By Chris Leadbeater
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It is a book that has proved a publishing phenomenon, establishing itself as the fastest-selling paperback ever seen in the UK thanks to its rather exotic content.
And now the impact of Fifty Shades Of Grey is being felt in the travel world, where hotels are starting to cash in on the torrid romance of protagonists Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey.
Exotic thriller: Fifty Shades Of Grey includes scenes of bondage and submission as part of its steamy storyline
Penned by British novelist EL James, the book is the first part of a trilogy that charts the relationship between Grey, a manipulative billionaire, and his new partner Steele.
Featuring scenes of bondage, submission, domination and sadism, the book ventures into territory not usually seen on mainstream best-seller lists, and has proved to be especially popular with married women over thirty â€" leading it to be described as ‘mommy porn.’
But one of the big beneficiaries of the page-turner’s success is proving to be Seattle, the west-coast American city where much of this lurid story is set.
Steele and Grey’s trysts play out in a series of luxury hotels â€" and one such Seattle establishment, the Hotel Max (www.hotelmaxseattle.com), is now offering guests a ’50 Shades of Seattle’ package that lets them recreate some of the novel’s key moments.
Requiring a minimum stay of two nights, the deal includes accommodation in an ‘Artist King’ double room, a chauffeured car and a four-hour sailing excursion on the nearby waters of Puget Sound. The latter includes a gourmet picnic and a bottle of Bollinger Grand Annee Rosé champagne â€" a tipple which, readers will know, is Grey’s favourite.
Out on a limb: Much of the book is set in the north-westerly US city of Seattle
The coup de grace, however, is a tour of the city by helicopter â€" an airborne option that lets guests pretend they are taking to the skies in Grey’s private chopper Charlie Tango.
The package could hardly be considered inexpensive. A two-night stay for two people costs from $1967 (£1254), including all the luxury add-ons.
But the hotel is convinced that it provides the ideal setting for visitors seeking to sample the outré ambience of Fifty Shades Of Grey. It positions itself as Seattle’s ‘sexiest hotel’, claiming that it adds up to a retreat where ‘you can live out a few of your fantasies.’
And it billets guests staying as part of its exotic package on the eighth floor, ‘where the corridors are hung with alluring larger than life photos depicting a couple on a date.’
The Max is not the only Seattle hotel to cast an inventive glance at the book’s plot-line.
The Edgewater Hotel (www.edgewaterhotel.com) does not feature in the novel, but enjoys a prime location on the waterfront â€" and does a ’50 Shades Of Romance’ package.
Getting in on the act: The Edgewater Hotel (left) and Hotel Max (right), both in Seattle, let guests 'recreate' some of the action from the book by offering accommodation packages that include helicopter tours and champagne
This includes accommodation in a ‘Premium Waterside’ suite, a sailing jaunt on Puget Sound, the obligatory bottle of Bollinger, a map of Seattle sites that crop up in the story and â€" most pertinently â€" a test drive in a high-powered Audi sports car. Fans of the book will know that the hugely wealthy Grey buys his new paramour an Audi R8.
Available until 30 September, this package costs from $914 (£583) per night.
However, true devotees of the book will surely be tempted in the direction of Portland, in the neighbouring US state of Oregon.
The city is host to the Heathman Hotel (portland.heathmanhotel.com) â€" an institution that plays a significant role in the book. It is here that Steele and Grey have their first encounter â€" and the hotel is keen to capitalise on the connection.
â €˜The Heathman was featured as a backdrop to much of the book, and with that role as supporting actor we have received amusing and intriguing praise and interest,’ it declares.
Its Charlie Tango package (another reference to Grey’s helicopter) costs from $2700 (£1720) per night, and features drinks, dinner in the hotel’s Heathman restaurant and â€" inevitably â€" a helicopter ride over the rooftops of the city.
Back to the source: The Heathman Hotel in Portland is the scene of the lovers' first encounter
The runaway success of Fifty Shades Of Grey looks set to continue. With two subsequent novels â€" Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed â€" also available, readers can immerse themselves in the daring couple’s further adventures.
And the movie rights to the book have already been snapped up.
Angelina Jolie has been mooted as a possible director, while Henry Cavill â€" the British actor set to star in the next Superman film â€" has been linked to the leading role.
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