What happens when a real estate-savvy book lover stumbles upon a shuttered bookstore already zoned for hotel use? You get The Bookhouse Hotel, a boutique literary escape where guests literally sleep surrounded by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

In this episode, Stephanie Olenik, the creative force behind not one, but two magical book-themed hotels in Pennsylvania, talks about turning a once-forgotten bookstore into a thriving destination to growing a nationwide book club community, and:

• How Stephanie turned 5,000 leftover books into the inspiration for a boutique hotel
  
  
• What made people start flying in from all over the world to stay at The Bookhouse Hotel
  
  
• Why her second location (a stunning 7-room mansion) includes a Jane Austen suite and a secret photo booth
  
  
• How a viral 24-hour read-a-thon helped boost bookings, and what she’s learned about influencer marketing
  
  
• Her real-talk advice for launching a bookish business that stands out
  
  
• The importance of building community and staying flexible when plans need to change
  
  

Whether you’re a book lover, a dreamer with a business idea, or just curious about what it’s like to run a hotel where every room tells a story, this one’s for you.

Visit The Bookhouse Hotel and The Bookhouse Hotel in Faunbrook:

• https://thebookhousehotel.com/
• https://thebookhouseatfaunbrook.com/

Check out the book club: https://thebookhousebookclub.com/

Get social on Instagram:

• @thebookhousehotels
• @thebookhousefaunbook
• @thebhbookclub