Hotels cater to a new generation of guests who want better book options

A British hotel made a splash this summer for its decision to replace Bibles in guests’ rooms with copies of kinky novel Fifty Shades of Grey. Though it was a publicity stunt you could see blindfolded – and perhaps a few patrons did – industry insiders say the move was also right on trend.

A report released this month shows Generation Y has over-taken baby boomers to become the biggest book spenders, with those aged 22 to 32 representing nearly a third of 2011 market share. Given this cohort’s growing importance to tourism, hotels are introducing everything from loaner e-readers and in-room libraries to writers-in-residence and guest book clubs.