In 2023, soon after Stephanie Olenik saw that a former bookstore on Union Street in Kennett Square was zoned to be the future site of a hotel, she arrived at the site and was greeted by 5,000 books that had remained there from the previous owners.

From those stacks – and with a deferential nod to the historic Macaluso’s bookstore that had stood there for decades – Olenik created her vision for what has become the most talked-about new boutique hotel in southern Chester County.

A mere six months after it first opened, The Bookhouse Hotel has become a welcome respite for guests whose childhoods were spent in oversize chairs absorbing picture books at their hometown libraries; for those who love to disappear in dusty old bookstores; and for those who wish to dream the night away in the gentle company of written words.

“I want visitors to feel like they have just stepped in from the outside world and given the gift of curling up cozy with a new book, with the charm of Kennett Square is just a moment’s walk away,” said Olenik, who owns the hotel in partnership with her husband Matt and their business partners, Stephen Tallon and Bill Rookstool. “We had to redesign the entire space, but I had the vision in my head that books would encircle the bed in every room.”

Olenik’s vision began when she learned that the historic building was zoned for several uses, including a hotel. Combining her skills as a realtor and her background in interior design, Olenik – who attended the Moore College of Art and Design – worked with Matt to create a stunning lobby and four distinctive rooms drawn from different inspirations and filled with repurposed gems: The Studio, The Study, The Writer’s Den and The Secret Garden Room. There are also two book groups that meet every month at the hotel, where members get to meet authors who will talk about their books.

The reviews from those who have stayed at The Bookhouse Hotel have been incredible, Olenik said.

“Three YouTubers came from three different states and recorded their entire visit, and as a consequence, people who have seen the clips call and ask if we have upcoming vacancies,” she said. “Writers on retreat have stayed here, including one writer who hid her latest book in a bookshelf at the hotel. People tell me they are so excited about the small details they see here. Just last week, I saw a couple walking out of the hotel carrying a picnic basket on their way to Longwood Gardens.

“It’s the magic of the books and the magic of this building’s history.”

The Bookhouse Hotel is located at 130 S. Union Street in Kennett Square. To make reservations and learn more, visit www.thebookhousehotel.com, or follow the hotel on Facebook and Instagram.