Book lovers often carry a book with them while traveling. But what if you were told the hotel you’re staying at is actually a small library? Wouldn’t you find such a place even more exciting? At Shuxiang Hotel, the abundance of books available for guests to read freely has become the new normal, further immersing them in a rich literary atmosphere. Interestingly, this concept of turning hotels into libraries is being adopted by more and more establishments.
Shuxiang Hotel has been committed to creating a literary ambiance for several years, and this culture of books has gradually become its defining feature. Step into any Shuxiang Hotel, and you’ll find bookshelves filled with numerous books in every lobby. These books are not just for decoration—they are free nourishment for the mind offered to guests. The head of the marketing department at Shuxiang Hotel Group revealed that the group operates three brands: Shuxiang Mansion Hotel (boutique), Shuxiang Heritage Hotel (themed), and Shuxiang Gate Hotel (select). Shuxiang Hotels are not just selling rooms and meals—they’re offering a lifestyle. To foster a strong reading environment, each newly opened hotel is required to house no fewer than 500 books. In addition to lobby bookshelves, at least five books are placed in each guest room for reading. Guests who are interested can even purchase the books. Beyond creating a literary atmosphere for guests, the group also promotes reading within its corporate culture—each employee receives a book every month, writes a short reflection, and contributes to a monthly hotel newsletter. The hotel’s website also features a dedicated section where employees can share their reading insights and the joy of literature.
The hotel piloted a reading club at its Dushu Lake branch, open to public welfare organizations interested in reading. It invites such organizations to become part of the Shuxiang Reading Club. Currently, the club includes various interest groups focused on family education, culture, economics, and the arts. These groups regularly or occasionally host diverse reading sharing events at the hotel, creating a unique highlight.
In April 2015, Shuxiang Hotel Group officially launched its Mobile Library project. Bookshelves with books were set up in the lobbies of Shuxiang Heritage Pingjiang Mansion, Shuxiang Park Branch, Moon Bay Branch, Dushu Lake Branch, and West Lake Branch, allowing guests to borrow books for free. To promote nationwide reading and share the joy of literature, the hotel encourages guests to bring a valuable book during their stay to add to the mobile collection—the value of the book can be deducted from the room rate. Next to the mobile shelves, a message board is available for guests to share their reading reflections.
Shuxiang encourages both guests and staff to read and is also committed to promoting nationwide literacy. During the 2015 "Reading China on the Move" campaign, the National Base for Reading Culture Dissemination and Research, jointly awarded by the China National Reading Alliance, China Academy of Press and Publication, and the New Reading Research Institute, was unveiled at Pingjiang Mansion. This made Shuxiang Hotel the first boutique hotel in China to be recognized as a national base for reading promotion.
The head of the marketing department at Shuxiang Hotel Group stated that the group is actively collaborating with the Suzhou Library to integrate the hotel’s official website with the Suzhou Library’s online borrowing system. In the future, guests can pre-order their favorite books when booking a room. The hotel will then handle the borrowing process, allowing guests to pick up and return books at the lobby, greatly facilitating public access to books.
"Shuxiang Hotels aim not only to be filled with the fragrance of books internally but also to spread this literary spirit beyond our walls. The Shuxiang Ankang Library is one such initiative," explained the head of the marketing department. Shuxiang Hotel Group, in partnership with the China Children and Teenagers’ Fund, launched the "Shuxiang Ankang – Library" public welfare donation project to support children and teenagers, especially underprivileged groups such as migrant and left-behind children. The group invests a total of 100,000 RMB annually to build Shuxiang Ankang Libraries. In addition to funding from the hotels, the group calls on society to join the initiative. Donation boxes are placed at hotel front desks, where guests can contribute one RMB or more upon checkout to support the cause of building a bookish society. So far, Shuxiang Hotels have funded the construction of libraries at Jinan Shahe Middle School, Xuzhou Xincheng Experimental School, and Suzhou Xishantangli Primary School. Recently, the hotel group was also honored as an Advanced Unit for Promoting Nationwide Reading in Jiangsu Province—the only hotel on the list.
"It’s not about placing a few books in a hotel or opening a small bookshop that makes a hotel cultural. Turning a hotel into a library is just a form. The real goal is to maximize the social value of these books, promote nationwide reading, and create a lifestyle where everyone loves to read—that’s what Shuxiang Hotels truly aim to achieve," said the head of the marketing department at Shuxiang Hotel Group. "Nowadays, many hotels are imitating our model, and we think that’s a great thing. If all hotels could become libraries, it would be something all customers would cheer for."