My Fantasyland – aka, Library Hotel

I know I’m supposed to be composing a post full of wisdom and wittiness with yet another routine that you simply must incorporate into your writing life in order to become a writer of stature. But the fact is that I’m still thinking about the hotel I stayed in while I was in New York City last week and I just have to tell you about it!

Library Hotel is amazing! It is set up like the Dewey Decimal System. (Dreamy sigh from me. Whispers of “Geek!” from my husband.) It’s on the corner of Madison Avenue and 41st Street in Manhattan.

When you walk in, the walls are covered with floor-to-ceiling bookcases.

James, a bellhop, helped me with my bags right away. Behind the front desk, it looks like a giant card catalog. The front desk people were fabulous and friendly. I even borrowed some DVDs for free to watch in my room. Since I was in New York, I had to watch Big again with Tom Hanks, though I didn’t have time to stop at the FAO Schwarz toy store. And I watched Miracle on 34th Street when I came back from visiting the famous Macy’s department store.

I was on the 11th floor, the Philosophy floor, in room 1100.003. (Isn’t that so cool?!) I wandered past a few other rooms on my floor – the Psychology room, the Paranormal room, the Love room – and decided I need to come back often and stay in all the rooms in this hotel! (Am I violating the rules of great writing by including far too many exclamation points and bold words? Yes, and with joyous abandon!)

In my room, there was the usual – bed, writing desk, TV and DVD player, nice bathroom – but there was a bookcase filled with philosophy books, too! With a few more scattered around for effect.

On the second floor is the Reading Room. It’s filled with full bookcases, a baby grand piano, and lots of chairs and couches to sit and read in. They serve a delicious complimentary breakfast every morning, and wine and chese and crackers and fruit in the evening.

The fourteenth floor has a lounge with couches and fireplace and a small bookcase full of books to one side, and a lighter, brighter sunroom and outdoor patio on the other side.

Between them is a bar that is open most evenings. One of the best things about the patio is the awesome view of the New York Public Library down 41st Street!

If you ever get a chance to come here, you must! I loved it so much, I didn’t want to leave! But the great news is – John says he’s willing to stay there with me when we get an opportunity to go back to New York together. Yay!