When it comes to intellectually oriented travel destinations, it’s not hard to seek out heritage-rich cities that stimulate the mind through guided tours of ancient sites, cultural institutions, and world-class museums. But most, if not all, of these places fall short in the pursuit of true relaxation.

Sometimes all you really need to unwind after a particularly hectic week is a moment of stillness in a cozy space many miles from home, with a good book in hand. There’s something about a hotel library with inviting nooks to get lost in a story that summons calm or, alternatively, spurs curiosity — both are a welcome change from clacking keyboards and rejiggering jam-packed calendars. As the summer vacation season looms, holing up in a dimly lit corner and losing hours in pages of inky prose may feel like a far cry from packed island beaches — but it could be just what the doctor ordered.

In fact, literary travel experiences are officially trending for 2025, thanks to a recent onslaught of reading retreats as well as book-themed hotel amenities. The latter in particular is trending, as more and more luxury properties are adding robust libraries and reading spaces to their list of on-site offerings.

Need proof? The impressive hotel libraries below are the perfect spots to curl up any time of year, whether you’re a budding bibliophile or a voracious reader.

Hotel Lilien: Tannersville, New York

The Catskills is the unofficial capital of cozy, so it’s hardly surprising that one of the best spots for bookworms to hunker down sits inside Hotel Lilien, a reimagined Victorian estate. The wood-paneled library pays homage to the past with a compendium of vintage books about the area’s plants, wildlife, and design history. There’s even a first edition of Dear Remembered World, a memoir written by Meta Lilienthal, a suffragette and daughter of the original owners.

Hôtel Lutetia: Paris, France

Hôtel Lutetia has long been a refuge for literary giants. James Joyce wrote part of Ulysses there — it is the only luxury palace hotel on the Left Bank — and even moved in for a stint. Ernest Hemingway, Albert Cohen, and Roger Martin du Gard were also regulars back in the day. Today, the elegant library continues the property’s erudite legacy, welcoming writers and readers to flip through the esteemed collection of 16,000 books.

NoMad London: London, U.K.

Set inside the former Bow Street Magistrates’ Court in Covent Garden, the NoMad London is home to a living room-esque library bar where hotel guests and Londoners thumb through the pages of Instant Gratification, a hardcover of vintage Polaroid portraits by Alessandro Tomassetti, and sip well-mixed tipples. Fair warning: After a martini or two, you might end up in a heated (yet hushed) debate about whether the works of Shakespeare still resonate with a modern audience.

Fogo Island Inn: Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

Fogo Island Inn is a Relais & Châteaux property and a veritable love letter to Newfoundland. The shelves in the second-floor library are stacked with books about local history and heritage (many of the titles came from the private collection of the former president of Memorial University of Newfoundland), making it prime for getting acquainted with the island before striking out and having those first-hand experiences.

Domaine Des Etangs, Auberge Resorts Collection: Massignac, France

While we’re not trying to dissuade anyone from exploring the French countryside during a stay at Domaine Des Etangs, Auberge Resorts Collection, all that frolicking in the fresh air does cut into cozy indoor reading time in La Laiterie. The smart space features two separate mezzanine sections — past (for volumes published before 1920) and future (for those published from 1920 onward) — as well as a central lounge area complete with overstuffed leather sofas and even more text-lined shelves.

Greydon House: Nantucket, Massachusetts

Nantucket may buzz with seersucker-clad beachgoers in the summer, but the winter months are prime to see a quieter side of the island. The library at the Roman and Williams-designed Greydon House is stocked with titles such as the Ocean World of Jacques Cousteau series for travelers wanting to dive into (pun intended) something dense as well as glossy coffee table books with pretty photos of American gardens.

Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville: Greenville, South Carolina

Perched on the banks of the Reedy River, Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville is a refined and relaxed base to kick it in between adventures in Falls Park. The slump-worthy leather sofas, antler chandelier, and fireplace give the library plenty of cozy appeal (even if you don’t plan on cracking open a book — which, for the record, would be a mistake). Like the decor, the assemblage of titles nods to the outdoorsy-meets-creative spirit of the lodge.

Il Salviatino: Florence, Italy

The elegant library at Il Salviatino, a converted 15th-century villa in the hills of Fiesole, is the ideal spot to take a load off after a day of sightseeing in Florence and winery tours around Tuscany. Fashioned after a private study, it’s decorated with dark wood and velvet armchairs and packed with antique leather-bound books (some so old gloves are required to handle them) as well as volumes of poetry, and travel guides to inspire future trips to the beloved boot-shaped country.

Hôtel Swexan: Dallas, Texas

Hôtel Swexan, a family-owned member of Leading Hotels of the World in Dallas, is full of surprises. At The Library at Babou’s, there’s more on the menu than just books — although you’ll find plenty of those, plus rare samurai art and a stunning spiral staircase. The craft cocktails are bound to spur a lively debate as to the difference between a novelist and an author and the necessity of using the Oxford comma.