Author: Robert Polidori

Publishing House: Steidl Interart

Publication Date: September 2016

This book is Robert Polidori’s portrait of the interiors of the now demolished Hotel Petra in Beirut, a grand icon of the city’s prewar history. The Hotel Petra was once one of the most popular hotels in Beirut, conveniently located in the city center adjacent to the Grand Theatre. After the Lebanese Civil War of 1975-90, Rafiq al-Hariri founded a holding company, Solidere, whose goal was the selective demolition and reconstruction of downtown Beirut’s urban fabric. In 1992 the Hotel Petra was set aside for later restoration, and from that moment essentially cut off from any human intervention.

Authors: Emily St. John Mandel, François Guérif, Gérard de Chergé

Publishing House: Rivages

Publication Date: March 2020

On Vancouver Island stands a hotel with glass walls, only accessible by sea. It is frequented by an exclusive clientele that wants to break with “connected civilization”. There, no wifi, no cell phone, we’re at the end of the world.

Paul, an aspiring composer, and his sister Vincent, an amateur videographer, all work at the Hotel Caiette. One evening, while waiting for the arrival of the New York billionaire Jonathan Alkaitis, the manager discovers with horror a tag engraved on one of the transparent walls: “What if you swallow broken glass?” Who is the author of this threatening graffiti? Is it intended for someone?

In this luxury haven, people meet, destinies are made and fall apart. At the Caiette Hotel, but also in Vancouver and New York, lives will take an unexpected and often dramatic turn. As a butterfly in Brazil can cause a storm in Texas, a drink at the Hotel Caiette bar can ruin an existence…