Looking for a quiet place to catch up on your coffeetable book reading? Head to Trump Soho's Library, a cozy lounge area wrapped in cherry blossom wallpaper, located on the mezzanine floor. Though you're welcome to bring your own reading material—or make use of the Library's own backgammon board—you're better off browsing the wall full of mint condition Taschen books.

From Helmut Newton to Gustav Klimt, it would take years to properly absorb all the stunning images contained in each heavy-as-a-brick volume. We had a soft spot for the Favourite Hotels publication, but hey, to each his own. ]]> ASchechter 2011-07-07T09:30:02-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/7/16/93335/5037

If you’ve stayed at the Maritime Hotel in New York, you probably noticed the blocks of yellow spines on the suite’s bookshelves—full sets of National Geographic magazines. But they’re not just there to look pretty, or because hotelier Eric Goode snagged them on the cheap from some yard sale. Oh no, there’s actually a much more earnest reason behind the reading material.

Goode’s mother was a conservationist and when he was growing up she had every issue of National Geographic ever printed. Goode is also a turtle nut, and has long had a thing for nature. His ’80s nightclub, Area, even had natural history exhibits featuring live bats and sharks.