Avani Hotels launches global book club featuring WorldPride events
The newly launched Avani Book Club brings curated local literature to worldwide properties, complete with unique book corners and an upcoming WorldPride celebration this July
Avani Hotels and Resorts has launched the Avani Book Club, a global reading initiative giving guests the gift of literature featuring local voices and destination-led storytelling.
The programme’s curated reading lists featured within the in-hotel book corners spans contemporary fiction, classic novels, page-turners and reflective wellness reads. There are also book swaps, author-led events and relaxed reading moments across selected Avani hotels and resorts worldwide.
With more guests wanting to slow down, switch off and connect while on their travels, the launch is in response to the rise of online reading communities, from BookTok to Bookstagram, as books become part of how people plan, share and remember travel.
Elisa Grimaldi, the senior director of PR & communications for Minor Hotels, a hotel collection which Avani is part of, told Attitude about how she came about the concept.
“I read this collection of 80 folk tales that were gathered over 30 years from the different atolls [of the Maldives] about the folklore before any of the luxury hotels were there – the kings and queens that they used to have, the scary creatures under the sea and lots of enchanting tales.
“They were also in the language of Dhivehi [Maldives’ official language], so I learned some of the words that helped me really connect with the team at Avani, and understand beyond the glitz and glamour what Maldives is really all about.”
“They turned one fisherman’s boat into a bookshelf” – Avani’s Elisa Grimaldi on Avani’s reading initiative
At the heart of the programme is a curated global reading list of 30 titles across 15 Avani properties in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean. Each book has been selected to reflect the culture, character or mood of its destination, balancing literary credibility with guest appeal.
“On property, there are bookcases – some of them are really cool,” Grimaldi told us. “In Phuket, they turned one fisherman’s boat into a bookshelf. In the Maldives, there’s a special book buggy that pops up around the resort, so you can be by the pool and pick up a book to read. We have Take One, Leave One shelves, which are very popular with our guests. They can leave a book for the next guest to enjoy when they’re there.”
At Avani Museum Quarter Amsterdam, Avani Book Club will mark WorldPride with a Book Swap & Reading Night in partnership with The Swap Club, gathering guests and locals for an evening of LGBTQ+ stories, poetry and shared conversation. And 31 July will see a Pride Drag Disco Ball.