Two of my favorite travel books are Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West and 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. I was reading through these the other day and noticed that a tiny hotel located off the Oregon coast is featured in both books. Named after a onetime proprietor of the Parisian bookshop Shakespeare and Company, the Sylvia Beach Hotel is located on a bluff overlooking the coast. There are no TVs, radios, phones, or wi-fi in the hotel, but why would you need any of those things when there is a library, fireplace, and breathtaking ocean views?
The rooms are all themed to different authors and their prices are determined by category--classics, novels, and best-sellers. I've seen some photos online and the varied room decor would suit anyone's taste--pretty and proper (Jane Austen) to childish (Dr. Suess) to hilarious (The Poe room has a fake pendulum over the bed and a door that opens to a brick wall.). Illustrations of all the rooms are on the website, but I just wanted to post the Tolkien one here. I mean, duh, it's the coolest.
Now, how many times have you heard of an amazing place to visit and thought in the back of your mind, "Dang, I doubt I'll ever make it there...it's so out-of-the-way." Well...that's one of the reasons I'm so excited to know about this hotel. I've been to this part of the Oregon coast a bunch of times and never knew the hotel existed! I'm planning on driving up the 101 with a friend in August and can't wait to hang out at this hotel and maybe eat dinner at the Tables of Contents restaurant.
Books and travel...man, whenever they are combined, my heart just feels so happy.
Books and travel...man, whenever they are combined, my heart just feels so happy.
