Overview
It's happened again. Last month it was Marrickville's Vic On The Park, before that it was The Colloroy, and in December last year it was The Tennyson on Botany Road. Now Bondi's Royal Hotel has been acquired by Sydney hospo monolith Merivale — which will take its tally of Sydney pubs to 13 when it gets the keys in July 2018.
The Bondi Road pub has been owned by the Moulding family for 40 years and went up for sale last month. Unlike the Vic On the Park — which Merivale stated would remain as-is for the time being — the venue looks set to undergo the kind of extensive renovation Merivale is known for. In a statement released today, the group said it would announce future plans for the venue "in due course".
How much Merivale paid for the venue is not yet known, but The Daily Telegraph reported just last week that it was expected to sell for around $30 million. The Royal is the group's first Bondi acquisition and further confirm it plans to spread its brand across every inner-city suburb in Sydney.