At the gateway to the city, Hotel West and Main breathes new life into an old firehouse overlooking downtown Conshohocken and the Schuylkill River. The once deteriorating building now emits an upscale ambiance blended with classy displays of firefighting history. The 127-room, six-floor hotel, part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, partners with local companies on everything from coffee and baked goods to floral and event production services. It’s an innovative spot to meet with a friend for drinks, spend a weekend getaway, or host your next event.
Initially, my thought was… why Conshohocken? Well, in less than 5 minutes, you can walk to the Fayette Street shops, hike or bike on the Schuylkill Trail, or reach the Conshohocken Train Station to venture out into the city. In a short drive, guests can visit the Morris Arboretum, Valley Forge National Historical Park, and many other local attractions.
Then there’s the building itself. The main doors open to the refurbished portion of the firehouse and the lobby effortlessly transitions to the newly constructed hotel. In the vestibule, you’re greeted to the left with a piano that according to locals was used by the Washies Sirens band to entertain at block parties and firehall banquets going back to the 1920s. And the door to the right of the piano is the original door that once led to the Emergency Communications Room where all of the action happened.
Take a seat by the fireplace and you’ll see the door to the bell tower, which goes all the way up to the 6th floor, directly across from the emergency board that once lit up to indicate the location and severity of local fires. There are so many clever nods to the past that are nostalgic, yet it feels nothing but trendy and boutique. You can tell there was a lot of thought put into the attention to detail throughout.
As for food and libations, there are two choices on premises, connected by the fireman’s pole for display purposes only, of course. The 1874 Social has plenty of indoor seating for breakfast, lunch and light fare in the evenings with a bar adjacent to hotel check-in that features roll-up bay doors opening to additional event space and outdoor dining.
Directly above 1874 Social, in what was once the firefighters’ sleeping quarters, is the Hook and Ladder Sky Bar & Kitchen where you can grab a seat on either side of a large retractable bay window that opens to a rooftop bar with live entertainment… or reserve a table and listen to some modern tasteful instrumental tunes while enjoying some exquisite cuisines prepared under the direction of Executive Chef Zack Wannawong.
The Dry-Aged Tomahawk Ribeye steak was superb. I was pleasantly surprised with the Bread Pudding, served warm with ice cream and caramel sauce. The locally themed cocktails and False Alarm mocktail were also a nice touch. The perfect cap to my evening at the Hotel West and Main was the “Matson’s Ford”, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey cocktail, served for two and literally smoking!
Images: Joe Mac Creative
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