Sex, Drugs, and $25 Salads

One Week at the Chateau Marmont

By: Ryan O'Connell

Narrated by: Pat Young

Length: 54 mins

Publisher's summary

When Ryan O'Connell went to stay for a week at the glamorous Chateau Marmont hotel last summer, he didn't quite know what to expect. Would he become instant BFF's with Lindsay Lohan and do lines of coke off of John Belushi's ghost? Would he have vacuous sex in the hotel elevator with Benicio Del Toro, just like Scarlett Johansson once did during an Oscars after-party? Or would he just be really, really bored like Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning were in the movie, Somewhere?

The answer, it turned out, was none of the above. After spending seven days running around the hotel looking for drugs, sex, and expensive salads, Ryan realized just how bizarre the Chateau Marmont actually was. And after capturing what he saw there, he can pretty much guarantee that he'll never be allowed back in again. Chic.

©2013 Ryan O'Connell (P)2013 Audible Inc.

Bitter narration

Hard to get past the angry narrator right from the start. But once he got rejected by Raphael the masseuse, I knew this was not the book for me.

Not what you expect

It was a quick listen and I enjoyed the narrator but the story was overall boring. Not what you would expect from the title or the description.

it's eh.

limitedly interesting. I was slightly entertained for 90 min...better than watching the news of Covid.

Meh?!?

The performance was good considering the topic, length and content. I love Hollywood history books but this isn't quite the standard tome about such a hedonism , businesses or soapy text. I honestly felt this should have been an article in the New Yorker, Wall Street journal, or People magazine. A time passer or sleep inducing diatribe of blase portions.

Typical Hollywood Shiii

I love stories about L.A., celebrities, and all things tmz...if you know what I mean! so this is right up my alley, but not the greatest reading. It was O.K.👍 but I've read better.

Btchy Complaint Rag

I've stayed at this classic hotel and had no problems, sat in the courtyard, but I was respectful. The author wonders why he was treated poorly and not seated in the Courtyard. I would never have expected unknown hotel staff to get me drugs or send up a prostitute in the form of a masseuse. The author's crass behavior to the staff is a bit embarrassing to listen to, but if you want to hear an account from the hotel guest from Hell, this is your story. This is a lame attempt to lambast a classic hotel that prides itself on discretion. The author is exactly the kind of creep he calls all the other guests. If this is meant as a joke on the hotel - which saw right through him, then the joke is on him. The book should be called "Diary of an Entitled Traveling Nobody Wannabe. I admit the writing style is good and the flow is interesting, and the reader is fine. Just know that he gets no sex nor drugs and but I guess he had a salad. Granted, many rooms in the hotel are a bit run down. That is part of the strange charm. The place is history.

Whining story about nothing but whining.

Summary- Man who doesn't pay for a room at the Chateau complains that he isn't treated like royalty. He complains that, even though he did not make reservations, the hotel wouldn't seat him for dinner.....and he's just a poor working boy who once slept in a closet, so he whines and belittles the hostess (who is probably only making slightly above minimum wage). Side note - Maybe if he tipped and was gracious he would have been treated better, but remember, this room was paid for by his presumed sugar daddy and the authors credit card had already been denied at the front desk- not a suitable customer for any business. He then complains his masseuse, who made it clear he was straight wouldn't give the author a handjob.... more whining. Blah blah blah.... No one will sell him drugs, more whining. THE END
Hey I got this Audible off the free list so I listened to it while cleaning the house still could barely get through the entire thing.

Made an hour long a walk feel like two...

I am just getting into Audible and wanted some shorter works to walk to. The story is rather boring and mostly just the author being whiney. The narration missed on this one. It was easy to get thrown off by the yelp reviews, which were far more interesting than the author's tale, because of the narrator's tone and cadence. On the bright side I now know about a place I've never heard of and can confirm that I have no desire to visit

Not worth the paper it's printed on.

What would have made Sex, Drugs, and $25 Salads better?

A story would have been a good start.

Has Sex, Drugs, and $25 Salads turned you off from other books in this genre?

Genre? Is there a genre of whiny personal journal highlighting the writer's expectations and personal shortcomings?

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Pat Young?

I feel sorry for the narrator. The author was probably too embarrassed to read his own work for the audio.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Boredom. You can her more entertaining stories listening to other's conversations at a Starbucks.

Any additional comments?

Save your money. If you must know what the Chateau is like, go and see for yourself. Or do something else you love. Live the life, don't listen to the book.

Great 👍🏼

Great audiobook.
Thank you for writing this, so funny.
I have quite a few stories I could say as well.