Keystone Property Group has broken ground on the new Hotel West + Main, part of its Sora West development in Conshohocken, Pa., which incorporates the historic Conshohocken Firehouse. The company partnered with Concord Hospitality Enterprises to develop and operate the 127-room boutique hotel as part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton. The partners tapped interior design, branding and procurement firm Interior Image Group to design the interiors for the new hotel, including the lounge and bar, guestrooms, lobby, meeting spaces, outdoor terrace and food-and-beverage venues.
IIG is guiding the hotel’s branding, concept narrative and naming. The team is working in collaboration with DLR Group—the project architect—who is designing the hotel’s exterior and combining the existing firehouse building with the new-construction guestroom tower. The Hotel West + Main will be the first newly constructed hotel in Conshohocken since 2001 and is expected to open in late 2022.
“The emphasis on storytelling is the inspiration and driving force behind all of our work, and this project was no exception,” said Leslie Schultz, senior VP of design at IIG. “As we immersed ourselves in the local history and culture, we saw an opportunity to use design to strike a modern balance between Conshohocken’s industrial past and the influence of the Main Line’s established prosperity. We decided to turn history on its head by creating a destination that brings the neighboring communities together and welcomes people from all walks of life.”
The lobby bar, 1874 Social, which was named after the year the fire company formed on the site, will have an indoor-outdoor dining space as operable garage doors that will provide access to the outdoor terrace. The firehouse, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, also inspired the second-floor gastropub, Hook & Ladder Skybar. This venue, which previously was the fireman’s dormitory, will serve as a dining area for guests. Looking to tie back to the former firehouse, the design team will restore and repurpose many existing building elements. IIG also is drawing inspiration for the interiors from the branding and naming of both F&B spaces, led by restaurant branding firm Endurance Management Group.