Boutique hotel plans unveiled for Balmain’s The Exchange Hotel
The rise and fall of Balmain’s pub scene has seen many popular watering holes turned into gyms and offices, but a plan has been hatched to keep one historic hotel alive.
Inner West
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One of Balmain’s iconic pubs is set to undergo a second transformation in two years after plans were revealed to create dozens of boutique hotel rooms above The Exchange Hotel.
Jon Adgemis-led Eastern Property Alliance has submitted a proposal to Inner West Council that would scrap office uses at the Beattie St establishment to make way for 35 rooms across three levels.
The pub will remain the site’s “core use”, according to planning documents, while its historic second level balcony will be restored.
The other significant change to be made to the hotel, first opened 133 years ago, is an eye-catching external addition on the first level fronting Beattie St.
“This modest addition would provide for an additional three hotel rooms increasing the total provision of rooms to 35 and thereby strengthening the financial viability of the pub as well as the heritage restoration works,” the documents state.
There would be seven hotel rooms on the ground floor, 17 on the first and 11 on the second floors respectively under the $1.99m proposal.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne took to social media saying the plans represented an ongoing drive to keep pub culture alive in Balmain.
“I’ve been advocating to the owner of The Exchange to embrace the heritage of the pub in future plans,” he wrote.
It is nearly 18 months since the Exchange was reopened following a year in the wilderness, its nadir coming when the site was turned into a call centre.
In 2018 Ideal Space founder Dave King took on the challenge of breathing life back into the pub by converting the top two levels into commercial space – but it appears that strategy has been abandoned.
Many locals have lamented the loss of classic working class drinking holes in Balmain, with some turned into up-market restaurants or even gyms.
That led well-known publican Geoff Roddy to return to the scene in November when he took control of The Unity Hall Hotel alongside a group of investors.
“I got sick of people from outside of Balmain buying our iconic pubs and turning them into bloody gymnasiums and cheese shops,” he said.
