By Jed Lanyon
A historic Warburton hotel has been given a facelift and is hoping to open its doors again soon to feed hungry locals and accommodate passing tourists.
Warburton’s Alpine Retreat Hotel opened in 1936 and has been a jewel in the crown of Warburton ever since. But despite a historic run, many of the hotel’s rooms and facilities had remained the same for the majority of its 80-plus year run.
New owner Rachael Northwood has been using the time in lockdown to rejuvenate the space, bringing it to the quality of 21st century accommodation while keeping that historic touch alive and well.
“We’ve owned the business for 140 days now,” she told Star Mail. “We’ve had a big blitz on renovating all the rooms.
“When we took over in April, the 32 rooms of accommodation had not had any major renovations. They have had a couple little odd ones, but not as a whole. Structurally, it’s a really sound building and that’s where we had our confidence in the structure and the beauty of the building.”
Ms Northwood said she and her husband Anthony hoped to restore the bedroom back to a vintage style with a 2021 take on it. Anthony’s construction skills and love for restoration projects paired well with Rachael’s business and operations background.
“We wanted to celebrate the uniqueness of the old building,” Ms Northwood said. “It’s been a fabulous restoration project and now all 32 rooms are available for overnight stays.
“We’re very excited about bringing life back into the building and welcoming guests into the hotel for overnight stays.”
Like many other businesses, the hotel hasn’t been able to welcome guests due to the recurring lockdowns across the state. The latest lockdown forced the cancellation or rebooking of 72 reservations, while the one before that shutdown the venue’s ability to host events for the Yarra Valley Writers Festival.
But the hotel’s owners are looking on the brighter side of an uncertain situation.
“It must be frustrating for some of our patrons but it’s great news that people are excited to book with us,” Ms Northwood said.
And when there is greater clarity regarding the easing of restrictions, the owners hope to welcome the community inside the Alpine Retreat Hotel for an open day to show off the building’s upgrades.
“We’re interested in getting patrons or guests’ feedback… We liken the hotel to be like a beehive, it’s got a nice humm about it when there are people filled in the hotel.”
