As we eagerly wait for the reopening of borders, Kimpton hotels have come up with a creative initiative for both book lovers and wanderlusters in the meantime. Encouraging future travelers to explore destinations through well-written pages, Kimpton Book Club has started a book club highlighting poets, novelists, classic and modern authors who write about their natives cities.

With hotels worldwide in Tokyo, Amsterdam, Bangkok, London, Barcelona, Paris, Edinburgh, and Bali (opening later this year), Kimpton has curated books for each of its cities. For those dreaming of Japan, for instance, Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo has selected six titles that will unmistakably transport the imaginations of readers to Nippon. One of them is Haruki Murakami’s fantastical twin-plot creation Kafka on the Shore. Another is the famous 1905 Natsume Soseki novel I am a Cat, a satire on Japanese society during the Meiji period and its obsession with all things from the West. 

For those who desire to teleport to the City of Love instead, check out Caroline de Maigret’s How to Be a Parisian, which brilliantly deconstructs the French woman’s views on culture, fashion, and attitude. Otherwise, slip back in time to Barcelona in 1986 with Eduardo Mendoza’s La Ciudad de los Prodigios, exploring the city’s cultural evolution during the turn of the 20th century. Or, if you prefer makebelieve travel destinations and have always been somewhat adamant about never growing up, fantasy classic Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie is also on the list. 

Wherever you decide to escape to, there’s no need to worry if your local bookstore doesn’t stock the book you’re looking for. Kimpton’s curated reading list of fiction and non-fiction titles can be downloaded as e-books in multiple languages.

Look out for more Book Club activities from Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok in the coming months and share your #KimptonBookClub moments on social. Also stay tuned for the opening of the brand’s first resort in Thailand, Kimpton Kitalay Samui, on Choengmon Beach in late 2021. For more information on either the travel book club or Kimpton hotels, visit kimptonhotels.com.