19 Luxury Hotels Literary Buffs Will Love

The breathtaking Brown's Hotel lies in the fabulous Mayfair neighborhood and marries Old World glamour with modern luxuries. This was a favorite spot of Rudyard Kipling, and he penned The Jungle Book here at the end of the 19th century. Brown's Hotel now features a stunning Kipling Suite (shown here) that is the most distinguished residence in this five-star hotel. Don't miss out on a quintessentially British Afternoon tea in the drawing room for the full Brown's Hotel experience. Plus, you're just walking distance from many of the city's best arts, culture, and historic attractions.

Omni Parker House holds quite a bit of history as it's Boston's oldest inn and the "longest continuously operating hotel in the United States." This legendary Downtown Boston hotel first opened its doors in 1855 and was the home of The Saturday Club, a gathering of 19th-century literati that included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Charles Dickens also first performed his classic play, A Christmas Carol, in this very hotel. Omni Parker House is just steps away from the Freedom Trail, Beacon Hill, Boston Common, and many other landmarks of U.S. history for a truly enlightening getaway.

Raffles Singapore has been an institution for the earliest iteration of globetrotters seeking a Southeast Asian getaway and remains an icon of five-star travel. This original Raffles property has hosted the likes of Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling, along with playwright W. Somerset Maugham (husband of Syrie). Ernest Hemingway and Alfred Hitchcock comprised part of the next generation of Raffles visitors who enjoyed their frivolity with a Singapore Sling.

Fans of Agatha Christie will understand the importance of this five-star accommodation on wheels: the Belmond Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The original Orient Express train was the setting of the world's best selling author's most famous novel and was restored in the mid 20th century with 17 original 1920s carriages, each possessing its own unique place in history. The Art Deco icon crosses through Europe with stops in London Paris, Venice, Prague, Istanbul, and Budapest, among others, and features ultra-chic Grand Suites with free-flowing champagne and a personal steward to care for your every need.

Some New Orleans locals believe that the historic Hotel Montelone is the gateway to the city's biggest destination: the French Quarter, and it seems like the 20th century's top Southern authors believed so, too. William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, and Ernest Hemingway all stayed here and Truman Capote, a frequenter of the hotel's Carousel Bar, used to boast that he was born in the hotel (he wasn't, but his mother was living here while she was pregnant with the author). In more recent history, John Grisham, Anne Rice, and Stephen Ambrose have also stayed at Hotel Montelone, and the destination was designated an official literary landmark in 1999 by the Friends of the Library Association. The Plaza and The Algonquin are the only other hotels that share the honor, but more on them later.

GoldenEye is no mythical destination, although upon arriving there, it may feel like it. This collection of private villas, cottages, and beach huts comprise the fabulous resort Ian Fleming discovered when he was sent on a naval operation in 1942 and dreamed up the legendary character of James Bond. Bond wrote Casino Royale, his first James Bond novel here and soon the jet set flocked here for tropical getaways from Cecil Beaton to Sophia Loren. Bond fans can even stay at The Fleming Villa (shown here), the exact location where the character was created, with perks that include a spacious estate with a pool house and two guest cottages, dedicated private staff, and all the fabulous amenities at GoldenEye.

Also known as The Willard Hotel, this mid-19th century destination has wined and dined many of the literary greats in our country. From its early days, Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote, "the Willard Hotel more justly could be called the center of Washington than either the Capitol or the White House or the State Department." Martin Luther King, Jr. penned his "I Have A Dream" speech here, and writers such as Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, and Charles Dickens also stayed at Intercontinental the Willard Washington D.C., as it is called today. Also a top accommodation pick for U.S. Presidents and other political figures, the hotel is renowned for its five-star service, Round Robin Bar, and ideal location in the center of it all. Plus, the hotel currently offers an exciting new package with a stay in one of their residentially inspired suites overlooking the Potomac River. A signature InterContinental75 cocktail, daily InterContinental breakfast for two served in the hotel’s award-winning Moon Rabbit restaurant, $300 spa or food and beverage credit to spend on an indulgent treat, and a unique welcome amenity from the Executive Chef are all included, along with a host of other hotel amenities for the ultimate getaway.

This stunning property was built in 1475 and was transformed into a luxury hotel destination in 1895 that has been luring socialites, political figures, and celebrities alike ever since. W. Somerset Maugham once wrote, “There are few things in life more pleasant than to sit on the terrace of the Gritti when the sun about to set bathes in lovely colour the Salute [basilica], which almost faces you.” John Ruskin penned The Stones of Venice here, and Ernest Hemingway wrote pieces of his novels here as well. There's a Hemingway Presidential Suite at Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice to honor the author, journalist, and bon vivant. Don't miss a day at The Gritti Epicurean School and seeing the lagoon on the Riva Yacht while you're there.

