This Palm Beach Hotel Has a Book Butler to Curate Your Perfect Literary Escape

Let the book butler find you the perfect novel and literary-themed snack.

The Ben West Palm, an Autograph Collection Hotel located in Florida, is here for the bibliophile in all of us.

In February, the hotel announced its new "Book Butler" program, a complimentary guest offering in partnership with local retailer The Palm Beach Book Store.

a 'Book Butler' holding a try of books
Jente Gees

With the butler service, guests at the hotel can order a book on demand from a curated in-room menu. All hotel guests need to do is dial "0" from their in-room phone to be connected to the Book Butler, who will hand-deliver a copy of their selected book to their room. The book will also come accompanied by a custom-designed tasseled bookmark.

stack of books on a room service tray
Jente Gees

Beyond the books, the Book Butler program also comes with a complimentary in-room dining option, Book Bites, which give guests the option to order specially paired small plates with their book of choice.

"We are thrilled to introduce The Book Butler program to our guests, not only because it offers another glimpse into the rich, literary-inspired backstory of The Ben and its muse, Byrd Dewey, but also because it celebrates a fine local establishment through our new partnership with The Palm Beach Book Store," Bernardo Neto, general manager of The Ben, said in a statement. "We understand the value in supporting independently-owned, neighborhood businesses and giving back to our community, particularly during the current economic climate, and are pleased to be able to introduce our guests to such a revered local bookshop as part of this new program."

As the hotel further explained in a statement, there's no better property than this for a book-filled experience.

"The Ben West Palm property has always been grounded in literature and storytelling. Byrd Spilman Dewey, a bestselling author and celebrated columnist, moved to South Florida in 1892 and lived in an estate originally named Ben Trovato, The Ben's namesake and a term loosely derived from an Italian phrase meaning, 'Even if it isn't true, it's still a good story,'" the hotel shared.

Beyond the butlers, The Ben also features several literary-themed design elements including secret sliding bookcases in guest rooms, and in the lobby, a book display wall is arranged to resemble a silhouette of Dewey's face.

Oh, and the best part? Guests can take their new book home with them when their travels are over, or choose to leave it behind to be donated to the West Palm Beach Library Foundation.

"During the pandemic, it has been especially important that we continue to connect our customers to books," Candice Cohen, founder of The Palm Beach Book Store, shared. "We look forward to partnering with The Ben to curate a selection of new and topical book titles that relate to the history of the hotel and the city of West Palm Beach, providing a wonderful keepsake for those who are visiting for the first time or who have lived here their whole life."

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