By Annette Shailer
The Sovereign Hotel Group, owners of Federation Square venues Transport, Taxi and Transit in Melbourne, have extended their portfolio into regional Victoria with their new venue opening in Ballarat tonight (Oct 21).
The group has renovated one of the town’s oldest buildings, formerly known as The Bended Elbow, and will unveil it tonight as The Grand Hotel.
Sovereign Hotel Group regional area manager, Damien Coles, said the planning team had worked hard to retain the venue’s old-world charm while revitalising Ballarat’s hospitality scene.
“This venture is quite different to anything we’ve embarked on in recent years, both in terms of location and architecture. What excites us about the rebirth of The Bended Elbow is that we’ll be introducing a new quality of venue to the area,” Coles said.
Working within the facial confines of the existing streetscape, Coles said the team consciously created a venue that is both typical of the Sovereign Hotel Group and traditionally Ballarat.
“Obviously we weren’t going to recreate another Transport Hotel on the main street but we did see it imperative to bring new life to the area. What we’re hoping to achieve when it opens in October is a venue that draws in both the locals and out-of-towners because of its atmosphere, menu and distinctiveness,” Coles said.