The 11 Best Hotels for Book Lovers
Vacations often offer a chance to catch up on our ever-growing stack of books and delve into some great reads. And many hotels are now catering to bibliophiles with cozy libraries, book lending programs and even book-focused designs themed around the literary. Here are some of the best hotels around the world for bookworms.
The Study at Yale
New Haven, Connecticut
Reading is just one part of the appeal of The Study at Yale Hotel, which is designed from top to bottom to create a scholarly feel and encourage quiet reflection. Rooms at the hotel located on the campus of Yale University offer a variety of nooks for reading, including a soft leather chair with an ottoman, a desk with an ergonomic chair and a feather-topped bed. And each suite comes appointed with a separate study area featuring stocked bookcases and panoramic views of the campus. Best of all, if you would to curl up with a good book outside of your room, grab a cup of joe from the 24-hour Lobby Cafe and venture to the property's the living room and lobby area. Filled with comfortable seats, a floor-to-ceiling bookcase filled with picks from the Strand Book Store in New York City, as well as daily papers, the lobby offers the chance to read to your heart's content.
The Commons Hotel
Minneapolis
Another studious property that offers a haven for literary lovers is The Commons Hotel, located within walking distance of the University of Minnesota campus. The hotel's resident Book Butler will deliver your choice of book -- be it a classic or best-seller -- directly to your room. Priding itself on its geek chic design, the hotel also provides literary quotes on pillows at turndown and delivers sudoku puzzles with each in-room breakfast order. The hotel also features a well-stocked library, complete with fire pit surrounded by leather seating, that offers the perfect setting for cold winter nights.
Library Hotel
New York City
To fully embrace your inner bookworm, retreat to the Library Hotel, where the floors and rooms are organized according to the Dewey Decimal System. For example, if you're staying on the third floor in room 300.004, you'll be in the Social Sciences: World Culture room. Each room at the hotel is filled with books and art related to its designated topic. Spend some time in the hotel's reading room, which is open 24 hours a day and is stocked with hundreds of books, a wide selection of teas and coffees and stellar views of Madison Avenue and Library Way. The 14th-floor rooftop hosts the Writer's Den and Poetry Garden where guests can snuggle up by the fireplace by day or savor literary-inspired cocktails at night when the venue transforms to Bookmarks Lounge.
St. Regis New York
New York City
Are you more of an e-reader than someone who likes to physically turn the pages? Then, the Astor Digital Library at the St. Regis New York is perfect for you. Inside, you'll find a collection of leather-bound Kindles, each loaded with book titles from the hotel's founder John Jacob Astor IV's original collection installed in 1904, such as "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," "Oliver Twist" and "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." Guests are welcome to check out one of these "digital libraries" during their stay. Plus, visitors are also granted access to the on-site physical collection of books on the hotel's second floor.
Lake Austin Spa Resort
Lake Austin, Texas
At the beautiful Lake Austin Spa Resort on the shores of Lake Austin in Texas's legendary Hill Country, guests can not only relax at the spa, but with a book in hand. Several lending libraries are available throughout the resort, and each library boasts an amazing view. The Garden Library is a reading room set off the property's expansive gardens; the Living Room's library overlooks the water; and the Lake Room library overlooks Lake Austin and is surrounded by a collection of art and antiques. "Each spot has a selection of books that guests can take back to their room with them -- and if they disappear for a lifetime, no one will ever know," says Tina Harlow, general manager of Lake Austin Spa Resort. You might even want to snag a spot in the lakeside hammock where many guests bring pillows and blankets from their room to while away the day reading.
The Jefferson, Washington, DC
Washington, D.C.
Do you collect signed copies of your favorite books? Then you'll be in bibliophile bliss at The Jefferson, where you can check out an extensive book collection signed by authors who have graced the hotel's halls in their Book Room. Inspired by Thomas Jefferson's Book Room at Monticello, you'll find books by everyone from Bono to Bill Gates. The Beaux Arts-style Jefferson, built in 1923, was formerly home to luxury apartments and was converted into a hotel in 1955. The property is themed entirely around the life and philosophies of Thomas Jefferson, from the draperies and parquet flooring designed to recreate Jefferson's home at Monticello to dishes inspired by the gardens at Monticello.
Vive Hotel Waikiki
Oahu, Hawaii
Get in plenty of beachside reading at Vive Hotel Waikiki using the property's Recycled Reads Library. The boutique hotel's living area features a wall of books for guests to borrow something intriguing and leave behind whatever they've finished for future readers. And because the hotel's guests have varied reading preferences, at any given time you'll find anything from Tom Clancy to a biography of Carole King. Guests may also choose to stay in the themed Library Suite, which has a wall designed to look like a library complete with a desk and a cozy chair for enjoying your recycled read.
Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa
Edinburgh, Scotland
When it comes to room service at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Edinburgh, guests can not only order food but books as well. The new "Books in Bedrooms" program lets guests purchase from the book menu signed editions by the city's most celebrated contemporary authors as well as a range of classic Scottish books, children's books by local authors and guidebooks to the city. And thanks to the hotel's partnership with a local independent bookshop owner, guests can ensure that the books that they order will be delivered within minutes.
Mandarin Oriental, New York
New York City
The Mandarin Oriental, New York has implemented a bedside reading program where rooms and suites feature a variety of newly released hardback and paperback books for guests to enjoy. Guests are even invited to take home books, which are donated by the publishers, with them upon check-out, compliments of the hotel. And thanks to the property's partnership with New York fashion designer and lit fan Joseph Altuzarra, all suites also feature a selection of Altuzarra's favorite books, from Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" to Vladimir Nabakov's "Lolita."
The Heathman Hotel
Portland, Oregon
You'll discover more than 2,700 signed books in the grand library at the Heathman Hotel Portland. The literature displayed along the hotel's shelves have been collected for more than 30 years and has been updated by the authors who have stayed at the property. You can peruse and read the books in the Mezzanine Library, as well as attend evening social events in the library Monday through Thursday when the hotel offers complimentary wine from Boedecker Cellars. What's more, the hotel's gracious staff members are happy to recommend titles and even check out books for guests to take back to their room.
The Cloister at Sea Island
Sea Island, Georgia
More than 4,000 books adorn the shelves of the English country house-inspired library at The Cloister at Sea Island. Built in 2006 in tandem with the renovation of one of its properties, the resort's collection is continually expanded from guests all over the world. The property also hosts literary dinners with menus inspired by the literature housed in the library where guests can enjoy memorable meals as staff read a featured title and the chef explains his culinary inspiration. Located on the southeastern coast of Georgia, this Sea Island retreat also boasts 5 miles of private beach, a beach club, tennis and squash centers, PGA golf courses and more.
