidents, only three of them return, and Leo, the fourth friend, is never seen again. A decade later, the trio returns to the hotel to uncover the truth about what happened to Leo. However, things quickly turn sour as strange events begin to occur. The narrative is masterfully crafted, building tension with each twist and turn. The characters are well-developed, each with their own unique motivations and secrets. Mumford's writing style is atmospheric and vivid, bringing the eerie setting of the hotel to life. The Hotel is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and mystery novels.

I very nearly gave up on this after the first few chapters but my stubborn streak kicked in and I kept reading, I’m glad now I did because the pace and storyline picked up and I almost read it in one go, it’s moody and atmospheric and while I was surprised by the ending, it was a good one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the preview copy!

This was so enjoyable - a mix between a gothic horror story and the Goonies. Four film students visit an abandoned hotel with their cameras in the vein of the Blair Witch Project (which is referenced, and that made a BIG difference. At first I was annoyed that it was so much like it, but when they mentioned they were doing it like that, it made the story so much more believable). I really like Bex and there were a couple twists I didn't see coming. I loved the modern twists with how these things would play out now, like RavenCon and the fans, the reality TV aspect of the reunion, etc.

Definitely recommend.