When my Uber first pulled up in front of the hotel, I knew I was in the right place. A red-bricked building with a large sign proudly proclaiming this as Wm. Mulherin’s Sons. I walked inside to find a restaurant and marble-top bar relatively quiet before the lunch crowd would soon walk in.
The hotel’s reception was just the counter for restaurant check-ins and reservations. Arriving too early, my bag was left at the coat check and I made my way one block over to Philadelphia’s most hipster coffeeshop, the flagship café for La Colombe Roasters.
By the time I was able to check in, I’d already discovered a number of shops and cool places to hang out in Fishtown. The surrounding streets around Wm. Mulherin’s Sons are some of Philly’s best. Street art is popular here, and there’s even a large mural on the back of the restaurant and hotel.
The Wm. Mulherin’s Sons hotel is small. But the rooms are B I G. And the history of the building and its name are equally notorious. The property was once part of a whisky and rye distillery business which operated up until prohibition. The one-time whiskey was popular in Pennsylvania and nearby states, winning awards and success for William Mulherin’s family business.
View photos from my stay at Wm. Mulherin’s Sons hotel—a designer’s and photographer’s dream style apartment.
Four rooms make up the current property (though it seems expansion plans are in the works). Each is fully equipped with all the tech you’d need for a comfortable stay, including a flat-screen TV and wireless speakers.
True to the building’s history, Wm. Mulherin’s Sons also runs a popular restaurant on site. This actually came before the hotel and it’s been a longtime favorite since it opened. Wood-fired pizzas and other Italian specialities make up the core of the menu. And of course there are many excellent whiskey and rye cocktails available.
In the bedrooms, the exposed brick walls are matched with custom designed wallpaper. Sleek furniture in leather and other materials make this a designer’s dream. There’s plenty of open space to make the room feel like your own.
Quirky design objects and live plants (and succulents) are scattered around the room. And a small kitchen with concrete countertops is enough to make it feel like a proper home. I couldn’t stop imagining what my dream hipster apartment might look like—because it looked like this.
Check out the photos below from my stay at the Wm. Mulherin’s Sons.
Hotel review: Wm. Mulherin’s Sons
Check rates and discover more about this unique Philadelphia hotel at wmmulherinssons.com. I was a guest of the hotel courtesy of Visit Philadelphia. Read more about Philly in my Hipster City Guide to Philadelphia.
This looks like such a cool place! Would love to stay here some time!
Yeah – the design is really stunning and yet still pretty simple. Even if you don’t get the chance to stay there, the restaurant is pretty fantastic (and equally cozy!)