Books ambassador left outside lodging-place (5)
I believe the answer is:
hotel
'lodging-place' is the definition.
(type of accommodation)
'books ambassador left outside' is the wordplay.
'books' becomes 'ot' (Old Testament).
'ambassador' becomes 'he' (His or Her Excellency).
'left' becomes 'L' (common abbreviation).
'outside' is an insertion indicator.
'he'+'l'='hel'
'ot' put inside 'hel' is 'HOTEL'.
(Other definitions for hotel that I've seen before include "Place for travellers to stay" , "offering accommodation" , "Lodging house - code for "H"" , "Letter transmitted" , "Holiday venue" .)