The quiet, refined atmosphere of a library can be ideal for meetings -- especially when the library is located inside a hotel. Whether it's for a unique cocktail reception, an intimate meeting, or a quiet one-on-one away from a bustling ballroom, these venues provide the perfect backdrop.
Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis
Inside Marin Restaurant & Bar at Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis, a hidden staircase leads downstairs to The Library, a subterranean bar that feels like a mash-up between a masculine study and an edgy 1920s speakeasy. Specializing in craft cocktails, the bar is adorned with dark mahogany, oversized leather armchairs, and large oak wine barrels, not to mention walls lined with literary classics from authors like Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and Ernest Hemingway. Part library, part lounge, it's an ideal space for a private dinner or a cocktail hour.
The Jefferson (Washington, DC)
As one of the nation's most prominent politicians and diplomats, Thomas Jefferson was no stranger to meetings. The library at his namesake hotel, The Jefferson, is an inspired location for small receptions of up to 30 guests. Called the Book Room, the 500-square-foot space is an ode to Jefferson's love of literature, featuring a collection of leather-bound books on "Jeffersonian" subjects such as history, law, philosophy, and architecture, as well as documents signed by Jefferson himself and a special bookshelf reserved for signed copies of books by authors who have stayed at the hotel. A working fireplace adds to the space's charm.
Il Salviatino (Florence, Italy)
Italy's five-star Il Salviatino is a restored 15th-century villa with 45 rooms and 12 acres of landscaped parkland. Along with sweeping views of the Tuscan countryside and Florence's famous Duomo, a highlight is its hidden wood-paneled library, which is brimming with antique leather-bound books on every imaginable subject. Its comfortable leather couches and silver candelabras create a warm environment in which to sip wine and discuss literature with fellow meeting attendees.
NoMad Hotel (New York City)
Located inside a restored Beaux Arts mansion, New York's elegant NoMad Hotel was inspired by Paris and designed to feel like a private home in the City of Lights. In that spirit, the hotel's two-story library features a spiral staircase imported from the South of France, alongside which guests can enjoy finger foods served with coffee, tea, wine, and cocktails. The library's collection -- which features extensive volumes on the history of New York, music, and cocktails, among many other subjects -- was specially curated by Thatcher Wine, owner and founder of Juniper Books, which specializes in designing and curating libraries and book collections based on criteria such as book author, color, subject, size, and/or material. If your group can't find conversation starters here, it won't find them anywhere.
Gladstone's Library (Hawarden, Wales)
You could meet in a hotel that has a library in it. Or you could meet in a library that has a hotel in it -- like Gladstone's Library in Wales. Named for British Prime Minister William Gladstone, who established it in 1889, the United Kingdom's only residential library caters to scholars and bookworms with 26 guest rooms, an onsite restaurant, and a massive collection of 250,000 books and journals. In addition to 26 desks and comfortable armchairs scattered throughout the stacks, there are four dedicated meeting spaces for groups of up to 36 people.