Inside Hotel Royal's $8m Renovation

BY DION HAYMAN

The Hotel Royal on Henley Beach Road has been completely reinvented, with a modern wraparound balcony now a stunning new feature that is attracting attention on the busy arterial road.

But along the way, the project has had to overcome blocking moves by historians, major unplanned earthworks and rising inflation.

The distinctively art deco pub holds a special place in the Hurley Hotel Group; it was the first city venue bought by Peter and Jenny Hurley.

The $8 million renovation also has a family feel to it, as it was overseen by Peter and Jenny’s son-in-law, Scott Oakley, who is married to Samantha Hurley.

Like many major projects, it’s had its fair share of trials and tribulations, taking 21 months to complete.

”Hopefully that’s the last time I see a tradie at the pub for the next five years,” quipped the affable Oakley. But he’ll soon encounter another.

Scott has spent much of his time overseeing renovations at the Marion and Arkaba Hotels.

He is also involved in the build of the new Panorama Hotel, which will replace the Tonsley after its compulsory acquisition for the South Road project.

He and Samantha had previously spent nearly two years in Tweed Heads running the family-owned Ivory Waterside Tavern and Marina, as it too underwent a dramatic makeover.

But it’s the Royal which he now looks upon with enormous pride and satisfaction.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Work began on the bottle shop and the new dual-level ‘Back Pocket’ sports bar before ramping up to stage two of the project which encompassed the main bar and restaurant, gaming room and function room.

“The front bar was on the other side of the drive through, away from the rest of the hotel,” Scott explained.

“So we wanted to expand our bottle shop and then also get all our food and beverage on the same side to make it a lot easier to operate.

“Also, the pub faces the wrong way for the afternoon sun. “We wanted to give it a lot more space that captures the afternoon sun so we built the north-facing courtyard to bring in a lot more natural light.

“The pub now feels a lot brighter.

I was trying to get the balance right of it still feeling like an outdoor space but making it one that can be used all year round so when it does rain, we can keep the rain out and turn on the gas heating.

“And we wanted to make the function room bigger. “We used to have a manager’s flat and some short-term accommodation like a lot of hotels have with a lot of walls up there. So we’ve knocked all those walls out and the rooms have become much larger.”

SHOWSTOPPERS

When asked to nominate the Royal’s new showpiece, Oakley finds himself torn.

He’s a big fan of the new courtyard, complete with retractable roof to ensure its all-year, all-weather functionality, accessible from the new main bar via resplendent bifold doors.

“We haven’t really had a nice outdoor space at the venue before,” Oakley said.

“It’s just a sensational area and I’m really proud of how it looks and I think customers will love it.

“We always talk about having outdoor spaces that are 365-days-a-year spaces.

“I was trying to get the balance right of it still feeling like an outdoor space but making it one that can be used all year round so when it does rain, we can keep the rain out and turn on the gas heating.

“But on the nice days, we can open the roof up and make it feel like a real outdoor space.

“The Alma’s got a retractable roof and that has been quite successful.”

The balcony gets a lot of exposure and it makes the pub really pop . We’ve put the lights on at night and the pub just looks fantastic from the road.

LOFT AREA

But Scott Oakley also loves the ‘Torrensville Loft’, the Royal’s stunning upstairs function room upgrade with show-stopping wrap-around balcony that lights up Henley Beach Road.

The room boasts a private bar and caters for up to 140 people standing or 80 seated.

While not a public space, it will be used for events and conferences as well as private functions.

The balcony provides the room with dual functionality as well as giving the heritage-listed Royal the eyecatching facelift the Hurleys were seeking – the two primary motivations for the entire project.

“Henley Beach Road is obviously a very high traffic road. “The balcony gets a lot of exposure and it makes the pub really pop.

“We’ve put the lights on at night and the pub just looks fantastic from the road.

“We’re getting a lot more people commenting about how the pub looks and it definitely stands out more, which is what we wanted from the renovations.”

HERITAGE CONCERNS

Some historians voiced concerns about the effect the upgrade would have on the hotel’s art deco appearance. However, the art deco look wasn’t added until the 1930s and the pub has undergone several renovations since then.

