St Paul’s Cathedral to host guests for £7-a-night in ‘secret’ 300-year-old library

Guests will be able to book the cathedral library through Airbnb

St Paul’s Cathedral will host guests for the first time since World War II in honour of World Book Day.

Via Airbnb, two guests will have the opportunity to stay in the London landmark’s hidden, Triforium level library on 15 March for just £7.

The experience will include dinner at a nearby restaurant and breakfast the next morning.

During their stay, the guests will enter the Cathedral through the Dean’s door and climb the spiral staircase, designed by English architect Sir Christopher Wren more than 300 years ago.

At the top of the staircase, they will be greeted by the library, which hosts a collection of more than 22,000 books, ranging from classics to Penguin Random House US’ upcoming releases.

They will also be welcomed to the venue by the Dean and receive a tour of the historic Cathedral.

St Paul’s Cathedral unveils its ‘secret Hidden Library’, which will be available on Airbnb for World Book Day (PA)

The next morning after breakfast, the guests will climb to the famous Cathedral dome to finish off their stay.

To remember their experience, the visitors will be gifted signed and stamped copies of the upcoming Penguin Random House US books including Holly Jackson’s The Reappearance of Rachel Price and John Grisham’s Camino Ghosts.

Director of visitor engagement at St Paul’s Cathedral, Sandra Lynes Timbrell, said: “The recently restored library at St Paul’s has long been a secret gem of the Cathedral – cleverly concealed by the ingenious architecture of Sir Christopher Wren.

“Some very fortunate guests will now get the chance to delve deeper into the history and wonder of St Paul’s with this truly one-of-a-kind stay.”

St Paul's Cathedral library (PA)

Booking will open on Airbnb on 12 March.

The general manager of northern Europe at Airbnb, Amanda Cupples, said they are “thrilled” to open the doors of the library to bookworms, history enthusiasts or those seeking a unique experience in London.

Director of brand strategy at Penguin Random House US, Alyssa Castaneda, added: “This partnership with Airbnb is a true celebration of readers in the most magical of ways.

St Paul’s Cathedral library (PA)

“From exploring the secret corners of the Cathedral and summiting the famous dome to reading their way through Penguin Random House US’s upcoming releases, this once-in-a-lifetime experience is the stuff of fairytales.”

The one-night-only stay is available for two adults and will cost £7 for the night, with breakfast and dinner included.

Booking for the experience opens on March 12 2024 at 10am at airbnb.com/hiddenlibrary.

Additional reporting by the Press Association