Every guest that stays at Le Sirenuse leaves with a sought-after memento that they can’t find anywhere else – a pocket-sized book with a vivid cloth cover.
It might be a colouring book featuring drawings of the hotel and its Positano setting, or it might a collection of recipes that focuses on one of the Amalfi Coast’s fine ingredients. Possibly it might explore the artwork on show at the property. Despite demand, these mini volumes cannot be bought, but only obtained as a staying guest.
Le Sirenuse’s mini series photographed by Roberto Salomone
“People love them,” says Carla Sersale, CEO and founder of the destination’s popular resortwear line, Emporio Sirenuse. “We don’t have exact numbers, but the little books are continually being reprinted. One of the things that makes them such great souvenirs is their exclusivity. We’ve toyed with the idea of selling them, but for now we’ve decided against it. The only way to get your hands on one is to stay with us at Le Sirenuse.”
The hotel’s mini series began first as an homage to John Steinbeck’s 1953 piece, Positano, which the founders decided to run in full in a small blue book. Next came adult colouring books, which used the signature line drawings of Le Sirenuse and Positano. The first, Journey to Positano, was handed out to all new arrivals with a small box of crayons, while the other, Amore Eterno, was reserved for honeymooners. “They were a huge success, our guests loved them,” says Sersale. Next came the food and recipe books – individually celebrating tomatoes and lemons – written by Le Sirenuse’s resident wordsmith Lee Marshall, and illustrated by Neapolitan artist Anna Monaco, plus a new colouring book dedicated to the hotel’s new beach club, Le Sirenuse Mare.
“The food and recipe series has been such a hit that I can see it running into six or more volumes,” says Marshall. “It’s a lovely format. The recipes are simple enough to be made at home, suggested by our executive chef, Gennaro Russo, and there’s a short local history of the ingredient. Each also includes brief essays on, say, the lemon farmers of Amalfi or the plaited tomato artisans of the Vesuvian foothills, and there’s always a page dedicated to the ingredients’ literary or artistic moments of fame.” In autumn, the hotel will publish a new instalment called Alice, a tribute to the anchovy. The bijou size also caters for those travelling with compact carry-ons.
It’s a similar story at Barcelona’s most famous hotel El Palace, once a favourite with Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Joséphine Baker, and Sophia Loren. Today, its most valued guests – Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen among them – are gifted a copy of its coffee table book, which is made up of memories and personal reflections from former friends and guests, as well as anecdotes about its connection to the arts scene. “The response has been extremely emotional,” says El Palace Barcelona Communication Director Arantxa Dominquez. “Many of our guests appreciate receiving something that goes beyond a conventional hotel gift — a piece of the hotel’s heritage that allows them to take home a connection with the place. What makes it such a meaningful keepsake is that it is not only a book about a building or a hotel; it is a book about experiences. It represents the idea that a stay at the hotel is not simply a visit, but part of a personal story.”
The success of Maison Assouline is a testament to the growth of the hotel book. Although known for its beautiful travel-led coffee table titles in general, the luxury publishing house began with the 1994 launch of a book about legendary French hotel, La Colombe d’Or. Since, then it has continued to celebrate individual hotels with a distinctive aesthetic and mystique with bestsellers including New York hotspot The Carlyle and Italian stalwart Passalacqua: A Love Letter To Lake Como. “Luxury hospitality is built on creating memorable experiences, and a book offers something digital platforms can’t: permanence,” explains Assouline co-founder Prosper Assouline. “It allows hotels to share their history, vision, and identity in a timeless format, and it extends the guest experience beyond the stay.”
Inside the Colombe d’Or coffee table book © Prosper Assouline
An image taken inside Baur au Lac new coffee table book
Peru: An Odyssey Across a Time-Honored Land, published by Maison Assouline
This year, Assouline worked with storied Zurich-based Baur au Lac on a design-led book that tells its 180-year story through quality imagery, but also through the people who have played a role in shaping its identity, from guests to staff members. “In today’s fast-paced, digital world, where stories are often consumed in fleeting moments and quickly forgotten, a beautifully crafted book invites readers to slow down, immerse themselves and connect more deeply,” says Marguita Kracht who, along with her father, runs the hotel, a seventh-generation owner. “While digital content is invaluable for sharing moments and reaching audiences instantly, a book creates space for nuance, context and reflection.”
In the same way that hotel merch has become a status symbol, the hotel book is also signifier of taste. A strategically-placed coffee table book about a destination that someone has visited denotes a discerning globetrotting sensibility. “Many guests have purchased the book as a personal keepsake, displaying it in their homes where it becomes both a beautiful object and a conversation piece,” says Kracht. “A book is a meaningful expression of who we are because it reflects substance rather than simply branding.”
Assouline’s Jamaica Vibes book
Appetite for visually-appealing hotel books is growing. Assouline published three hotel-focused tomes in 2024, compared to eight in 2025 – a 166 per cent growth in category. Hotels themselves are recognising the power of a substantial book as a means of changing the conversation surrounding a destination. Chris Blackwell and Marika Kessler – owner and CEO at fabled hotel Goldeneye in Jamaica – approached Assouline about publishing a book focused on their Caribbean island. “I am a collector of Assouline travel books and felt that Jamaica deserved a place on the shelf,” explains Kessler. “We have so much to offer across culture, food, design, music, sport and more, and I wanted to show the world just how beautiful Jamaica is. Blackwell, who founded Island Records and turned Goldeneye into one of the island’s most desirable luxury resorts, wrote the foreword for Jamaica Vibes, detailing his family connection to the island and its vibrant and rich culture scene. The book positions itself as a destination steeped in beauty, heritage, music, food and unique spirit. Imagery of Goldeneye features throughout, and a copy is kept in a prominent position in the hotel reception. “We want our guests to see just how beautiful we are as a country and as a people,” she says. “We are proud of it, so why not show it off? There is no better way to share a destination.”
A drummer at Goldeneye
The hotel book trend comes at the same time as reading has been beautified by the fashion industry. Earlier this year Dior launched new versions of their Book Tote emblazoned with the covers of classics such as Ulysses and Dracula, while both Miu Miu and Chanel now have their own haute book clubs. Dua Lipa is well known for her love of reading, regularly interviewing authors as part of her online book club. This year, she will curate the Southbank Centre’s Literature Festival, featuring guests including Patti Smith and Zadie Smith. Investing in a book about a hotel is a subtle travel flex – and one that signifies a level of intellectualism in a way a baseball cap simply doesn’t.
“Books have become expressions of personal taste and curiosity, reflecting the places, cultures, and experiences that inspire us,” says Assouline co-founder Martine Assouline. “Hotel books are part of this movement; they invite conversation, preserve memories, and encourage discovery. Rather than status symbols, we see them as reflections of a passion for culture, travel, and storytelling.”
Ella Alexander is Citizen Femme’s fashion features editor. She started her career at the Evening Standard, and has since held senior editorial roles at Vogue, The Independent and Harper’s Bazaar, where she remains a contributing editor. She also writes for The Telegraph, Sunday Times Style, Service95 and CNN. She is an author, having co-written Dame Zandra Rhodes’ memoir, Iconic: My Life In Fashion In 50 Objects, published by Transworld in July 2024. Her favourite travel destination is Catania, Sicily’s second city.
Lead image: Le Sirenuse
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