Newcastle’s Gladstone Hotel aims to re-open in May this year, with a new private owner at the helm.
Plans for the heritage-listed Stockton venue include the hotel becoming more family friendly, with the aim of creating a community hub.
The Gladstone will focus on the daytime economy. The new owner has ditched the gaming area to make way for a café, and will also offer event spaces and bed and breakfast accommodation.
The hotel will emphasise excellent food and drinks and offer sports and live entertainment.
While the building has had extensions added over the decades, the new owner, who is locally based, is looking forward to restoring the interior to its original style.
The site originally opened as the Lookout Hotel, in 1887, before Tooth & Co leased the building in 1889.
In 1936 the original building was demolished in favour of a new design by prominent local architects Pitt & Merewether, reopening as the Gladstone Hotel the following year.
For the past thirty years it has been owned by the Keegan family, but suddenly closed a year ago.
Shortly after the closure, former licensee Tracey Keegan was handed a two-year liquor licence ban after a patron was allegedly served an equivalent of thirty-five standard drinks.
Both the new owner and the sale price remain undisclosed.
