By Gabbie Burton
Contributing Writer

In a world full of digital media and a never-ending cycle of online content to consume, a return to cozy and warm classics we once knew can be a welcome retreat. Stephanie Olenik knows the value of such an experience through her time as owner and operator of The Bookhouse Hotel in Kennett Square and the new Bookhouse Hotel at Faunbrook in West Chester.

Olenik’s combination of literature and hospitality was simultaneously an act of serendipity and a product of long-term goals and effort. 

“I’ve owned Airbnbs along the way, but a hotel was always on my vision board,” she said. “That’s what I always wanted to do.”

Before she embarked on a ten-year career in real estate, Olenik worked in the service industry which she credits for giving her a passion for hospitality. The last and possibly most crucial piece that fell perfectly into place for her latest business ventures is her love of reading, which began when she was in the first grade.

“We would have a time where you would get cozy, and the teacher set up this coziest corner ever, and you would go read and that's when it started,” Olenik said. “That’s my favorite memory.”

In 2023, when Olenik learned that a bookstore in Kennett Square was closing and all 5,000 books were being left behind, Olenik convinced her husband, Matt and business partners Stephen Tallon and Bill Rookstool to invest in the property and begin The Bookhouse Hotel. The four-room hotel was a success with writers, readers and just about anyone else looking for a unique hotel experience. The Kennett location’s success allowed Olenik and the team to expand into West Chester and turn the Faunbrook into the next Bookhouse Hotel, which opened this past January.

The Bookhouse at Faunbrook, a historical building dating back to the 1860s, was originally owned by the Darlington family and was renowned for the Fourth of July parties hosted there. The home eventually became a bed and breakfast before Olenik acquired it last year.

The hotel has seven rooms - three more than the Kennett Square location – and each room takes inspiration from literature and history: the Darlington suite, named after the original owners; Daisy’s Room, named after Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby; Jane’s room, honoring Jane Austen; Alice’s Suite, for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; Burnett’s Studio, inspired by The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett; Rose’s Room, inspired by Dickens’ Oliver Twist and The Dreamer’s Quarters, named after Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Each room features an impressive collection of books surrounding each bed, the number of which Olenik cannot be certain of yet though she estimates that it is likely well into the thousands. The novels aren’t just for decoration or to curate the vibe of the Bookhouse Hotel, but meant to be read, cherished and appreciated during and long after a guest’s stay. Olenik shared that she feels imagination is the greatest benefit in unplugging from other media and picking up a book.

“It’s about getting lost in a book, and when it’s a good book, that’s the best,” Olenik said.

It would seem others in the community would agree with Olenik. Boxes of books often appear outside the Faunbrook, donations from locals hoping to fill the shelves with more beloved stories. The Bookhouse also has a quarterly book club, currently hosting over 100 members. Members of the book club receive the selected book, gifts, discounted stays, Zoom meetings with authors and access to the annual Book Ball, a themed celebration now taking place at the Faunbrook. The hotel will host its official grand opening party on April 13. 

While the love of reading is evident through the space and activities of The Bookhouse Hotel, the new Faunbrook location is embracing love itself by becoming a wedding destination, with the first wedding planned for this spring. Olenik shared that the couple got engaged at the Kennett Square location and made it full circle to host their wedding at the Faunbrook.

“I think there are details at Faunbrook that a regular hotel doesn’t have, like our secret bookcase door and all of the books in the rooms and the different themed rooms,” she said. “I just think it’s a different experience, and a magical one.”

The Bookhouse Hotel at Faunbrook is located at 699 W Rosedale Ave, West Chester, Pa. 19382. To learn more or make a reservation, visit www.thebookhouseatfaunbrook.com or call 610-257-7008.

To contact Contributing Writer Gabbie Burton, email [email protected].