1 Photo
Bedside Reading is celebrating 19 years serving hotels on the East End.
Bedside Reading, a Stamford, Connecticut-based company designed to distribute books to luxury hotel properties around the country, including the East End, celebrates its 19th year distributing books this year.
For seven weeks each summer, Jane Ubell-Meyer, the founder of Bedside Reading comes to the East End with tote bags, each containing five new books, that she distributes to various inns and hotels.
Each week, a new colored tote bag is filled with a new selection of best sellers, business, lifestyle, fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books. Ms. Ubell-Meyer says that each tote bag has something for everybody.
The totes are given to each hotel guest as they check in or are placed in their room upon arrival. Guests are encouraged to read the books at the inn, on the beach, and even bring the books home with them.
Bedside Reading partners with many hotels covering various states including Boston, California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Virginia and New York. For guests of the hotels, the books are complementary.
The 10 hotels on the South Fork that Bedside Reading partners with include The Huntting Inn, Baker House 1650, Baron’s Cove, Hyatt Place East End, Maidstone Hotel, Mill House Inn, Preston House & Hotel, White Fences Inn Water Mill, Topping Rose House and The Southampton Inn.
“This is a complimentary service to our hotels in the Hamptons as they don’t pay a fee for that week, they are in the tote bag. But the authors pay a fee for placement in the hotels,” Ms. Ubell-Meyer said.
However, the authors are able to receive other forms of services including social media, traditional media, giveaways of books, and book events. Bedside Reading has an upcoming book event on July 27, in which it will interview author Kim Sakwa about her new book “Never Say Goodbye” on Zoom for anyone to listen.
Ms. Ubell-Meyer was dumped by her boyfriend in Saint Maarten, and the only thing that got her through her time was the book “Cry to Heaven” by Anne Rice, she said. Ms. Ubell-Meyer was a former celebrity gift-bag consultant and turned the lifesaver of a book into a business named Bedside Reading.
Starting on Memorial Day weekend, Ms. Ubell-Meyer said that Bedside Reading has been sold out until August; meaning they have been sold out on May 25, July 4, July 17 and August 8.
During the time of COVID-19, Bedside Reading has adapted by implementing safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They are wrapping each tote in a non-resealable plastic bag.
“In the mist of COVID, I think that businesses have to learn to pivot and shift, especially during this time,” Ms. Ubell-Meyer said.
Bedside reading has also developed a complementary touch-free program of complementary books to download online on their website. They have also launched a podcast business with Lou Dimond.
“I am a huge reader and love books,” Ms. Ubell-Meyer said. “Nothing makes me happier than being in bed with a book so why not help out authors and feed my need for having great books.”
