The newest guest offering at The Ben West Palm, an Autograph Collection Hotel, is a Book Butler who brings books to guest rooms from a curated in-room menu.
The program, launched in February, allows bibliophiles to order the book of their choice after
simply dialing “0” from their in-room phone to connect with the butler, who delivers the tome along with a custom-designed tasseled bookmark. Readers with an appetite for a bit more than literature can order Book Bites, specially paired small plates.
The Book Butler program pays homage to the hotel’s rich literary history. It also honors the late Byrd Spilman Dewey, whose fondness of storytelling is revealed through other touch points throughout the hotel, including literary-themed design elements, like guestrooms with secret sliding bookcases.
Books are complimentary to guests, who may take them home after check-out or leave them to be donated to the West Palm Beach Library Foundation.
While The Ben opened a year ago, the late 19th-century origins of the property have always been grounded in literature and storytelling. Dewey, an author and 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.”
“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,” General Manager Bernardo Neto said in a press release.
Visit thebenwestpalm.com and thepalmbeachbookstore.com.