City East Beach Palace Hotel gets Merivale makeover to become Coogee Pavilion on July 22
Justin Hemmes at Coogee beach outside the old Beach Palace Hotel that is being renovated and reopened as the The Coogee Pavilion by his company Merivale. Picture: Danny Aarons. Source: News Corp Australia
THE location and size of the iconic Beach Palace Hotel has allowed Justin Hemmes’ imagination to run wild with the Merivale CEO planning a unique marketplace of offerings by the sea.
Stage 1 of the renamed Coogee Pavilion will not only feature quality food and drink, but a flower stall, barber, home cinema and retail shop.
An entertainment area will have board games, a library, ping pong tables and old school arcade games for children and adults.
There will be snorkelling gear and paddleboards for hire and a retail component where customers can buy crockery, cutlery and coffee used at the venue.
The various food offerings will feature a range of Merivale chefs who will be showcasing Australian produce.
Stage one of the revamped Coogee Pavilion will open on July 22. Source: News Limited
There will be a raw bar with seafood and sashimi plus an oyster station, Vinnie’s Pizzeria by Vincenzo Biondini, a Love Juice stand and Will & Co coffee cart.
All will be housed on the ground floor, and open to the public on Tuesday, July 22.
“That’s the beauty of the space, it is so big. We will continue to add to it. We can adapt as we go along to suit demand,” Hemmes said of the landmark beachside venue, of 4500sq m over three levels.
“I am loving the space more and more every day.”
Stage two of the redevelopment, the rooftop overlooking the beach, is expected to be open by summer.
The middle level, set to offer a space for weekly yoga classes, markets or exhibitions, will be developed over the next year.
The ground level offerings will be open day to night, seven days a week while a breakfast menu, by US-import Danielle Alvarez from San Francisco’s famous Chez Panisse, will be available on weekends from 7am.
Merivale will submit a development application for outdoor dining, but for the moment, everything is retained within the space.
The Beach Palace Hotel is closed for renovation. Source: News Limited
Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes is making over the Beach Palace Hotel. Source: News Corp Australia
“The look and feel of the whole place is like a large, open pavilion by the sea,” he said.
“I want it to have so many different offerings and styles, and it not be perceived as being a pub or restaurant.”
Hemmes added the Coogee purchase had nothing to do with moving away from the Sydney CBD lockouts.
“There are very few iconic beachside properties like this in Australia — in terms of history, scale and beautiful location.”
The ground-floor interior design will feature a 2.5 metre whale light at the entrance, and showcase some of Australia’s best weavers, knitters, woodworkers and artists who are creating custom-made lights, chairs and paintings.
Other recent Merivale purchases include a Work In Progress in King St, Sydney and the Paddington Arms Hotel on Oxford St.
Source: News Local - 24 June 2014
