The Loxton Hotel

Loxton's Stylish Salute to WWII Vets

BY TYLER MAUND

The $7 million refurbishment of the Loxton Hotel pays homage to World War II settlement soldiers in a contemporary style, winning for its efforts the top SA and national hotel awards.

It was named the 2022 Best Overall Hotel – Country at the AHA|SA Industry Awards, then went on to claim the national AHA awards for Best Bar Presentation & Service - Regional and Best Redeveloped Hotel - General Division.

“The idea was still to maintain country charm, we didn’t want a very modern hotel in Loxton, we still wanted it to have a lot of character,” said General Manager Darren Morrison.

Walking down the main street of Loxton, people are greeted by the beautiful stonework of the Loxton Hotel, however it’s the charm inside that serves as a testament to WWII veterans.

NISSEN HUTS AND DIP TINS

“There is reference in the ceiling to the Nissen Huts, which is where people lived when they returned from war,” he said.

“The ceiling in the long bar area is a white-rounded shape, it is the same shape as a Nissen Hut. We came up with the idea based on them.

“We’ve also got vintage dip tins that hang as lightshades in the café.

“They were used to wash fruit many years ago.”

It’s a pleasant element of nostalgia that references the early 1940s, with many returned WII soldiers living in the region.

“The region has got a lot of people that served,” he said.

“We have a veteran who is 100 years old who visits the hotel regularly.”

PROTRACTED PLANNING

The refurbishment of the hotel has been in the pipeline for six years and now it’s working wonders.

“We’ve been in growth for a few years, it’s amazing the numbers we’re doing,” said Darren.

“Planning has been going on for a long time, the Board was ready to go in 2016 but a few things happened and we couldn’t get started.

“They eventually started in July 2019 with the café. The outside area was only finished a few weeks ago.”

The ceiling in the long bar area is a white-rounded shape, it is the same shape as a Nissen Hut... which is where people lived when they returned from war.

LIGHT AND BRIGHT

Despite its heritage characteristics, don’t for a second think that the Loxton Hotel doesn’t have that contemporary feel.

It is a modern style headed by an exceptional floor plan that ties all facets of the hotel together.

“Upon entering people can’t believe how open and bright it is,” he said.

“You can stand in one area and almost see through the whole hotel.”

Updates were made to the dining room and gaming room, alongside a new sports bar with live sport, one of three different bar areas in the hotel.

The renovations were made to remedy the outdated nature of the old hotel, which was founded in 1908.

“It was a beautiful old pub, but it was outdated, it needed to catch up a little bit.

“We were challenged before with the separate rooms in the old hotel.

“It still needed to feel like a good country hotel.

“There are windows that open all through the dining area, providing an inside outside feel.

“People can come in, watch the footy, cricket and have a beer or a wine,” he said.

One of the bigger challenges for the hotel was COVID-19, which saw the hotel trading from the bottle shop and takeaways out of the kitchen exclusively.

Fortunately, the renovations ensured that there was light at the end of the tunnel.

“Once it turned, it turned really strongly,” he said.

“With the new pub, the new areas, it was very exciting for people that had been locked up to come out and see a brand new pub.”

A major change to the hotel has been the new 1908 café, and the hotel board saw an opportunity to provide locals and tourists with a place to enjoy a coffee and breakfast.

“Loxton people will mainly dine in Loxton,” he said.

“There are so many people in the Riverland looking for somewhere to have a coffee and breakfast.”

The renovations have also had a positive impact on tourism, with word spreading quickly that the Loxton Hotel is worth a visit.

“We are getting quite a lot of customers from across the river and we’ve been able to maintain them as regulars, its been really pleasing,” he said.

An asset to the hotel is its versatile food menu, which ranges from traditional pub food to daily specials such as Coorong mullet.

“Our menus are changing 4-6 times a year, we’ve got good relationships with suppliers,” he said.

“We are always looking at different things, we’ve had events where people wanted rabbit so the chefs did a function for 70 people that had rabbit as their main course.

“Our kitchen crew loves the opportunity to cook good food every day, the food quality is fantastic.”

The Loxton Hotel caters for many different occasions, it has a function room with a capacity of 140 people and the hotel is a popular destination for weddings, conferences, parties, meetings and more.

It also features 52 rooms of accommodation, some of which overlook the River Murray, which is only two hundred metres away, and a bottle shop which is open seven days a week.

“We have everything from budget rooms for workers to nice rooms overlooking the river,” he said.

There is also a golf package available which serves as a drawcard for visitors.

“The Golf Course in Loxton is as good as you get anywhere in the regions, we have a lot of golf packages,” he said.

“We have lots of golf groups, from 6-8 people to 36 people.

“They spend a bit of money at the golf and in the main street, it’s great for the pub and the town.”

The Loxton Hotel won three awards at the AHA|SA Industry Awards including – Best Overall Hotel –Country, Best Bar Presentation and Experience –Country, and Best Redeveloped Hotel – Country.

It was also awarded runner-up in Best Gaming Venue – Country.

“It’s amazing, we were lucky enough to get three, we didn’t expect to get any,” Darren said, who has been at the hotel for five years.

COMMUNITY OWNED

The Loxton Hotel is community owned, bought back in the early 1900s by residents of the town.

“Quite a long time ago it was not going that well, the community rallied around it, saved the hotel and kept it going,” he said.

“The profits of the hotel either go back into the hotel or into the community. We’re really strong with sponsorships to sporting clubs or events that the community has.

“There are a lot of things that happen in the town that the hotel gets behind in sponsorship.”

The hotel board oversees everything and is made up of residents of the Loxton community.

Whilst floods are currently affecting the township and surrounding areas, that won’t affect the hotel itself, so upgrades are continuing, with a beer garden next on the renovation agenda.