The ‘new’ Newtown Hotel opens its doors

It’s a hit.

That seems to be the consensus on the Newtown Hotel, which has re-opened to the public almost five years after it closed.

Hundreds of locals have flocked to the venue in recent days to reacquaint themselves with the Inner West icon, which has been rebirthed by the Keystone Group – the hotel and bar conglomerate behind such venues as Bungalow 8, The Loft and Sugarmill Hotel.

Early fears that it would be corporatised to within an inch of its life appear to have been premature, with many punters proclaiming themselves happy with the 130-year-old Hotel’s reincarnation.

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Annandale resident Damien Novak. “I used to come here a lot and it was always my favourite gay pub in Sydney. I’m really glad it’s still got that queer vibe about it.”

Felicity Aimee from Camperdown gave it a similar thumbs-up.

“I was scared it was going to be all corporate and straight, so it’s good to see the place packed with poofs and dykes.

“I think they realised the Newtown has always been a favourite with the LGBT community and instead of trying to change it, they’ve embraced that.”

Former Newtown Hotel regular John Cruise said: “I loved the shabbiness of the old Newtown but the new décor and lighting is truly fabulous – it looks a million dollars. They’ve given the old girl a new lease on life.”

Not everyone was entirely impressed, however, with several complaints aired about overzealous security on the hotel’s Facebook page. Craig Riley bemoaned security guards who “kept bugging us because we weren’t standing where they wanted us to.”

Emma Maree Reed said: “Boo to the security. Awesome night before I went to the toilet and wasn’t allowed back into the courtyard. Had to send a stranger in to find my friend so we could leave.”

Facebook user Adam Scougall said simply: “The security sucked, sorry.”

Meanwhile, Paul Schulte, Group Director of The Keystone Group, said great effort was put into ensuring the venue reflected Newtown’s character.

“What makes us different is that we tailor our venues toward the local community,” he said. “The Newtown Hotel will make reference to Newtown’s musical and colourful history with music paraphernalia and colourful murals, and we’ve engaged a local community manager to ensure we always get it right once we’ve opened.”

Key features of the revamped hotel include the reconstruction of the venue’s balcony – which was removed over a century ago, a private dining caravan, a boutique cinema, and an eatery featuring Greek street food – a nod to the neighbouhood’s former status as a Greek enclave.

The hotel, which opened with a ‘soft’ launch last Friday, will officially open on Wednesday, October 31 with a party featuring Joyride, Devola, DJ Kate Monroe and drag performer Minnie Cooper.