A former publican turned winemaker is back in the game after snapping up Leura’s beautiful Alexandra Hotel, in the lower Blue Mountains, outside of Sydney.
Once upon a time, Greg Perrett was proprietor of the Bellbird Hotel in the Hunter Valley, but for two decades he ran the nearby Hanging Tree vineyard, which he sold around five years’ ago.
An appreciator of historic architecture, Perrett says he is drawn to the period styles and décors of old pubs, and became the new owner of the Alexandra – despite looking for another business back in the Hunter – after seeing its picture online.
“I was looking at architecture, I found this and clicked on a link and went to Knight Frank and there it was. I emailed a couple of mates and said ‘we’ve got to have a crack at this, it’s amazing’.”
Designed by a local architect in the Edwardian style, Alexandra boasts striking interior arches and a staircase of kauri pine, nine accommodation rooms, a large dining room, multiple public rooms and a 26-metre balcony offering mountain views.
Built 1903 on a generous 3700sqm block, it is the only pub in Leura, a town of around 5,000 and stopping point crossing the mountains.
Perrett, along with partners Richard Wynne and Chris Matthews, plan to increase focus on the Hotel’s food & bev operation, and craft beer selection, and be more proactive in promoting the building’s historic nature. There will be some capex on the décor, including installation of a library and “character” aspects, and expansion of the already impressive beer garden, adding partial cover and a pizza oven.
“It’s got a good reputation for food already, we want to make sure we keep that going,” says Perrett.
“We’re going to ramp up the Instagram side of it, get some direct mail happening, build some databases, that sort of stuff; look after the locals – it’s got good local trade.
“It’s a beautiful old pub. We’ll make a destination of it.”
Known locally as The Alex, the pub was marketed by Knight Frank’s Mike Wheatley and Kate MacDonald for the private vendors. While the sale price was not disclosed, MacDonald notes its potential and says interest received was “very encouraging” from the beginning of the campaign.
“This is a first-class old-world hotel, with an abundance of upside to be realised with some modest adjustments to the offering.”
