Writer's Digest....

Novel Accommodations:
Bed down in literary style at the Library Hotel

Writers in the Big Apple for business or pleasure now have the perfect place to spend the night. Located on “Library Way” at Madison Avenue and 41st Street and just down the street from the majestic New York Public Library and Pierpont Morgan, the Library Hotel is one of New York’s most unique boutique hotels.

The intimate 60-room property feels more like a private club for word lovers than it does a hotel. The lobby is wrapped in book-filled mahogany shelves, providing a preview of the hotel’s collection of more than 6,000 books. The wall behind the reception desk is a floor-to-ceiling faux library card catalog

“Befitting its name, each hotel floor and room is classified by a Dewey Decimal system category of knowledge,” says general manager Craig Spitzer. All of the hotel’s elegantly appointed guest rooms include a library of books that relate to the room’s specific Dewey Decimal theme.

“Guests can request a room, based on personal interests, from any of the 60 eclectic themes available,” according to vice president of sales & marketing, Adele Gutman. For instance, writers may gravitate to the tenth floor, where room choices include Libraries, Encyclopedic Works, Almanacs, Journalism, Museums, and New Media. Guests with a passion for literature can stay on the eighth floor in the Fiction, The Classics, Fairy Tales, or Erotic Literature room.

Though many guests may be tempted to simply stay in their room and read, the pleasures of the book continue throughout the hotel. Located on the 14th floor, the Poetry Garden provides a charming greenhouse sitting room outfitted with wicker. Outside, there’s a beautiful wraparound terrace looking straight down Library Way to the New York Public Library.

Also located on the 14th floor, the Writer’s Den is a cozy mahogany-paneled sitting room with overstuffed seating, a working fireplace, and its own terrace. Down on the second floor, the book-lined Reading Room is where guests can enjoy complimentary refreshments, including deluxe continental breakfast; cappuccino, coffee, teas, and other refreshments throughout the day; and a wine and cheese reception each weekday evening. Also on the wine and food front, the hotel’s first floor restaurant, Branzini, is a popular spot for tapas and casual Italian fare (be sure to try the grilled sardines).

The public spaces mentioned above, along with the 15th floor Executive Inspiration Room (for small meetings of up to 12 participants), have all become extremely popular for literary-themed events, meetings, and more. The hotel also provides a Business Center with computer stations, as well as privileges at a nearby health club.

Adele Gutman took on the enjoyable task of choosing and purchasing the hotel’s book collection. She says, “It took nearly $100,000 and a ton of time at Strand Bookstore, the city’s largest used and rare books dealer. Once all of the books were purchased, 25 to 100 appropriate books were placed in each room and the rest were spread throughout the hotel’s public spaces.”

The hotel’s many visiting authors constantly offer donated books, which Gutman says is giving them a nice flow of additional options. Recent guests (and, thus, donated books) have included David Baldacci, Amy Tan, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Cheryl Jarvis (The Marriage Sabbatical), and Fredric Fekkai (A Year of Style).

“Quite simply, this is the perfect place for writers and anyone who loves words,” says Gutman. Her bruises--and occupancy rates--are the proof of the hotel’s popularity.

For further information, visit www.libraryhotel.com or call 212-983-4500 or 877-793-7323.