Once upon a time, a hotel gift shop was constructed around a few basic principles… a place to pick up toiletries, a guilty pleasure beach read, and those twin pillars of vitamin D worship: sunscreen and lip balm. Sure enough, the first incarnation of Tommy’s Folly offered those items, along with a nice little range of branded apparel, when Congress Hall re-opened its doors in 2002. But it’s fair to say that the little hotel gift shop has evolved… so much so that its reach now extends beyond the hotel itself.
While a hotel shop remains in the lobby, offering a curated selection of branded merchandise, Tommy’s Folly Boutique now operates independently, across the street on the Washington Street Mall. It’s become so popular that the boutique hosts trunk shows each season in North Jersey (Ridgewood and Montclair) and now in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
Even more exciting is the news that Tommy’s Folly is opening a permanent location this summer in Waldwick, NJ.