Sleeping in a bookstore seems romantic, but the reality is no fairytale

THE PLACE

Lamp Light Books Hotel, Sapporo, Japan.

CHECK-IN

To the point … the Lamp Light Books Hotel is, well, an open book.Credit:

It’s an intriguing saunter through the highly animated Tanukikoji Shopping Street – a galleria-style shopping arcade almost one kilometre long, with more than 200 shops, bustling restaurants and bars – to reach Sapporo’s Lamp Light Books Hotel. My place of respite is the closest thing to sleeping in a bookstore; only silence and neatly stacked books fill the air. Originating from Nagoya, the bookstore-themed hotel features a library with more than 4000 books for guests to hire.

THE LOOK

The book nook.Credit:

The boutique 112-room hotel’s first-floor lobby doubles as a bookshop and cafe for the studious or those looking for a quick escape through the turn of a page. Floor-to-ceiling light timber shelves, primarily filled with Japanese books, cover its walls.

Between books on display are various oak and grey-toned meeting spaces, including tables for two, a workspace counter table, square armchairs, a two-seater couch and reading nooks, all of which exude simple Japanese modern aesthetics.

No reading lights are required in this lobby/bookstore/library. It is open 24/7, with singular white orb lights suspended from the wooden-beam coffered high ceiling, keeping the space bright.

THE ROOM

The hotel has six room categories. I’m in the second lead-in room type, the moderate double room, barely bigger than a shoebox. It is 14 square metres, has a double bed pressed against the wall, TV, coffee amenities (kettle and mugs) under the bedside table, and minimal bench space for two zipped suitcases (leaving both bags open is another story). The bathroom is tight, with an overhead shower, toilet and sink. There’s a bottle of air-freshener spray on standby – that’s a first.

Somewhat spartan … but a stay here is not about the room.Credit:

The room’s design mirrors the first-floor lobby, featuring rhino-grey and asymmetrical wooden lattice. Small pops of colour appear on a slim bookshelf behind the bed with two books on display. Overall the room is bland, with minimal furnishings (more wouldn’t fit anyhow). Then again, inspiration is meant to be found elsewhere – Sapporo itself, books – not in this tiny space. My room is functional and nothing more.

FOOD + DRINK

The Lamp Light Books Cafe.Credit:

The first-floor Lamp Light Books Cafe is open 24-7 for guests, with food served from 7am-10pm. Besides coffee and juices, its limited food menu comprises open toasts, soups, baked treats and cakes to satisfy sugar cravings.

The breakfast set menu is ¥1100 ($12) and must be ordered in advance. It includes bread, soup and coffee. I forgo breakfast and have a large Americano; it wouldn’t disappoint coffee snobs.

OUT + ABOUT

The bustle of Sapporo is right on the hotel’s doorstep. The hotel is on the seventh block of Tanukikoji Shopping Street. Quiet in the mornings, the strip becomes brash with flashing lights, commotion and sound as the day continues.

The city’s red beacon, Sapporo TV Tower, is just over a kilometre away from the hotel. Under its shadow lies the heart of Sapporo, Odori Park, stretching 12 blocks (roughly 1.5 kilometres). The parkland hosts many cultural events throughout the year, including the ginormous culinary festival Sapporo Autumn Fest, which showcases Hokkaido’s regional produce, beverages and cuisines.

THE VERDICT

A hotel featuring a bookstore is a romantic, appealing concept. However, being nose-deep in a book in a confined, humdrum hotel room is barely a dreamy escape (maybe my sentiments would differ in a higher room category). The hotel’s location, however, is the real winner, right in the thick of all the action. Now that’s a good story to tell.

ESSENTIALS

From ¥9000 ($96) a night. Lamp Lights Books Hotel Sapporo, 〒060-0062, Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo-ku Minami 2jo Nishi 7-5-1. Phone: [phone]. See en.lamplightbookshotel.com

OUR SCORE OUT OF FIVE

★★★

HIGHLIGHT

Can’t sleep? Head downstairs and pick a book from the limited English selection to unwind and help doze off.

LOWLIGHT

Breakfast orders must be submitted a day prior by 11pm. There’s no lenience for late orders, as I discovered just minutes before midnight.

The writer stayed at Lamp Light Book Hotel Sapporo at her own expense.