Looking for a creative way to sprinkle wonder into your next meeting or event? Tap into the secret that bibliophiles and Bill Gates—he reads over 50 books a year—already know. Magic lies in the shelves of libraries and in the pages of books, and there are infinite ways to integrate literacy into your meetings and events.
“Event venues are malleable , offering planners a chance to arrange spaces in ways that stimulate participants and produce powerful results," says Jonathan Plutzik, owner of The Betsy Hotel, a beachfront property in Miami with books throughout. "Ending a meeting day with a poetry reading, taking a break at the poetry rail, simply selecting a book from the library to take to our lobby salon for a quick read while taking in nightly live jazz or connecting with peers in the book elevator around a favorite title—these are the kinds of things that add a level of intimacy to an event that is never forgotten, because books spark our imagination."
Invite attendees to unplug at one of these 10 hotels around the world that feature lovely libraries and creative book programs to inspire your team...
1. The Seabird Resort | Oceanside, Calif.
The Wood Library at The Seabird Resort can make attendees feel like they've been transported to a beach home's sitting room.Photo: Courtesy of The Seabird Resort
With North County's surf culture running through every vein of the property and the vibe of a family beach house, The Seabird Resort embodies the true spirit of a Southern California lifestyle. It's home to the beautiful coastal Wood Library, an ideal space for more informal meetings and gatherings. The library offers a fluid and cozy space, adorned with books and nautical decor. Unsurprisingly, the ambiance of the room creates the feeling of being in a beach home’s sitting room.
2. Kimpton Marlowe Hotel | Cambridge, Mass.
At the entrance to the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel sits a Little Free Library, where guests of the hotel are encouraged to "take a book, share a book." The mini library is designed to inspire readers and expand book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Libraries. Inside the hotel, to promote the hotel's theme of discovery and adventure, and to play off of the educational corridor that the hotel is located in—it's steps from nearby Kendall Square—the property recently added a fun, new amenity for guests to enjoy. Guests simply scan a QR code where they fill in their info and then are granted access to all the books, podcasts, and more that the online program offers. The books offer a quiet respite from busy meetings and event days.
3. The Betsy Hotel | Miami Beach, Fla.
The Betsy Hotel's outdoor Poetry Rail features the words of 12 writers who shaped Miami culture.Photo: Courtesy of The Betsy Hotel
The Betsy Hotel’s event spaces are designed to elevate the arts and promote creative thinking, fashioned by Italian decorators Diamante Pedersoli and Carmelina Santoro. Works by major photographers adorn all of the walls, and guests feel the presence of words, as well as a love for literature, everywhere—with unforgettable architectural detail inside and outside. This includes its Poetry Rail located in the alley immediately adjacent to the hotel, an elevator adorned with book covers of both visiting writers and those they simply choose to celebrate, books in all public spaces, guest rooms with mini-book collections, and an on-property full library with guest access available 24/7.
4. The Ben, Autograph Collection | West Palm Beach, Fla.
The Ben launched a Book Butler program in 2021, allowing attendees to retire to their rooms and order books from a curated book list that will be delivered by a Book Butler. The program, a partnership with the Palm Beach Book Store, is a perk event planners will adore. Your team can also order small plates from the Book Bites menu, cozy up with a best-selling book, and keep their place with a branded tasseled bookmark.
5. The Library Hotel | New York City
Out: fruit baskets. In: book bundles. The Library Hotel's welcome book bundles are an inspiring gift for incoming attendees.Photo: Courtesy of The Library Hotel
The Library Hotel’s moniker gives a hint of its devotion to all things literary. Whether you want to gift your attendees a bundle of books as a welcome amenity, inspire a study session in the Reading Room, or have an informal meet and greet in the book-lined Main Lobby, you’ll find plenty of ways to create a memorable story at The Library Hotel.
6. Ecoventura | Galapagos Islands
For an ultra-luxe and educational Galapagos Islands experience, small groups can charter the identical luxury expedition yachts, Origin, Theory & Evolve by Ecoventura, each intimate and exclusive for just 20 guests and named after Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and origin of species. Each of the yachts feature a library of books—some rare—all about the Galapagos, ranging from On the Origin of the Species by Darwin himself to fiction novels like the Galapagos-set Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult, for passengers to dive into, which only furthers the experience.
7. Schloss Elmau | Munich, Germany
The Library Lounge at Schloss Elmau's Retreat features two open fireplaces and spectacular views of Wetterstein Mountain and Ferchenbach Creek.Photo: Courtesy of Schloss Elmau
Situated in the heart of the Bavarian Alps, Schloss Elmau is one of the most luxurious spas and cultural resorts in Germany. The resort offers 162 rooms and suites, five restaurants, the largest bookstore in any hotel in Germany, and a concert hall with yearlong programming featuring world-renowned musicians. The resort also boasts multiple libraries: the Silentium Library, where guests can read, think, and dream; the Wetterstein Library, an ideal space for working; and the Library Lounge at the Retreat, a space for reading, drinking, and talking that features two open fireplaces and spectacular views of Wetterstein Mountain and Ferchenbach Creek.
8. Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale | Scottsdale, Ariz. 
Groups can enjoy their reading time with beverages from the hotel's Hearth ’61 bar, including a "Winter Oat Latte" and the "Bitter & Bubbly" espresso drink.Photo: Courtesy of Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale
Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale's Living Room is a cozy space at signature restaurant Hearth ’61 that features a pop-up Library Coffee Cart. Meetings guests can use the space to meet or as a leisure team-building activity to unwind together with a book and espresso martini. The Library Coffee Cart brews coffee menu items from the Hearth ’61 bar, including the "Winter Oat Latte" and the "Bitter & Bubbly" espresso drink. For a specialty tea beverage, the Library Teapot steeps royal-tea with Teaspressa’s Charles Grey tea and blue daisy petals.
9. Hotel Rangá | Hella, Iceland
Set in the secluded countryside of Southern Iceland, Hotel Rangá offers group adventure, relaxation, and luxurious accommodation. Located in a country of bookworms known for its love of storytelling, Hotel Rangá will be offering a new winter “Book Lovers” turndown service this upcoming winter. Interested guests will receive an Icelandic book personally selected by Hotel Rangá’s staff and signed by the author on their first night to devour throughout their stay. In addition, guests can choose a hot drink to be delivered to their room to sip on while cozying up with their new book. (Might we say this is even better than chocolate under your pillow?) Local authors participating in the boutique Hotel Rangá's program may also be booked for a reading for groups upon request and based on availability.
10. Sheen Falls Lodge | County Kerry, Ireland
Sheen Falls Lodge's cozy library is ideal for an intimate dinner for up to 14 people.Photo: Courtesy of Sheen Falls Lodge
A memorable home base for an Irish getaway, Sheen Falls Lodge overlooks the picturesque Sheen Falls. This five-star Relais & Chateaux property is renowned for its fine-dining restaurant, Rosette, and luxurious rooms, suites, and villas. Its lovely library is warm, intimate, and private—offering an inspiring space for board meetings, presentations, and creative brainstorming. Ideal for an intimate dinner for up to 14, this impressive room comes with leather armchairs in front of the fire for relaxing afterward.
