Mainstay Inn
East Bridge Street - Phoenixville, PA
It's been a long time since I stayed at anything other than a chain hotel, but I spent the night at this charming family-run establishment that's just a half block away from the Colonial Theater when I was in town earlier this month for their screening of The Stand.
As soon as I saw the books on the window which are available for guests to read at their leisure, I knew that I was going to like this place.
This little guy next to the front desk in the lobby was another clue that this is my kind of place. His name is Baker (aka: Thunder Chicken).
He was pretty quiet when I was checking in, but I'm told he can be very vocal when he wants to be.
The walls on the stairwell leading up to my room were filled with artwork, some of which seems to have been done with Thunder Chicken as the artists subject.
I thought this Van Gogh print was pretty neat. It looks like one of his paintings of irises when viewed from the left, or like one of his self portraits when viewed from the right.
My room was a single with a queen bed. It's not huge, but it was clean and very cozy; exactly the kind of place you'd want to lay under a pile of blankets on an icy winters night.
My room had a view of Bridge Street from which I could see the marquee of the Colonial Theater. This photo was taken when I checked in at around noon on Saturday, February 8th...
...and these were taken after everything had frozen over when I woke up on Sunday the 9th.
I love this little hotel. It's nothing fancy, but it doesn't have to be. It's just a very pleasant and comfortable place to have a cup of coffee and rest for a while, and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to stay here again.