Council saw merit in the new development and ultimately decided that the Hurley Group had “satisfactorily demonstrated that the proposal will not detract from the heritage value of the building”.

Now, not only does the completed project retain the art deco facade, the styling on the new balcony introduces new art deco inspiration.

“We wanted to keep the heritage of the pub because it’s something that we’re really proud of,” Scott said.

“We tried really hard – and successfully I think – to still complement the original build of the hotel.

“Everything we’ve done, we tried to keep that art deco feel inside and outside and I think we did that really well.”

ADELAIDE CROWS

The timing of the renovations couldn’t be better, with the imminent move of the Adelaide Crows to Thebarton Oval, an easy 10-15 minute stroll or three-minute drive.

“We think Torrensville has been an up-and-coming suburb for a while now,” Scott said.

“With Thebby Oval going ahead as well, I think that side of the city is really going to start to hit its straps in the next two or three years.

“With more people coming to the area, the new-look Royal will give them somewhere great to go.”

Like a lot of our pubs, we’ve got a Yoder smoker which we’re really proud of and use with a lot of our meats.

NEW MENU

Book a table at the Royal and you'll discover a beefed up kitchen too.

“Like a lot of our pubs, we’ve got a Yoder smoker which we’re really proud of and use with a lot of our meats. “We’re angling towards a shared experience with people.

“There are some great shared lamb and steak dishes.”

A new-look cocktail list offers both classic and contemporary options, including an 1800 Pina Colada, Garden Gin Sour and Jalapeño Margarita.

Live music in the courtyard adds yet another dimension to the pub’s offerings.

It’s completion has allowed Scott to take a short breather before being thrust into the Hurleys’ next project.

He reflects that learning to be more patient, and trading through the chaos are both keys to a successful pub renovation.

“I think that’s my main skillset – to try to keep the pub running to the best it can be while the renovations are happening.

“We’ve had to shut certain areas at times but we have been open in some capacity the whole way through.

“It was really important to not lose contact with our customer base so loyal customers still have somewhere to go.

“It’s also good to keep our full-time and long serving staff employed and engaged.

“If you lose your staff, it’s very, very hard to reopen with all new staff and no experience.

“It’s important to keep them working so you’ve got a good team when you reopen the doors.”

If you lose your staff, it’s very, very hard to reopen with all new staff and no experience.

An understanding wife is important too.

Especially when she is finance director of the Hurley Hotel Group.

That rings even truer when the budget had to be increased due to major stormwater issues in the car park and the cost of steel for the balcony.

“She understands that sometimes you get the forecast wrong,” he smiled.

“It does make invoice approval interesting at times when I say how much I want to spend on things.

“As long as the end result is good and I can make sure that trade increases in line with the amount I’ve spent, all’s well that ends well I suppose.

“It’s just putting pressure on myself.”

But the born salesman has no fears he will meet that challenge.

“Excellent food, excellent space and excellent service is what we really pride our pubs on.

“If you get all those things right, people will come.

“If they come through the doors and enjoy their time, they’ll keep coming back and tell their friends.

“Samantha and I learned that lesson at the Ivory.

“We found that if we get our house in order and make sure that when people come in they have the best possible experience, that is the easiest thing that we can control and the best way to grow the business.”

The pace of life in hospitality never slows.

And with a burgeoning family following the recent arrival of third son Harry, Scott sometimes longs for a quieter day, pouring frothies at the front bar, rather than the pandemonium he navigates as the Hurley Hotel Group’s ‘rector of refurbishment’.

“It is definitely the pigeon hole that I find myself in.

I love the busyness and the planning of it and the challenge of trying to balance it all.

“But I do have moments when I come home and I’m in my work gear and I’m covered in dust and I think, ‘gee, it would be nice to work in a pub that is open and only have to worry about serving the customers and the food being good and the beer being cold, that would be nice’.

“But I do love the challenge of a renovation and the planning of it and thinking about how the venue could run once it’s completed.”

Working in pubs is a role he was long destined for, having learned the ropes at both Lion and Treasury Wine Estates.

Initially, he completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce at Swinburne University.

It was there, in Melbourne, he met one Samantha Hurley.

And the rest, as they say, is history.