Latest Trend in Chain Hotels: In-House Libraries

New York City's famous Library Hotel

Even when traveling, be they tree-books or e-books, I manage to surround myself with reading material.  While on the road for ten days earlier this month, for instance, I managed to read three books I brought with me from the library and about half of an e-book review copy that was housed on my iPad.  (Not sleeping well in hotel beds really does extend the reading hours in a day.)

That's why I think the budding trend, detailed in a New York Times article, of some chain hotels adding library settings to their facilities is so cool.  What better way to convince guests to spend a little more time inside the building relaxing - and very likely spending money on food and drink at the same time?  Perfect.

Reading material in many hotel rooms has become about as spare as it can be — open the desk drawer and it might hold a Gideon Bible and a Yellow Pages.

But some hotels are giving the humble book another look, as they search for ways to persuade guests, particularly younger ones, to spend more time in their lobbies and bars. They are increasingly stocking books in a central location, designating book suites or playing host to author readings. While the trend began at boutique hotels like the Library Hotel in New York, the Heathman Hotel in Portland, Ore., and the Study at Yale in New Haven, it is expanding to chain hotels.

 (The entire article can be read here.  It includes a picture of the type of library-setting the hotels are moving toward.)