Grab a Book and Go: Reading Retreats Are the Newest Travel Trend
Vacations based around books are emerging throughout the West.
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Beach reads have long been an integral part of a great vacation. While not technically a formal genre of literature, these page-turners are ideal for vacation, usually set in warm weather settings like a beach or by a pool. And in the era of #BookTok and peak immersive travel, it’s only natural that the two worlds combine, creating a category of travel that’s totally taking off: place-based reading retreats.
This summer, group trips centered around reading are emerging, from 1950s themed adventures in Waikiki to quaint weekenders geared towards avid readers on the Oregon Coast. Though there’s an even stronger contingency of these retreats based in Europe and the UK, the West is seeing more emerge too.
Hotels are even getting in on the game. The Sandbourne Santa Monica hotel has launched a poolside library in partnership with Zibby’s Bookshop, a Los Angeles favorite. Several Kimpton Hotels across California participate in a book lending program in partnership with Literary Hub. And Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine company has partnered with Sheraton Hotels & Resorts to create curated Lobby Libraries in various locations worldwide.
These reading retreats take it to the next level, basing the entire trip on themes of the books selected. Nastassia Johnson, owner of the Sunrise Chalet in Lake Arrowhead, has created a self-styled reading retreat with her book club.
“In our book club we typically alternate homes to host in, so I thought it’d be a great opportunity to theme the reading to my cabin in Lake Arrowhead,” she said. “Our idea was to read a lake book at the lake. The book pick is One Golden Summer by Carlie Fortune. I’m currently thinking of a winter retreat centered around a romance novel.”
Much like taking in a stunning sunrise or participating in a group race together, these collective experiences through reading can have a lasting impact on travelers.
“It’s a truly immersive,” says Johnson. “We got to get out on the water and discuss the book there. It ultimately brought our book club closer in a setting where we could experience what we were reading.”
