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After a long day spent on the beach or walking around town, sometimes the most relaxing evenings in the Hamptons are spent in bed with a good book.
Bedside Reading offers a unique amenity to luxury hotels across the country: complimentary books delivered right to guests’ bedsides, and the Hamptons is the marketing program’s next stop.
The program works by gifting hotel guests a tote bag filled with several books valued at over $200 that have been carefully selected for a stay in the Hamptons. “You won’t find ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ in one of our bags,” Bedside Reading founder and CEO Jane Ubell-Meyer explained. “We are very cognizant of the books we are putting in hotels.” Participating East End hotels include The Maidstone, Mill House Inn and The Baker House in East Hampton, Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor, Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, White Fences in Water Mill and the Southampton Inn in Southampton Village.
The bag features a variety of novels from authors both seasoned and up-and-coming. One of the most invaluable benefits of Bedside Reading is the exposure the authors receive, Ms. Ubell-Meyer said. “The primary goal for this program is building a fan base for our authors,” she explained. “We understand the value of what these people read, and we really want people to pay attention to who these authors are.”
The company looks for authors who make sense for the hotels, and Ms. Ubell-Meyer encourages writers to reach out to participate as well. “That’s why this program is so unique,” she said. “We owe it to the dedicated authors.”
Though the books provided are typically novels, the occasional children’s book is thrown into the mix.
Bedside Reading has been involved in other popular vacation spots such as Beverly Hills, New York City, Santa Monica and Miami. Regardless of the location, Ms. Ubell-Meyer said she is always pleased to hear the reactions of guests when an unexpected bag of books arrives at their bedside upon check-in.
“People are just so surprised and delighted,” she said. “No one really expects this kind of amenity; it’s really unheard of to do this.”
Ms. Ubell-Meyer launched Bedside Reading after more than 16 years in the business of creating celebrity gift bags and promotional packages. The company evolved into what it is today after her passion for books took precedence in her life.
“This is not just a business,” she said. “Think about how books affect your life. That’s what this is about—sharing that feeling with others.”
Bedside Reading Hamptons will deliver books to participating hotels across the East End over five weekends this summer: May 28, June 14, July 4, August 3 and September 3. For more information, visit bedsidereading.com.
on May 22, 2018