Whether you prefer Moby Dick or one of Elin Hilderbrand's beach reads, Nantucket is a fabulous destination for lovers seeking a literary-inspired getaway. Jared Coffin House is a top pick for accommodations as it was the spot Herman Melville (then called Ocean House) stayed in on his first visit to the island. This charming mansion-turned-inn houses well-appointed rooms in the center of town just around the corner from the Nantucket Whaling Museum, the charming downtown, and Mitchell's Book Corner, where Hilderbrand can often be found signing books and chatting with fans. Be sure to visit in line with the Nantucket Book Festival each June.

Do you love The Picture of Dorian Gray as much as we do? Consider booking your next Parisian holiday at L'Hotel in the heart of Saint Germain to experience the place Oscar Wilde lived and died. This elegant boutique hotel exudes Wilde's opulence and love of decadence through Wilde's Lounge, a fabulous cocktail bar inspired by the Empire Period and an eponymous suite with a private terrace—the same room Wilde stayed in until his death in 1900.

Another official literary landmark designated by the Friends of the Library Association, The Plaza is iconic for many reasons. Younger readers know and love the hotel for its setting in Kay Thompson's Eloise book series, but this Central Park South institution also inspired scenes from Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and was the setting for Truman Capote's Black-and-White Ball that was deemed "party of the century." For more than 100 years, a stay at The Plaza Hotel has set the standard for the perfect New York City weekend and is sure to continue to inspire the next generation of novelists and children's book authors with its stunning architecture, lavish afternoon tea and evening cocktails at The Palm Court, and of course, its show-stopping holiday decor.

If you're looking to experience the quieter side of NOLA while still enjoying all the food, arts, and culture one comes to The Big Easy for, The Pontchartrain Hotel offers all the amenities in the charming Garden District. This mid-1920s architectural gem was the site where Tennessee Williams penned Pulitzer Prize-winning "A Streetcar Named Desire." Home to four popular drinking and dining spots, fabulous St. Charles Avenue views, and well-appointed suites makes it a lovely place to unwind for a long weekend in a city that is entrenched in literary history.

As if you needed another reason to finally book a stay at Saxon Hotel Villas & Spa, it was the destination where a newly released political prisoner Nelson Mandela wrote his earth-shattering autobiography, The Long Walk to Freedom. The Nelson Mandela Platinum Suite (shown here) is the epitome of South African style, elegance, and comfort with views of the garden and pool terrace. There's also a lounge dedicated to author (and multi-hyphenate) Oprah Winfrey to do a little super soul-searching. However, the highlights of this destination is too numerous to count but you won't want to miss an afternoon at the Saxon Spa, exploring the hotel's vast art collection, and its sister property, Shambala Private Game and Reserve, offers phenomenal excursions.

Hotel Ritz Paris is not only one of the city's leading hotels, it's also home to one of the city's most famous cocktail bars: Bar Hemingway. Yes, it's named after one of America's most famous writers (and drinkers), who spent many a happy hour here and also gleaned writing inspiration at this luxe watering hole. There's also a lavish library (shown here) called Salon Proust, where you can imagine the author spending many an hour writing here (he made this place his headquarters before confining himself to bed) and enjoy a delightful afternoon tea by the fire. Of course, you can enjoy a sampling of madeleines, among other goodies, by the head pastry chef François Perret as you chat, read, or write your own feat of a novel.

The third hotel to be designated the title of national literary landmark by the Friends of the Library Association, The Algonquin has a rich history of being a creative haven that dates back to the Roaring Twenties. Just a block from Bryant Park, this building became a hot lunch spot for writers of all kinds, be they Pulitzer Prize-winning novelists or newspaper critics and called themselves The Round Table. The New Yorker was funded after founder Harold Ross won a poker game at one of these lunches. Dorothy Parker, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway were also members. Maya Angelou was also a frequenter of this historic Gilded Age hotel.

This charming inn on one of South Carolina's coastal islands makes a picturesque place to pen a novel and it certainly was for Southern author Pat Conroy, who was also married to another renowned Southern author, Cassandra King. He had a special place in his heart for Rhett House Inn and always had his friends, loved ones, and even the stars of the film adaptation of Prince of Tides stay there and helped give the destination the attention it deserves. It's no wonder there's a "Prince of Scribes" package that includes a private tour of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, a private reading or writing workshop, and a collection of essays written by fellow writers and friends. The Lowcountry scenery plus the Greek Revival architecture will have you dreaming of the next great Southern novel of your own.

The Bloomsbury, a Grade-II listed building designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, resides in London's city center where the country's eponymous creative circle thrived. The hotel's charming wood-paneled library houses an impressive number of first-edition books written by The Bloomsbury Set, including Virginia Wolf, John Maynard Keynes, and E.M. Forster, who all called the neighborhood home. Woolf fans will appreciate the nod to Mrs. Dalloway at the charming secret garden and afternoon tea spot, Dalloway Terrace, while the Bloomsbury Club Bar transports guests back to the Jazz Age where it almost seems possible that Forster could be working on A Room with a View. You'll enjoy a getaway as decadent and indulgent as the exploits of The Bloomsbury set within the newly redesigned interiors (by Martin Brudnizki) of this vibrant hotel.