Guests of Bertram's Hotel

The novel At Bertram's Hotel mentions a large number of people who, at one time or other, were guests at the exclusive London hotel. Some played a significant role in the plot while others received only brief mentions.

Guests who played a significant role in the plot
A number of guests played a significant role in the plot. See the articles under their name for details.


 * Jane Marple - of St. Mary Mead, Much Benham
 * Selina Hazy - of Little Cottage, Merryfield, Hampshire
 * Derek Luscombe - of Little Green, Suffolk
 * Elvira Blake
 * Bess Sedgwick - of Hurstings House, Northumberland
 * Mr & Mrs Elmer Cabot - of Greenwich, Connecticut
 * Canon Pennyfather - of The Close, Chadminster

Other Guests
Chief Inspector Davy read off a number of other names from the register:
 * Mr and Mrs Hennessy King - of the Elderberries, Essex
 * Sir John Woodstock - of 5 Beaumont Crescent, Cheltenham
 * General Radley - of 14 The Green, Chichester
 * Mr and Mrs Woolmer Pickington, of Marblehead, Connecticut
 * Le Comtesse de Beauville - Les Sapins, St.-Germain-en-Laye
 * Mrs Carpenter - shared a room with Elvira Blake
 * Mr Holding, Mrs Holding and Miss Audrey Holding - of the Manor House, Carmanton
 * Mr and Mrs Ryesville - of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
 * The Duke of Barnstable - of Doone Castle, N. Devon

The following guests were not read off the register when Inspector Davy looked through it but were seen at various times or were mentioned as staying in the hotel. They might have checked out by then, or were simply having tea at the lounge hall
 * The Dean of Chislehampton
 * Sybil Kerr
 * Lady Berry
 * Mrs Posselthwaite
 * The Bishop of Medmenham
 * Cicely Longhurst
 * The Bishop of Westchester
 * Colonel Mortimer
 * The Marchioness of Barlow

According to the hotel manager Mr Humfries, some of the above, like Lady Berry, Sybil Kerr and Mrs Posselthwaite, although not well-to-do, were offered special rates to stay so that they could bring some "atmosphere" to the place to attract the tourists. These "decayed aristocrats, impoverished members of the old County families" brought an atmosphere of "the Old England" much desired, especially by American visitors.

In addition, according to Miss Gorringe, a number of guests were expected shortly or arrived late in the novel:
 * Lady Jocelyn
 * Archdeacon Tomlinson
 * Mrs Saunders

These were former guests who were at the hotel before the events in the book or had checked out by the time they were mentioned:
 * Mr Justice Ludgrove
 * Amy McAllister
 * The Canon of Ely
 * The Pendleburys - mentioned by Mrs Elmer Cabot
 * The Bishop of Norwich
 * Mrs Jameson

BBC's Miss Marple
In the BBC 1987 adaptation of the novel, all the guests who play a significant part in the plot are feature. In addition, Selina Hazy spots a few other people at the hotel:
 * Mrs Dalrymple from Somerset (possibly a replacement for Mrs Posselthwaite from Someret)
 * Dolly Leadbetter
 * Admiral Ponsonby - or rather, someone whom she thought was Admiral Ponsonby
 * Justice Ludgrove - not a former guest, he is actually staying there
 * Cicely Longhurst

ITV's Marple
The 2007 ITV adaptation of the novel made significant changes to the story, adding many non-canonical characters and changing the backstories of those original characters who were portrayed. Almost all the action takes place within the hotel and there were many more guests in the hotel:
 * Mr Mutti
 * Herman Koch
 * Miss Evershot
 * Brigit Milford
 * Jack Britten
 * Joel Britten
 * Amelia Walker
 * Louis Armstrong
 * Ladislaus Malinowski