Hot hotels: the world’s most literary stays

Nobody captured the doomed glamour of the Jazz Age better than Fitzgerald, whose heroines flutter like broken-winged butterflies into the paths of damaged heroes, backdropped by a world of brittle excess. Fitzgerald drew rich inspiration from his fast-paced life with Zelda, his wife, whose (in)famous exploits included taking a midnight dip in the fountain opposite the New York Plaza. A crucial scene from The Great Gatsby is also set in the hotel. In return, the Plaza’s Gatsby Suite is a 700sqft expanse designed by Oscar-winner Catherine Martin. Highlights include a curated library, artworks and white-glove service. Channel Jay Gatsby and head straight to the Champagne Bar, or sip cocktails in the greenery-bedecked Palm Court, redesigned in 2013 by French architect Thierry Despont, whose CV also includes the Statue of Liberty’s restoration.

High Life says
From the hotel’s arterial Fifth Avenue setting, the Big Apple is your oyster; relive scenes from Home Alone, which was partly filmed here. Got a pooch or pair of pooches in tow? The Plaza accepts dogs of all sizes at no extra cost, with a maximum of two pets per room. 

Fledgling children’s authors can soak up literary inspiration by bedding down in the JK Rowling Suite at grand old Edinburgh stalwart, The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte hotel. This is the suite in which Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – with a signed marble bust of Greek god Hermes to prove it. Quirky touches add a dash of enchantment, from the owl-shaped door knocker and star-strewn entranceway to artful antiques, turreted alcoves and sweeping views of Calton Hill. From the hotel’s regal Princes Street perch, you can watch the city unfurl beneath you. Snore off the exertions of literary creativity in the four-poster bed and soap and suds like an off-duty witch or wizard in the Italian marble bathtub. Firebolts and elder wands are optional.

High Life says
Let the rest of the hotel cast its spell on you, too. Enjoy an elegant afternoon tea amid the Art Deco splendour of Palm Court, feast on French cuisine starring local ingredients at Brasserie Prince, or savour contemporary Scottish fine-dining at aptly named Number One. Skilful therapists work their magic in the tranquil urban spa.

Since The Langham first opened its doors in 1865, literary types have flocked to the hotel like bluestockings to a book club. Billed as Europe’s debut ‘Grand Hotel’, The Langham made use of modern innovations such as electric lights, hydraulic lifts and air-conditioning, which attracted a glittering crowd. In 1879, Charles Dickens noted the exorbitant breakfasts. A hotel plaque commemorates a career-defining meal enjoyed by Oscar Wilde, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the publisher of Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. Conan Doyle, a frequent guest, set several Sherlock Holmes stories here. In A Scandal in Bohemia, his mysterious nobleman tells Holmes and Watson, “You will find me at the Langham under the name of the Count Von Kramm.” No reputable socialite would stay elsewhere – as Lady Gaga and Angelina Jolie can attest.

High Life says
Recent additions include the Wigmore, an upscale tavern, and the Chuan Spa, which riffs on the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine: wood, fire, metal, earth and water. Don’t miss cocktails at Artesian, which regularly ranks on ‘World’s Best Bar’ lists.

Immerse yourself in the spirit of Hemingway (no, we don’t mean rum) from the peach-pink Gritti Palace and the lagoon city the author adored. Hemingway first visited the hotel in 1948, returning in 1950, when his infatuation with an aristocratic Venetian teenager inspired his fifth novel. In Across the River and Into the Trees, the American anti-hero, Richard Cantwell, shares the author’s fondness for The Gritti Palace, with scenes unfolding at the hotel. These days, The Gritti dazzles anew, courtesy of a 15-month, $50m renovation, which might well have Hemingway turning in his grave. Regardless, follow in the author’s footsteps to the Club del Doge restaurant and order scampi risotto ‘Hemingway-style’, paired with his beloved Valpolicella wine. And the Hemingway Suite retains the Grand Canal views and chandeliers that sparkled in the author’s day. Guests can recline in the green-velvet armchair from which he is said to have worked.

High Life says
The Gritti is a fertile muse. John Ruskin started writing The Stones of Venice when he stayed here in 1851, while The Somerset Maugham Royal Suite hints at another famous guest.

Where better to channel the untrammelled wickedness of a big-screen baddie than from a clifftop eyrie, overlooking a private beach on Jamaica’s Oracabessa Bay? Ian Fleming obviously thought so, writing Casino Royale – his first Bond classic – at GoldenEye, his Caribbean residence on the northern coastline. For the next 12 years, all of Fleming’s Bond stories were written here, and scenes from Dr. No and Live and Let Die were filmed close to the estate. In its modern incarnation as a hip hotel, GoldenEye’s seductive additions include a swim-up spa fit for Ursula, Barbara and Grace, a rum bar, relaxed dining options and a trio of pools, including a freshwater infinity pool and a saltwater pool by the ocean. For dips with added drama, try the cerulean lagoon.

High Life says
There must be something in the local water: Sting wrote ‘Every Breath You Take’ at Fleming’s writing desk while holidaying here in 1982. Musical connections abound: Bob Marley purchased the property in 1976, before selling it to Island Records founder Chris Blackwell a year later.