Books For The Road - The Plaza by Julie Satow

Non-fiction books are usually not top on my list for reading but I was intrigued by an interview I heard about the writing of The Plaza: The Secret Life Of America's Most Famous Hotel. I downloaded the read and, to be honest, it took me a while to get through it. Part of the reason was a busy schedule but it was also not my usual got-to-find-out-the-ending kind of read. It was interesting however and I learned a lot.

The story takes you from the very beginnings of the Plaza and introduces you to many of the unique and quirky characters that were involved over the years. While many may not realize it, the Plaza was not just a hotel but a home to many who rented apartments there. In the early years there was a group of widows who inhabited several floors.

Romances, scandals and the evolution of the work force that manned the services of the Plaza kept me reading through even though sometimes the details were a bit slow to read through. One of the time periods I enjoyed reading about most was the WWII days. During that time, many women became bellhops and the luggage cart came into being because it was thought the women couldn't handle the heavy luggage as well as men.

The Trump era was interesting to read about as were the foreign owners who bought into the hotel as well.

If you enjoy non-fiction and a historical account of a travel destination you'll enjoy this read. And who knows, maybe you can read it in one of the beds in the Plaza on your next trip to New York City.