Source: The Jefferson

Get Lit in These 6 Beautifully Bookish Hotels

Jill Gleeson READ TIME: 4 MIN.

Lovers of the written word take heed. "Slow travel" is trending for 2019, and along with leisurely walking holidays and relaxed boating and biking journeys, cozying up with a good book is suddenly on every vacationer's wish list. Happily, a new crop of hotels are offering a treasure trove of nifty literary programming and onsite libraries so their bibliophilic guests can keep those pages turning. In honor of World Book Day on April 23, here are some of our favorites:

The Jefferson
The Jefferson's philanthropic efforts, as well as its goodies for guests, have a literary theme. The graceful Washington, D.C. hotel founded its First Library program as a tribute to Thomas Jefferson's love of the written word. Every time someone reserves a room, the property donates one book to a child through the DC Public Library Foundation. There's also a First Library shelf of books for kids in The Jefferson's on-site Book Room.

Should you be looking for more grown-up biblio-centric pleasures, the hotel's brunch spot The Greenhouse and the bar at its Michelin-starred restaurant Plume serve up the Books & Bites lending program, even providing a reading light upon request.

Oil Nut Bay
This eco-luxe resort community, which sits very pretty in British Virgin Islands' North Sound of Virgin Gorda, is doing well not just by its bookworm guests, but also local schoolchildren. Readers will love the bespoke book collection set to debut at Oil Nut Bay's highly-anticipated public waterside promenade Marina Village.

Created with UK book curator Ultimate Library, the collection immerses visitors in the local culture and provides a sense of place by showcasing the Caribbean's diverse voices. Even better, the resort and Ultimate Library have joined forces to donate a library for the local primary school, recently rebuilt in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

Conrad Cartagena

Conrad Cartagena
Conrad Cartagena's signature restaurant, Biblioteka, boasts a library-inspired design that transports guests to new worlds through international cuisine fusing Asian, European and Latin American flavors and exotic reads that line the walls. The restaurant just launched a series of new literary programs to teach guests about the city's vibrant history including a Colombian Corner where guests can immerse themselves in local literature while enjoying complimentary Colombian coffee.

Partake in Fireside Poetry Readings to read selections of poems from the library or perform your own new work by the expansive fire pit. A literary immersion tour offers guests the opportunity to explore the house and route of legendary Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez through the hotel's literary itineraries.

Crowne Plaza HY36
If you're heading into New York City for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in June, consider a stay at the Crowne Plaza HY36. The hotel, conveniently located in midtown Manhattan, is celebrating the moment when the fight for LGBTQ rights got real by offering some glorious goodies at check-in as well as fine fare for bookworms. Guests will receive a gift bag stuffed with Pride-themed bandanas, fans and Absolut Rainbow Vodka minis. You might want to tipple that hootch while perusing the beautifully curated selection of classic and modern LGBTQ literature tucked away in the hotel's common area.

Or take advantage of early spring by booking a Hibernation Vacation Suite package and score some much-needed rest and relaxation ASAP. It includes a gorgeous suite offering a binge-worthy selection of books, cozy throw blankets, the soothing sounds of a crackling fireplace and even a s'mores-inspired craft cocktail.

The Grayhaven Motel
For literature lovers up for a bit more action, the Grayhaven Motel, a charming 16-room retro property in central New York, hosts festive events like bookbinding workshops and author readings. At the seasonal workshops, guests learn the first steps necessary to fuse paper with paper and cover, while the readings feature four regional writers sharing their work alongside thoughtfully selected refreshments provided by the motel. There are also 11 acres of grand Finger Lakes wilderness surrounding the Grayhaven to ramble, should you want to find a private spot for cracking open the latest bestseller.

Volcano House
The Island of Hawaii offers incredible outdoor adventure and cultural and ecological diversity galore, and it can be a bit overwhelming if you don't have a game plan for exploring it all. Luckily, the iconic Volcano House provides guests with all the guidebooks, cultural history tomes and flora and fauna literature about "The Big Island" they could need.

The island's oldest hotel has a long and legendary connection with writers and their work. Mark Twain, celebrated author of classics like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," stayed there in 1866. He was so moved by the view of Halema'uma'u Crater, he penned the short story "Strange Dream" in the hotel's register, dubbing Halema'uma'u a "boiling, surging, roaring ocean of fire."


by Jill Gleeson

Jill Gleeson is a travel and adventure journalist based in the Appalachians of Central Pennsylvania. Find her on Facebook and Twitter at @gopinkboots.

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