The best hotels for bookworms

It’s hard to beat escaping into a book – but for bookworms looking for an escape that jumps off the page, there are plenty of hotels that cater to a love of all things literary. From a Cornish coastal retreat that’s been immortalised in fiction to a book-strewn adults-only resort on a South Pacific island, here are eight of the best hotels in the world for book-lovers. The only question that remains is what holiday reading to take with you.

Carbis Bay Hotel, Cornwall

A luxury beachfront resort just outside St Ives, Carbis Bay Hotel appears as The Sands Hotel in two of Rosamunde Pilcher’s novels, The Shell Seekers and Winter Solstice. In The Shell Seekers the author describes ‘enormously thick carpets, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, private bathrooms, televisions by our beds, huge bowls of fresh fruit, and flowers everywhere… looking out over the gardens and the sea’ – which perhaps goes some way to explaining why visitors from all over the world come on a ‘Pilcher pilgrimage’ to the hotel it's based on. Virginia Woolf also spent three weeks at Carbis Bay Hotel in 1914, and To the Lighthouse (1927) was inspired by the lonely Godrevy Lighthouse visible in St Ives Bay from across the estate. If you need a break between chapters, the hotel has its own 25-acre beach, spa and a fine-dining restaurant. B&B doubles from £240.

Library Hotel, New York City

As the name suggests, this boutique hotel in midtown Manhattan is a boon for bookworms – with a collection of more than 6,000 books organised by the Dewey decimal system. Each of its stylish rooms contains dozens of books and artwork exploring a particular topic or theme, from advertising and astronomy to erotic literature and zoology. The hotel's ‘NovelTea’ break package includes a classic novel, a Library Hotel tote bag and two packs of English breakfast teabags tagged with literary quotes and starts from £300 a night (available until March). Room-only doubles from £210.

Another Place, Lake District

A chic hotel on the shores of Ullswater, Another Place offers not only a book-worthy location – the Lake District has inspired writers from Beatrix Potter to John Ruskin – but also a hotel library with more than 150 titles, many of which offer an ode to this wild and romantic setting. The library also provides guests with an elegant space to while away an hour or two of reading – and majestic views of the water when you do look up from the page. If you want to feel like you’re in your own adventure story, you can even stay in a treehouse. B&B doubles from £210 per night.

Saint James, Paris

The only chateau-hotel in the French capital, Saint James Paris is tucked away in a quiet, picturesque corner of the 16th arrondissement and has a library steeped in literary and political history. The hotel was once the residence of French president Adolphe Thiers, and after his death it became the home of the Thiers Foundation. When the Foundation moved out and the Saint James Club started in 1987, the study became the Library Bar – which then became the setting of literary TV show L’Assiette Anglaise with Bernard Rapp. Since 1991, the property has operated as both a Relais & Châteaux hotel and private club, and today the Library Bar offers club members and guests an elegant place to indulge in a cocktail, surrounded by books stacked to the ceiling. There’s also a Guerlain spa and a high-end restaurant. Room-only doubles from £500.

Montcalm East, London

Don’t worry about fitting too many books into your luggage for a stay at Montcalm East – this Marriott-owned hotel in Shoreditch has teamed up with publisher Hoxton Mini Press to stock its ground-floor reading room. It’s also got a partnership with magCulture, which can deliver a range of fashion, art and photography magazines to guests’ rooms. When your nose isn’t in a book, some of the 288 bedrooms have floor-to-ceiling windows giving views over the city, and the hotel's decor draws inspiration from the art studios that blossomed in the area in the 1980s and 1990s. Room-only doubles from £190.

The Moso, Vanuatu

Accessible only by boat, The Moso in Vanuatu is an adults-only slice of isolated paradise, surrounded by clear water and shaded by rustling coconut trees. When you need something to read on your lounger, you will find a carefully chosen selection of books dotted around the hotel. For luxury that’s a cut above the rest, the Hilltop Lap Pool Villa has its own 7m x 2m private lap pool, indoor and outdoor shower, sunken lounge – and a library all of your own. Room-only doubles from £200.

Ellerman House, Cape Town

The glamorous Edwardian mansion of Ellerman House is perched on the cliffside above Bantry Bay in Cape Town and features one of South Africa’s most impressive private art collections, an award-winning wine list – and a gorgeous hotel library. With spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean, the library contains a selection of fiction and non-fiction titles for hotel guests to dip into. There’s also a 24-hour pantry on offer if you need something to fuel your reading. B&B doubles from £700.

Preidlhof, South Tyrol

In the Merano region of South Tyrol, Preidlhof is a luxurious five-star ‘wellness hotel’ – meaning that rest and relaxation are the order of the day. Well, even bookworms need a break. It has a six-storey ‘spa tower’ with 16 different sauna, steam and relaxation areas, six pools (including an outdoor infinity sky pool) and a deep-sea relaxation room. The hotel also offers a dedicated reading room with views over its scenic surroundings. And to make it easier for you to concentrate on your book, the resort is adults only. Room-only doubles from £180.