(Newswire.net — November 2, 2021) — “People love the waterside,” says Sydney hotelier Andrew Lazarus. And with his purchase of the freehold of Newcastle’s iconic Beach Hotel on Merewether, affectionately known as “the Beaches,” Lazarus has assured that locals will continue to enjoy one of their favorite coastal venues for generations to come.
The Beaches lies on an 1858-square meter block overlooking Merewether Beach. It offers a bistro, the main bar, a gaming room with 17 ECMs, TAB, and three areas for private functions. The most prominent attraction of the beachside hotel is its first-floor deck over Merewether Beach, one of Newcastle’s favorite locations for relaxed social gatherings.
Just minutes from Newcastle’s central business district, the Art Deco structure was erected and opened to the public in 946. The hotel was renovated as recently as 2015.
While many hoteliers buy pubs with preconceived ideas of how they will change them, Lazarus took a different approach with The Beaches. Lazarus said in an interview with an Australian Hotelier that he has learned success derives from taking time to come up with the operations and the custom of a newly acquired property before undertaking major changes.
Lazarus told the online magazine that his company plans to take a full year to learn how the hotel functions and what its patronage wants before initiating changes.
“At The Beaches, we’ll take next year to see how it runs and what its locals are after. We might look to lodge a DA or start working with architects and designers towards the end of the year, for renovation works in 2022.”
Andrew Lazarus, whose group also owns the nearby Exchange Hotel, has not always taken that approach.
“To be totally honest, I made that mistake with the Exchange Hotel and paid the price for it. Newcastle is completely different from Sydney, so you can’t employ the same strategies. We’ve now taken the time to understand the market at the Exchange Hotel, and we’ll be taking the same approach at The Beaches.”
This humble view of the iconic Newcastle beach property was echoed in a statement by Peter Lazarus, who will be taking over the day-to-day operations of The Beaches.
“We are so thankful to the Bale and the Twohill families for creating the venue that our family is taking over and hope to continue that legacy for many years to come.”
As New South Wales emerges from pandemic restrictions, The Beaches has reopened to the wholesome fun that the community loves. The hotel has resumed its famous weekend seafood spread. They have resumed trivia nights and dancing on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. They are rehiring servers and kitchen staff. And they are making plans for a spectacular New Year’s Eve celebration.
Lazarus realizes that the central coast offers its own business climate and its own clientele. “The market in Sydney is just very expensive and very competitive. And now that we have the three hotels in relative vicinity up here in Newcastle and the Central Coast, this is a region I’m more focused on.”
Heeding the concerns of hundreds of Merewether residents, Andrew Lazarus plans a relatively modest $3 million renovation of The Beaches needed to maintain structural integrity so it can continue to delight residents for generations to come.