Robert Mayer, HB Hotelier 

Book Review by C. MacDonald

"Without Risk There's No Reward" by Robert Mayer, is a delightful read--entertaining, educating and inspiring. The owner of several Huntington Beach resorts, the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort at 21100 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 and Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, speaks from experience.

His new book would be a good supplemental text book for university business courses.

Using easily understandable language, it flows from the "ground floor" of his life through his trials and tribulations, his loves and his lessons, his grief and his greatness.

Chock-full of humor, i.e., "Nobody wants to be around a decomposing corpse, especially in Las Vegas heat and especially when they're on vacation," Robert Mayer candidly describes his frustrations and follies. One such event includes a slapstick episode in Las Vegas involving a motel called "Mirage," his own "Mirage Hotel & Casino" and the proposed "Steve Wynn's Mirage."

Mayer's humble rise from day laborer to one of the nation's largest developers, includes the inside story of his role in creating Huntington Beach's beautiful Waterfront Hilton and Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa--both of which have helped make the Orange County beach a major tourist destination.

He tells about the people crucial to his success, from relatives (who are pictured in a special section) to Steve Bone, an attorney he got to join him in the fun and challenge of creating HB's best known hotels. Today, Bone is head of the Huntington Beach Marketing and Visitors Bureau.

You'll be surprised by the stories Mayer shares and intrigued by the photos in this roller-coaster ride of a book that's hard to put down.