Geography, as any seasoned librarian or keeper of imaginary maps will tell you, is rarely a simple matter of latitude and longitude. True cartography belongs to the margins — where the lines between reality and fiction wear thin.

The Hazelnut Inn lies somewhere between a boutique retreat and the pages of a fantasy novel. With just three suites, each built around its own story, the hotel feels like a small library of places.

Consider this your field guide.

Volume I: The North Star & The Cartography Of Adventure

In a sensible world, a grand sailing ship would never be found tucked into the side of a tower.

The North Star Suite, however, is built around the Avellana, a sailing vessel that has sailed straight out of an adventure novel. Its mermaid bedposts suggest a voyage that has only paused for the night.

Above, an illuminated map of the solar system stretches across the ceiling. Its the sort of celestial chart that might inspire a cartographer to search for routes between distant worlds.

Volume II: The Under Hill & The Topography of Comfort

For those who prefer adventures involving considerably less sailing, there is the Under Hill Suite. Here, the journey moves downward, into a subterranean retreat.

Hand-carved stone and heavy, curved timbers give the interior an organic character. This suite is designed for hibernation rather than exploration. It is a place for a pot of tea and an unhurried morning. Close the door and let the rest of the multiverse resolve its own drama.

Volume III: The Copper Crown & the Chorography Of Splendour

Every great library needs a shelf devoted to castles and legendary monarchs. At the Hazelnut Inn, that shelf is the Copper Crown Suite.

Stone arches, weathered ironwork, and a tower soaking tub complete this private royal chamber.

And yet, there are no diplomatic responsibilities or troublesome courtiers. Just the pleasure of temporarily stepping outside ordinary life.

Archival Field Notes for the Wandering Scholar

From a librarian’s perspective, the Hazelnut Inn presents a pleasingly compact collection: three suites, three distinct worlds. And the best part? No perilous crossing of enchanted seas is required. Simply a willingness to believe — at least for a little while — that the lands of imagination might be real.

• A final word of advice: Exercise caution when opening any books you find in the bedside table. You never quite know which page might lead you to another world entirely.

Growing up, I feasted on the pages of fantasy literature. That lifelong love of myth and storytelling helped inspire us to build our own fairytale inn.

When I travel, my packing is never complete without a well-worn paperback. I am particularly fond of Naomi Novik’s work, especially the way folklore and history shape her stories. Two of her books come to mind when I think of our Copper Crown Suite: Spinning Silver and His Majesty’s Dragon.

Spinning Silver

Spinning Silver is a slow-burning fairy tale rooted in folklore, winter, and hard-won victories. Its atmosphere feels particularly suited to the Copper Crown, with its warm stone, timber, and quiet corners tucked away from the rest of the suite.

• The Secret Nook: A hidden passageway leads to a private reading corner, tucked away behind the walls. It is the sort of place where a paperback and a little uninterrupted time seem to belong.

• The Tower Bedroom: Climb the stairs to the tower bedroom and settle in with a book as the sun dips behind Vedder Mountain. It is a quiet place to read, rest, and let the evening unfold.

His Majesty’s Dragon

His Majesty’s Dragon takes a different path, blending the history of the Napoleonic era with dragons. It’s another natural fit for the Copper Crown, which is filled draconic motifs.

• The Grand Hall: Look closely at the main chandelier and you will find four sculpted dragon heads looking down toward the hearth.

• The Tower Soaker Tub: Beneath the timber rafters, the tower soaker tub is built for two. It is one of those spots that makes it easy to turn the page and linger a little longer.

The Final Chapter

Like Novik’s writing, the Copper Crown is filled with details that reveal themselves slowly. Beyond the suite, the moat courtyard offers another quiet corner to explore, with fountains trickling into the water and koi-fish moving beneath the surface.

Those are the details I think about when choosing a book to take along: the stories I already love, and the places we made to read them.

Some places are built, while others are dreamed into existence. When we first began shaping the Hazelnut Inn, architecture and story often found themselves occupying the same space. The North Star Suite — with its deep colours, private corners, and a ceiling that opens onto a sky of its own — was influenced by many of the fantasy worlds I’ve explored through the years.

I’ve always loved reading, and I’m particularly fond of Naomi Novik’s work. Her fierce, deeply empathetic characters and richly imagined worlds have stayed with me long after the final page.

If you are packing your bags for a stay beneath our stars, here are two of her books I’d recommend for the North Star Suite.

A Deadly Education

The North Star Suite, with its midnight tones and quiet private spaces, has a certain darkness that makes Novik’s A Deadly Education an easy companion.

The novel takes place in the Scholomance, a school that is actively trying to eat its students. Its enclosed, perilous world offers an interesting contrast to the quiet of the North Star. The room provides the sanctuary; the book provides the danger.

His Majesty’s Dragon

For something altogether different, I’d consider His Majesty’s Dragon.

The story trades the claustrophobic danger of the Scholomance for historical adventure and open skies. Captain Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire, feel like they belong beneath the suite’s sweeping celestial ceiling.

Perhaps the best books to bring with you are the ones that make the room around you feel a little different by the time you reach the final page.