Must visit: Top six literary hotels

This week, Ernest Hemingway's family announced plans to open a series of literature-themed hotels in the great man's name.

This week, Ernest Hemingway's family announced plans to open a series of literature-themed hotels in the great man's name.

It's a fun idea, but it wouldn't be the first time that hotels have tried this novel approach to winning new visitors -- literary hotels are surprisingly common. Here, a selection of top establishments that positively encourage curling up with a book.

Le Pavillon des Lettres
Paris, France
The 26 rooms of Paris' first literary hotel pay homage to various authors, with Hans Christian Andersen at the beginning, Emile Zola at the end and Diderot, Goethe, Kafka and Shakespeare in between.

Hotel Rex
San Francisco, CA, USA
Taking inspiration from San Francisco's literary saloons of the early 20th century, Hotel Rex offers a library bar and maps which showcase the city's literary highlights.

Hotel Friedenau
Berlin, Germany
Friedenau has been a haven for German writers for decades, with this simple hotel paying homage to the best of them, offering a collection of books, biographies, manuscripts, drawings and photos from local writers.

The Algonquin
New York
Set to reopen in May, this hotel is a living legend -- the property with the Algonquin Round Table of literary greats which spawned the creation of The New Yorker magazine.

L'Hotel
Paris, France
Oscar Wilde lived at L'Hotel until his death and it remains one of the Left Bank's most iconic institutions, just a stone's throw away from Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore (favorites of Simone de Beauvoir and Ernest Hemingway).

Eastern & Oriental Hotel Penang
Penang, Malaysia
Rudyard Kipling is said to have written the Jungle Book here, with Hermann Hesse, W. Somerset Maugham and Noël Coward also passing through at various points. It offers four sea-facing 'Writers Suites', facing the sea and with separate dining room, lounge and bar.