A book that definitely deserves shelf space is the Louis Vuitton World Tour travel book, containing an astonishing selection of vintage hotel luggage labels and anecdotes. Later this month, luxury giant Louis Vuitton will publish a one-of-a-kind travel book by Francisca Mattéoli. The book takes the reader on a ‘Grand Tour’ back through the history of travel, via a unique array of hotel luggage labels. Collected by Louis Vuitton’s grandson, Gaston Louis Vuitton, the 1000 vintage labels form the backbone of this well-written, richly detailed and visually impressive book. Mattéoli, author and a passionate globetrotter, follows in the footsteps of great travellers by making a total of 21 stopovers all around the world and by checking in at such legendary hotels as the Hotel Plaza Athénéé in Paris and the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

Meanwhile, each travel label – originally tagged on luggage by hotel staff for advertising purposes – has embarked on exciting adventures in distant lands, while affixed to an LV steamer trunk. The carefully selected labels are accompanied by anecdotes and stories from well-travelled types to produce a fine literary treat.

If you are looking for a travel book that doesn't just provide you with the facts and figures, but also reveals long-lost stories and memories, this book could be right up your street. So, pack up and get ready – the journey is about to begin…

The Louis Vuitton World Tour is presented in a limited-edition boxed set, containing a map of the world and a notebook with 11 self-adhesive hotel labels – and can be found exclusively at Louis Vuitton stores.

Photos: Louis Vuitton / Aurore Colibert