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News.com.au
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
First Look: Inside the $15m restoration of this iconic city hotel
The owners of the Lord Stanley Hotel have revealed the secrets behind its new look, after reopening in May with a $15 million makeover. Located in East Brisbane and near the city's iconic Gabba Stadium, the hotel was bought by Hakfoort Group in 2022 and shut down for an extensive refurbishment of the heritage site. Today, the hotel's redesign is complete, and includes a significant extension to the 135 year-old building. Zac Efron's Aussie long lunch haunt is on the market Auction drama marks jaw-dropping sale of Aus' 'best build' Construction workers removed much of the building's current state to accomplish this, working around the heritage aspects of the hotel as they did so. Hakfoort Group director Albert Hakfoort said looking back, building around a hotel that changed so much over the decades proved more of a challenge than expected. 'We've uncovered some pretty hairy things,' he said. 'Part of the discovery in the demolition process: you uncover warts that had been covered up under previous refurbishments.' These included access points, doorways, windows and even the stringer of a stairwell along what was previously the outside of the hotel. 'You can see where they'd paint around it – you can see the outline of the stairs,' he said. But through the process, Mr Hakfoort said his team was able to build the hotel anew, while taking care to preserve and promote the original parts of the heritage building. 'We have been very close to a heritage architect through this process,' he said. 'Everything heritage absolutely has remained.' 'Fortunately, we've been able to find some of the original archways and a fireplace that had been left to wither and die … uncovering those has been very exciting, and I think the end result is very refreshing.' Heritage features include preserved red brick facade and a top level function room with removed cladding, allowing visitors to see the original heritage brickwork that surrounded the space. Meanwhile the new hotel features additions such as a sports bar with a 200' LED TV wall, and a beer garden with more than 1000 plants. The garden's plants were purchased more than a year ago, given time to grow before they were placed in the hotel. Two mature trees were also imported to be transplanted in the garden before the opening event. 'The beer garden is better than what I'd hoped,' Mr Hakfoort said. 'Within 12 months, we hope to have a fully mature plant area in there.' Mr Hakfoort, whose company has worked on renovating other Brisbane hotels, said the end product would be unrecognisable to people who'd visited in the past – but he still wanted to make sure it was respectful of the hotel's origins. 'I think going into an older hotel has that character,' he said. 'There's an attachment to something historical there. If you walk into a modern hotel, they do kind of look the same.' 'It's a moment in time that just won't be replicated again, and rather than hiding it, we've chosen to accentuate it.' The hotel's grand opening took place on May 8, with its doors open to the public on May 9. Its website now accepts reservations and inquiries for events, such as room hiring for functions.
News.com.au
13-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
70 new homes bound for Gabba precinct in lead-up to 2032 Games
A collection of 72 premium apartments is coming to East Brisbane, with a design that takes cues from an iconic Queensland plant. The 10-storey tower at 169 Wellington Rd is named the Banksii: named after the Grevillea Banksii, which can be found right across the road in Raymond Park. Designed by Mas Architects, managing director Nick Symonds said the building's look was created with its views of nature and the Brisbane River in mind. 'The screen elements on the front facade … they reference the flower in terms of its symmetry and its softer elements,' he said. 'We really just designed the building to reflect that viewpoint and connect back to the park.' The building sits on a 1619 sqm block, and features one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom offerings for residents. Developed by Vector Property Group, rooms will have a subtropical design and a focus on natural light, along with outdoor living spaces for time under the sun. '[There's] a real focus on new lines and opening up interiors to the outside,' Mr Symonds said. 'I think the indoor-outdoor feeling is obviously a reflection of our Queensland lifestyle, where we like to dine and BBQ outside.' MORE: Big bank's huge rates call amid property confidence spike Handbag heir sells lavish Byron Bay hinterland estate for $30m In addition, residents will be able to share gym and rooftop facilities proposed by the developer, which include a swimming pool, pool deck, bar and alfresco dining spaces. 'Even with apartments that don't look back onto the city, they also get the opportunity to see the roofline and experience that in those communal spaces,' Mr Symonds said. A retail offering will also be present on the ground floor, expected to be a coffee shop. 'Banksii is a statement project that reflects our ambition to help shape Brisbane's evolving residential landscape,' Vector Property Australia joint managing director Rhett Williams said. 'As our third project in Brisbane, it reflects the growing appetite for affordable luxury apartment living in the city's expanding market. We see strong demand from buyers who want location, lifestyle, and considered design, and Banksii delivers on all three.' Mr Symonds said it was one of many developments helping to reshape the spaces around the iconic Gabba Stadium, in advance of its swan song during the 2032 Olympic Games. 'It's going to diversify and become a home for many new people, and it's going to bring a lot of new opportunities,' he said. Nine one-bedroom units, 36 two-bedroom units and 27 three-bedroom units will be available to purchase when the project goes to market. Construction is estimated to start later in 2025, with an expected completion at the end of 2026.
