Whether a getaway takes you to the beach, the mountains, or a bustling city, leisure travel is one of life’s true luxuries. For readers, there’s something extra enticing about these relaxing “read trips:” The ability to lose yourself in a book. While many accommodations can foster a good reading session, certain destinations take the role seriously and provide the perfect environment for a book-fueled vacation. Today’s read trip: The Pulitzer Hotel in Amsterdam.
Joseph Pulitzer was a politician and newspaper publisher, with papers in St. Louis and New York. He went on to found the Columbia School of Journalism, which opened in 1912 one year after his death, and the prize that bears his name was commissioned via a philanthropic endowment in 1917. Today, the Pulitzer Prize is the most coveted award in writing, covering a range of topics, from investigative reporting and photography to fiction and poetry. Pulitzer’s name extends beyond schools and awards, however, as it also titles a luxury hotel in Amsterdam.
Pulitzer Amsterdam is named not for Joseph, but for his grandson and the hotel’s founder, Herbert “Peter” Pulitzer. It opened in 1970, set within 25 restored canal houses that date back to the 17th and 18th centuries and once housed Dutch aristocrats. Those houses were sewn together into a 225-room hotel, with unique rooms and suites located across the property, so no two stays are the same.
The rooms range from a cozy 180-square-foot space with a queen bed to larger, 320-square-foot king rooms that can comfortably accommodate couples. There’s even a split-level layout meant for families, with a king bed downstairs and twin beds in the loft. Suites provide even more space, ranging from 500-900 square feet, with certain options designed around a theme, like books, art, music, and antiques.
The Book Collector’s Suite is like sleeping in a gorgeous home library, with a living area featuring bookshelves stocked with tomes — many of them Pulitzer Prize winners. The sitting area looks out onto the canal and includes a couch, desk, and leather chairs, perfect for settling in with a good book. There’s even an archway above the bedroom door that’s constructed from books, so you can really lean into the theme.
When you’re not reading or out exploring the city, you’re going to need some sustenance. The hotel houses the art deco Pulitzer Bar, with dark woods and brass, where you can enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine. The Pulitzer Garden is a tranquil respite for dining and drinking al fresco while surrounded by the historic canal houses. And the elegant Jansz restaurant serves a modern-Dutch menu with sandwiches, pastas, fresh fish, and grilled meats.
Pulitzer Amsterdam Reading List
Embrace the hotel’s theme by reading or listening to a Pulitzer-winning book during your stay. Here are five good options you’ll find on Scribd.
2022 Winner: History
Eustace, professor of history at New York University, dives into 1722, when on the eve of a major treaty conference between Iroquois leaders and European colonists in Pennsylvania, two white fur traders attacked an Indigenous hunter and left him for dead. Her story examines two overlapping worlds and their views of crime, punishment, and justice.
2022 Winner: History
Spanning more than five decades, Ferrer’s work explores Cuba’s surprising and often troubled relationship with the United States, from the Cold War to today.
2021 Winner: Biography
Authors Les and Tamara Payne dig deep into Malcom X’s life, from birth to death. They provide never-before-seen insights via interviews with family members, classmates, friends, cellmates, Nation of Islam figures, FBI moles, cops, and political leaders around the world.
2021 Winner: History
From civil rights to Ferguson, Chatelain’s book reveals the untold history of how fast food became one of the greatest generators of black wealth in America.
2021 Winner: General Nonfiction
Zucchino uses contemporary newspaper accounts, diaries, letters, and official communications to create a gripping and compelling narrative that tells the tale of a violent, race-motivated insurrection in 1898 Wilmington.
For more Pulitzer-winning reading recommendations from our Scribd editors, check out Recent Pulitzer-Prize Winners.
