There’s no doubt that being a writer is the most fun job on Earth. While I don't have a comparison, as it’s the only job I’ve ever had, I am confident in this assessment. But sometimes, even with all your sources aligned, even after an A-plus experience, and even after all your notes are diligently typed up, a darkness can fall over you, and it’s known as writer’s block. If you just heard that Dun dun duuun! in your head too at the mention of it, odds are you’re a writer or a creative in some way, too. While we all have our cures to get over this dreaded event, mine is simple: Read something else. Looking at the way great writers string together their prose usually snaps me out of my haze, inspiring me both to get to work and to do it better. But sometimes, I need a bigger hit, and that’s where a stay at a hotel with a fantastic library comes into play. Take, for example, Torel Palace Porto, one of my all-time favorite stays across Portugal. Housed in a 19th-century mansion, Torel Palace Porto names each of its 24 rooms and suites for a different Portuguese writer or poet, which would ensure inspiration enough. But the hotel takes it a step further with a library at the very heart of the hotel—a room built entirely around the idea that a great trip should also be a great read. And Torel is far from alone in offering fantastic page-turners with each stay.
At The Capra, a wellness retreat in the Swiss Alps, the library is curated in partnership with Payot Librairie, one of French-speaking Switzerland's top bookstores, with a rotating "Recommended by Payot" selection refreshed in every room. "We think of The Capra as a cultural hotel as much as a place to stay, so the library matters to us greatly," Phaedra Letrou, the hotel's owner and creative director, said. "It's part of how we hope guests spend their time here, not just where they sleep." Boston's The Dagny leans into local literary history, with a library that includes a sculptural installation by artist Przemyslaw Kordys, made from books that climb the wall like ivy. "Our library was created to reflect Boston's literary culture, with books that celebrate the city's authors, history, and creative legacy from our historic landmark building," General Manager Ersela Muka-Ylli explained. Then there's Aspen Meadows Resort, home of the Aspen Institute, which just launched a lending library stocked with titles from its own Aspen Literary Festival authors, including Michael Lewis, Kevin Kwan, and Tayari Jones. "Our curated lending library is one way we can be more intentional in our approach to overall wellness," General Manager Carrie Williams said, adding, "nurturing the mind and inviting guests to embrace the simple pleasure of reading something wonderful while away from home." In Jamaica, Round Hill Hotel & Villas built its library around the property's 70-plus-year history, with a collection spanning fiction, travel, and Jamaican culture. "Our library is an extension of that philosophy, offering a thoughtfully curated collection that celebrates travel, culture, and the rich history of Jamaica," Managing Director Josef Forstmayr shared. Really breezing through those vacation reads? Here are a few more for the next time you're stacking your travel reading list: The Loutrel in Charleston pairs its lending library with a "Blind Date Book" experience through local shop Buxton Books. ONE | GT in Grand Cayman built a quiet second-floor reading room wrapped in local artwork. And Hotel Teatro in Denver turned its library into The Study, a full café and wine bar with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books just off the lobby so you can pair a drink with your favorite read. So no need to bring a book with you on your next getaway. Just check one out from your hotel library instead. |
