New partnership to bring back the Hawthorn Hotel in 2021

The Hawthorn Hotel will open its doors once again in mid-2021, thanks to an innovative partnership between Swinburne University of Technology and The Australian Venue Co.

After closing its doors in 2020 due to the impacts of COVID-19, the 152-year-old venue will undergo a renovation to provide a mix of dining, socialising and event spaces for Hawthorn Hotel regulars, as well as a dedicated space for Swinburne alumni, industry partners, staff and students.

Swinburne’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Global & Community Engagement (Interim) Dr Andrew J Smith said Swinburne was excited to partner with Australian Venue Co to return the Hawthorn Hotel to its former glory.

“We look forward to seeing the ground level turned into the beautiful pub it once was, as well as transforming the first level to create a flexible space that can be used to host Swinburne’s student, staff, alumni, industry and stakeholder events as we continue to create unique engagement experiences with those that are close to the university.”

“We are sure the Hawthorn Hotel will become a hub for the Swinburne and surrounding community,” said Dr Smith.

“Australian Venue Co is thrilled to have formed this partnership with Swinburne University of Technology to bring back the Hawthorn Hotel,” said Australian Venue Co CEO Paul Waterson.

“We are taking the opportunity to give the venue a facelift and create new areas for guests to enjoy. We know that the Hawthorn Hotel is embraced by local students, so we will be ensuring it delivers everything they are looking for, from great food and drinks to a relaxing alfresco area.”

The Hawthorn Hotel will get a 'facelift' with new areas for guests to enjoy and an update to areas including the alfresco space.

The ground floor will be operated by The Australian Venue Co, a world-class hospitality group delivering exceptional food, drink and entertainment experiences across more than 150 venues nationally. As part of the transformation, the bar and dining areas will be updated, the all day dining menu will be refreshed, and a new sports bar and outdoor area will be created.

Swinburne will licence the first floor of the venue, which will be transformed into a dedicated space for its alumni, industry partners, staff and students. The use of the space will be flexible, allowing for events to be held, creating co-working opportunities, as well as the giving the community the opportunity to book for functions on weekends.

Australian Venue Co has engaged architect Burton and Carter for the renovations, a Melbourne company that has worked on renovating and restoring a number of Victorian pubs including The Local in Port Melbourne, Public House in Richmond, Windsor Ale House and Public House in Albury.

“Burton and Carter have a good understanding of the Melbourne pub culture and how to embrace this through design, so we are excited to be working with them on The Hawthorn Hotel project,” said Mr Waterson.

“We look forward to inviting the local Hawthorn community back to their new-look pub in mid-2021.”