Would You Stay? The Book and Bed Hostel in Tokyo

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: When I first started out at Jungle Reds, I wrote a post called, Literary Hotels: Would you Stay?  In it, I wrote about the Libary Hotel in New York City; the Sylvia Beach Hotel in Nye, Oregon; and the Akwaaba Inn in D.C.—all book-themed places that look absolutely lovely.

And so when I read about the Book and Bed Hostel in Tokyo, I was intrigued. Now, it's a hostel, not a hotel, so the amenities are different. The bed "areas" are small — it's a pod hotel, with bunks rather than rooms per se. There's free wi-fi and shared bathrooms. It costs around $40 per night.

However, the great thing is that it's set up to look like a bookshop. There are lots and lots of books (1,700 in different languages), and you're welcome to take whatever you'd like and read yourself to sleep.

Because that's the concept here, according to the hostel's web site: “dozing off obliviously during your treasured pastime in the finest ‘moment of sleep.... It is already two a.m., but you think, ‘Just a little more…’. With heavy drooping eyelids you continue reading only to realise you have fallen asleep.”

Lovely Reds, what do you think? Would the books be enough of a draw? Or would the lack of amenities put you off?  (I'm intrigued  and it's an amazing price for Tokyo. However, I'm a little concerned about the lack of doors and locks....)

Would you stay here? Do you think there's a market for something similar in the U.S.? Tell us in the comments!

Literary Hotels—Would You Stay?

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: My next Maggie Hope novel, MRS. ROOSEVELT'S CONFIDANTE, is due to my editor on October 15th — and so I'm been thinking a lot about writing retreats. 

(Not only are the Hubby, Kiddo, Miss Edna, and cats Xander and Lola around, but we seem to have taken in another human, at least for a while. He's just twenty-one and was dealt a tough hand in life in general and also recently. And, so, we have another person hanging out with the gang for a while.)

Can you blame me for googling writing retreats? Looking for a room of one's own? A corner of the sky? (Oh, please, I'll settle for a door I can lock....)

What I found in the process of all this daydreaming was that there exist hotels inspired by writers and dedicated to readers. I was amazed by the depth and breadth of what I found. What fun!

The first hotel I discovered is actually in my home town of New York City. It's called The Library Hotel. The concept is amazing —

The Library Hotel concept is inspired by the Dewey Decimal system. Each of the 10 guestroom floors honor one of the 10 categories of the Dewey Decimal System and each of the 60 rooms are uniquely adorned with a collection of books and art exploring a distinctive topic within the category it belongs to. Guests are invited to unwind from their urban adventures by enjoying the quiet exploration of over 6,000 books.

So, let's say you'd like to stay on the eighth floor, Literature. Well, you could then choose the Mystery room (or classic literature, fairy tales, or, hmmm, erotic literature room). 

You could write in your room, in the extensive library, or on the roof deck. Sigh.... If I could afford it, I'd finish the novel there.

The next book-themed hotel I found is called The Sylvia Beach Hotel ("truly a hotel for book lovers") in Nye, Oregon. They have rooms divided into types: Classics, Bestsellers, and Novels. A mystery buff could choose the Agatha Christie room — which has its own private deck, fireplace, and an ocean front view. Guests can choose from the many Christie books on the shelves and "perhaps find a clue from each mystery hidden somewhere in the room." There's also library/reading area and a restaurant.

And there's also Akwaaba, D.C. I've stayed at the Akwaaba Mansion in Brooklyn, but have yet to stay in the sister hotel in Washington, D.C.'s Dupont Circle.  However, I can't wait! The hotel's rooms are themed after African-American writers — and of course I'd pick the Walter Mosley suite. 

There's also a "Writer's Retreat" which is basically a really lovely apartment with galley kitchen, two bedrooms, etc. Sounds fabulous, doesn't it?

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Reds and lovely readers, what do you think about these book- and reading-themed hotels? Would you stay? Which room would you choose? If you could create your own themed hotel room, what would be like?