5 minute read
DESIGN & BUILD: RIVERSIDE RIVIVAL
Riverside revival
Laundy Hotels has reopened The Tropicana Hotel with a refurbishment that echoes the pub’s early days.
EVERY GREAT pub renovation carries a fine balance – honouring its history while delivering a new experience for today’s patrons.
Embracing the heritage of The Tropicana Hotel, which more recently operated as the Heritage Hotel, Laundy Hotels has unveiled a communitydriven renovation of the venue – but it’s not the first renovation the group has undertaken since purchasing the pub in the late 90s.
After an electrical fire in 2002, the pub burnt to the ground and the group worked with their insurance company to rebuild it, says Laundy Hotels director Craig Laundy.
“If anyone reading this has ever dealt with insurance companies, they’ll know you’re pretty much trying to get blood out of a stone in terms of quality finishes, so it was a pretty generic rebuild.
“The pub had run beyond its life post-rebuild in terms of needing a refresh, and when we decided to do that early last year, one of the things we were keen on doing was restoring the name of The Tropicana Hotel, or The Trop.
“The refresh was about paying homage to the key aspects of life on the Hawkesbury River, but not only that, giving the locals quality finishes and amenities to enjoy,” he stated.
With a strong nod to the pub’s storied past, the renovation was about embracing the riverside location and taking cues from the strong water sports culture in Wilberforce. Once word got out to locals, the group was inundated with people with local water skiing and boat racing backgrounds wanting to donate memorabilia.
“I was amazed at how strong that community is today, and we worked very closely with some of the key figures. Our interior designer Jamie Wirth collected everything and worked tirelessly to find wall space around the hotel where memorabilia could be placed.”
Changing tides
Working with Fugen Constructions, namely Josh Flannery and foreman Nathan Denning, the comprehensive transformation of the pub included a kitchen and bistro rebuild featuring a woodfired pizza oven, reconstruction of the back deck with a lightweight weatherproofing structure, converting the public bar into a sports bar, and refurbishing the bathrooms.
The community really embraced the renovation and helped us to deliver the finishing touches.
-Craig Laundy
While also tipping a hat to the aesthetics of Palm Springs, the colour palette, furniture choices and feature walls are the group’s modern day take on the much-loved Tropicana Hotel.
“Breeze blocks dominate and the colour palette is very 50s and 60s Palm Springs, the neon sign over the entry portico plays into that retro look. Outside, on a large, blank wall I had an old US-style billboard made of a postcard of The Tropicana and had three long-arm retro lights fitted that shine back onto it like they would have in the 50s and 60s on US freeways. A lot of thought went into the finer point, and to be honest, I had a lot of fun,” Laundy stated.
With a demographic that skews towards young families, Laundy says the renovation also aimed to provide family-friendly facilities.
“In the renovation, we also built a massive kids play area, it’s 18-and-a-half metres long by nine metres wide. It’s got three storeys of kids play structure to climb in, with a shade cloth to provide protection from the sun. It’s gated and fenced within view of the back deck, so parents can sit out and watch the kids run riot.”
From design touches that nod to the region’s past to upgraded spaces built for modern hospitality, every detail of the renovation was carefully considered. Taking six months to complete, the group decided the project was too big a job to try and trade through – closing for the length of the works and reopening in time for Christmas.
“Because we pushed like crazy to get it open for Christmas, and we only just made that, our first crack at the bistro menu was a best guess, so we opened with the pub classics. It’s fair to say that we listened to a lot of feedback from customers over the first couple of months and we’ve reworked the menu taking that into consideration.
“Dad, myself, Daniel, Shane, Justine and Nick all worked very closely with our exec chef team, customer feedback and our licensee, Julie Hooper, on the new menu. I think the locals will understand that we put something in place to open, but the way that Laundy Hotels operates is always listening to our customers, and that’s reflected in the new menu.”
Community connection
Backed by the community from day one, Laundy says The Tropicana Hotel has reopened to rave reviews, with the memorabilia providing a real talking point for locals and visitors alike.
“There was a feeling in the community that it was long overdue, so it was highly anticipated, and it’s been very well patronised since we reopened.
“The community really embraced the renovation and helped us to deliver the finishing touches. By the way they’ve reacted and understood what we were trying to do, and being prepared to get involved, it really has been a great community exercise.
“And now they’re voting with their feet, which we’re thrilled about. The feedback, I’m pleased to say, has been overwhelmingly positive. The profitability of the venue has definitely improved and will continue to improve,” he concluded.
