Hotel REM

by Zack Keller, Gabriele Bagnoli (Illustrator)

Rembrandt Somner is the happy-go-lucky new owner of Hotel REM, a place for all the fantastic people and creatures in our dreams to hang out when we wake up.

Channeling his endless enthusiasm, Rem attempts to balance his unwieldy co-workers and wild guests in order to run a successful business that makes his parents proud. However, a demanding celebrity guest threatens to be the rude awakening that ruins everything!

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Middle Grade, Childrens, Graphic Novels Comics

88 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Zack Keller is a writer and director for TV, feature films, videogames and comic books, currently working as a Narrative Director at King and a creator/writer at Dark Horse Comics. After beginning his career at Pixar Animation Studios, he co-created Dick Figures, the highest-rated animated web series on YouTube which earned nearly a billion views and an Annie Award nomination. At Telltale Games, he was a lead writer and narrative designer for such franchises as Guardians of the Galaxy, Batman, The Walking Dead and Tales from the Borderlands. Most recently, he was a screenwriter for Cartoon Network’s animated series Unikitty!, produced by Warner Brothers Animation and The LEGO Group, and wrote the graphic novels Cuphead: Comic Capers & Curios, Creeping, and Hotel REM for Dark Horse Comics.

He lives with his family in San Francisco.

Reviews

[Nicholas Perez]

Looks cute.

[Sirah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rembrandt has just been entrusted with Hotel REM while his parents take a much-needed vacation. It's not Rem's responsibility to care for all the dream characters while they're not out populating human dreams, and although he's nervous, he steps up. Then, the most famous celebrity ever decides to come for a visit, and Rem bends over backward to accommodate the celeb's every whim. But it's hard to be everywhere at once, and there's something unusual about this celebrity.

This book definitely had its moments, and the ending was pretty fun. I enjoyed a lot of the creativity, but I found it hard to wade through the chaos to figure out what was actually going on. Dreams are chaotic, sure, but novels need a little more explanation.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was really very good.

Spirited, well-drawn, a satisfying Æsop and generally story arc too, likeable characters- I wonder if there will be any sort of sequel?

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun mashup of a truly impressive slew of characters staying in the same hotel. When dreamers dream these guys get to have all the fun!

[Chandler Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where do all the characters from our dreams go when we are awake? They check in to the Hotel REM, of course! Run by Rembrandt Somner and his parents, this is the first time Rembrandt is left in charge alone as his parents go off to experience other hotels. Rembrandt struggles to find his footing as a manager, wanting to make everyone happy. One particular guest, Pascal Monaco, is a dream celebrity and his visit to the hotel could make or break the whole business. Rembrandt soon learns that trying to keep one guest happy at the expense of everyone else isn't exactly a winning formula. When Pascal opens a competing hotel, all seems lost for Rembrandt and Hotel REM until Pascal's true motives are revealed.

This is a graphic novel that is not well suited to be read as an ebook - the text is very small and the images are a bit cluttered. Perhaps the physical book is better but I can only judge the copy that I was working with. The concept of a "dream hotel" is interesting and there are some fun tidbits that come out of the idea of our wacky subconscious. The character of Pascal, though, is simply intolerable. He's a stereotypical egotistical celebrity.

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chaotic and fun read with a fun premise that you shouldn't think too hard about. I really enjoyed it, but it suffers from the same issue that I, personally, find in a lot of graphic novels in that it doesn't give itself enough room to breathe. Even in a title like this, in which the chaos is part of the charm, I wish it would have given me a little more time to enjoy the ridiculousness and especially the characters. They each felt unique, but not deep because it never attempts to explore them. And this is a small book, too. It had space to dive a little deeper and I'm sad it didn't.

[Artnoose McMoose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remington has grown up in a magical hotel where dreams get to escape and have a spa day when their dreamers are awake. His parents decide he’s finally old enough to run the hotel while they take a much-needed vacation.

Rem needs to trust his staff and remember what is important when caring for others. He finds that he is stronger and more compétant than he ever imagines.

It’s a beautiful book with a nice color palette. I didn’t quite understand the very final panel, so I asked my tween, who read it first, and we agree it must be just a very vague cliffhanger.

[Arshea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a joy to read. The characters are so delightful and the little tidbits of life lessons scattered throughout makes it great for kids. The themes of being yourself, accepting others without judgement, setting boundaries for yourself and others but with kindness, empathy, and second chances, this book has it all. The art is awesome too! Every panel is so interesting to look at. Absolutely loved it!!

[Shea Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the giveaway!

Rembrandt is a boy who has finally taken over his parents' hotel and tries to live up to their legacy. Doing a wonderful job, he gets an unexpected guest one night and the hotel gets all mixed up. Definitely worth the read if you want to find out more about this mysterious guest. I really hope there is a second book!

I enjoyed the drawings, colors, and details. My favorite character is Talia and I hope to see more of her if there is a second book!

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rembrandt has found himself in the Willy Wonka-like position of running a huge, magical hotel for the beings of dreams in this wildly creative junior graphic novel. I could imagine HOTEL REM as a modern animated feature, and one of the better ones at that. The characters are memorable and funny, the situations over-the-top, and the artwork is detailed and filled-to-bursting with zaniness.

[Jenn Watterlond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork and colors!

A few flaws (how did Rem complete an entire remodel of the hotel before his parents came back from vacation?)
- and some 'eh' twists (I was caught by surprise that Talia and Rembrandt had a thing? He looks like he's 12 and I thought she was way older... this grossed me out a bit)

BUT this story was overall a cute, imaginative, fun coming-of-age and find-family tale.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art was my favorite part, so kudos to the artist. The story was… okay. I kept getting distracted by logistical issues—there were several plot points that didn’t make sense. (For example, why would the bellhop be discriminated against for being a nightmare when it appears that *every* dream has the potential to become one if they get angry enough…?)

[Raven Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story about coming of age. The colors are fun, the tone a mixture of a classic comic/graphic novel feel with modern day elements. Not for everyone, but something for everyone inside.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hotel REM is a delightful escape for kids and adults. I loved the playfulness between the characters, especially as things start to get tricky and they have to problem solve together. There are deep life lessons embedded within the colorful, imaginative pages of this heartwarming story.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty close to being an all ages comic, definitely appropriate for middle school up. The art is colorful and very appealing, and the setting is both imaginative and relatable. And so is the main character, who's trying to live up to his parents' high expectations and struggling with being a people pleaser. The lesson, that tying yourself into knots to please everyone will end up pleasing no one, is a good one for any age, and everyone can relate with trying to find your own way. That Rem does so while still running the family business is kind of a nice twist.