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David Evans

1. Stevenson House, Edinburgh
This 200-year-old Georgian town house was once home to Robert Louis Stevenson.  The author lived here for  24 years from the age of  six, and this is where his mother nursed him through  many childhood illnesses. Seeking a climate more suited to his frail health,  Stevenson travelled extensively, before  settling on the Samoan island of  Upolu. It was during his globe-trotting that he penned   The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,   Treasure Island and   Kidnapped. The house retains some features from Stevenson's, such as the drawing room's original fireplace, in front of which guests can sit and dream up their own classics.  See www.stevenson-house.co.uk.
2. Goldeneye, Jamaica
Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond,  would take an early morning swim in the aquamarine waters below his villa (above right), bash out   2,000 words on his portable typewriter, then round off the day with another swim and a well-deserved cocktail.  Goldeneye is where the novelist penned not only the majority of his  Bond novels, but also the children's story,   Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The 7-hectare villa retreat is now a luxury hotel. For details, go to www.goldeneyehotel.com.
3. Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi
In the 1950s, Graham Greene could be often found propping up  Le Club Bar at this magnificent French colonial style hotel (below left), discoursing with fellow writers while enjoying a dry vermouth. Not surprisingly, the   drink remains the aperitif of choice for those visiting the hotel, which five decades later, retains much of its original charm, from the green window shutters to the verdant courtyard garden. It was here in  1951 that Greene applied the finishing touches to   The Quiet American and  a room in the hotel is still dedicated  to him. See www.sofitel.com.
4. Ambos Mundos Hotel, Havana
Ernest Hemingway called this  pink 1920s hotel a  'good place to write'.  Its central location  would have also put it within stumbling distance of the author's favourite drinking holes. It was here in  1939 that he began the first chapters of   For Whom the Bell Tolls  in room  511. The owners have made the most of their famous guest, keeping the room as it was in Hemingway's time. The rest of the hotel is a shrine to his memory with 'Papa' pictures and paraphernalia adorning the walls. For details, visit www.hotelambosmundos-cuba.com.
5. Luk Kwok Hotel, Hong Kong
Despite being redeveloped beyond recognition, the  Luk Kwok is where  Richard Mason stayed while in Hong Kong and is the template for the  Nam Kok Hotel in his novel The World of Suzie Wong. In the book, the fictional hotel is a front for a brothel, whereas today's reincarnation is a sleek five-star affair. Yet venture deeper into Wan Chai and you can still find small pockets of the district Mason  explored in the  1950s. Visit www. lukkwokhotel.com  for details.
6. The White House, Corfu
The villa, perched on a clifftop overlooking the small seaside village of  Kalami, is  where  Lawrence Durrell wrote   Prospero's Cell - a poetic guide to Corfu, its people and landscape. It is also the setting for My Family and Other Animals, his conservationist brother Gerald's humorous account of his childhood. Much has changed since Lawrence and his wife  Nancy left in  1939, but the building still remains the only standalone villa in the area. It can accommodate up to  eight people.  See www.white-house-corfu.gr.
7. The Author's Wing, The Oriental, Bangkok
The Thai city's Oriental Hotel (below right) is a bibliophile's dream. Located on the banks of the  Chao Phraya River, the hotel has been home to no less than 10 literary greats in its 130-year history,  a list that includes Somerset Maugham,  Joseph Conrad,  Noel Coward and  James Michener, who have all received the honour of having a suite named after them. For details, go to www.mandarinoriental.com.
8. Relais Hotel Du Vieux Paris, Paris
Today this historic hotel in the city's Latin Quarter is a luxury four-star establishment. Yet in the late  50s when  William Burroughs and his  friends stayed there, it was 'Class 13' - the bottom rung of the grading ladder. Burroughs stayed in one of the 42 rooms, sharing a kitchen and toilet, while trying to find a publisher for Naked Lunch. These days the former 'Beat Hotel' is far more respectable. Definitely the oldest place on the list,  the half-timbered rooms date back to 1480. See www.vieuxparis.com.
9. The Algonquin Hotel, New York
In its artistic heyday, the Algonquin (below centre) played host to a stellar list of American authors and actors but it is  Academy Award-winning screenwriter  Dorothy Parker whose name stands out. She was one of the founding members of the 'Vicious Circle', the group that included  George Kaufman and  Harpo Marx, and first met in the hotel's Oak Room in 1919,  where they exchanged witty remarks and acerbic comments. Parker stayed twice at the hotel, once occupying a suite on the second floor. Today the  Dorothy Parker Suite is festooned with photos and letters on the walls. See www.algonquinhotel.com.
10. Peace Hotel, Shanghai
While Noel Coward's better known home is  the Blue Harbour in Jamaica (www.blueharb. com), in  1930 the playwright wrote   Private Lives while recuperating from influenza in room  314 of what was then called the  Cathay Hotel. For details, go to www.shanghaipeacehotel.com.



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