Changing Times

AVC RESTORES LOCAL QUEENSCLIFFE FAVOURITE

Posted on September 29th, 2025 by Jane Louise
Australian Venue Co (AVC) has reopened local favourite The Esplanade Hotel in Victoria’s Queenscliffe after extensive renovations. Locals voted the 146-year-old pub return to its original name, following its previous stint as Queenscliffe Brewhouse. Officially opening Tuesday last week, Mitch

ALH’S HISTORIC PALACE HOTEL REOPENS AFTER $7.5M MAKEOVER

Posted on September 26th, 2025 by Jane Louise
The famous Palace Hotel of inner Melbourne has reopened, following a major renovation by Endeavour Group’s pub arm, Australian Leisure & Hospitality (ALH). The group says this significant investment in the Camberwell pub, established in 1888, is a testament to

NO MORE MONKEY BUSINESS: WOODPORT

Posted on September 17th, 2025 by Jane Louise
Beloved Central Coast hospitality icon the Sunken Monkey has recently closed for extensive renovations and a rebrand back to days of old. The pub, which sits on the banks of Erina Creek, will now be known again as the Woodport

NEW CHAPTER FOR IRISH PUB

Posted on September 12th, 2025 by Jane Louise
Beloved inner-city Irish pub The Quiet Man, which called last drinks on St Patrick’s Day this year, reopened last week as Auntie Annie’s Hotel. The Kensington watering hole, located near Flemington Racecourse, opened in 1998, having being designed and built

ROCKY WELCOMES BACK ITS BELOVED LEICHHARDT

Posted on August 15th, 2025 by Jane Louise
Rockhampton welcomed back its beloved Leichhardt Hotel last Wednesday when it reopened after a complete rebuild. Operated by QVC, a joint venture between Australian Venue Co and Coles’ former Spirit Hotels, the hotel has now put a contemporary twist on

THE YACK IS BACK: A NEW CHAPTER FOR A LOCAL LEGEND

Posted on August 6th, 2025 by Jane Louise
Only a few short months after closing, Yackandandah’s local, Yackandandah Hotel (‘The Yack’, also known as The Bottom Pub) has now reopened under new ownership. The regional Victorian pub, located on well-frequented tourism routes near Albury-Wodonga, resumed trade on 1

SOLOTEL TURNS IT AROUND WITH THE WOODSTOCK

Posted on August 4th, 2025 by Jane Louise
A multi-million-dollar transformation in Sydney’s northwest is set to become the go-to hospitality destination when Rooty Hill’s Carousel Inn is relaunched as The Woodstock later this year. The twenty-fifth venue to be purchased by the Solotel Group, it was acquired

RED LION RETURNS WITH A ROAR

Posted on July 30th, 2025 by Jane Louise
Kilmore’s Red Lion Hotel was put firmly back on the map when it reopened on Monday. The 169-year-old pub in Victoria’s oldest inland town was once owned by drug boss Tony Mokbel, who purchased it in 1996 for $465K. It

ALH’S IMPERIAL HOTEL TO PERMANENTLY CLOSE

Posted on July 4th, 2025 by Jane Louise
Australian Leisure and Hospitality’s Imperial Hotel, in south-east Queensland, will permanently close this September in favour of a railway upgrade, ahead of the 2032 Olympic games. Located in Beenleigh, 35 kilometres south of Brisbane, the two-level Imperial resides on a

UNDERWOOD LOCAL UNVEILS EXTENSIVE REVAMP

Posted on July 2nd, 2025 by Jane Louise
Australian Venue Co has recently reopened Queensland’s Hotel HQ after extensive renovations. The much-loved Underwoood local has had every space redesigned, to enhance the comfort and experience of both its regulars and newcomers alike. The pub now boasts a spacious