The Valley’s Waterloo Hotel has undergone two years of renovations at a cost of $6 million, however the heritage of the building has been maintained.

Local history has shown a hotel has been on this site since 1880, a time when Brisbane boasted a massive 117 pubs servicing a population of just 47,000. Considering this was a time when only men were permitted entry into bars, this gave Brisbane’s small male population a lot of choice.

The current incarnation of the Waterloo Hotel was built in 1937. Throughout this time, the local area that the hotel has serviced has changed dramatically; from the warehouses and wharves of Tenneriffe, to seeing the Valley become Brisbane’s premier shopping destination in the 50s and 60s. The Waterloo was spared in the widespread demolition of heritage buildings during the Bjelke-Petersen era and has now born witness to the Valley’s urban renewal progression into a highly sought after area.

The Waterloo Hotel has evolved with the community over 130 years and now stands proud and elegant within the local landscape. Its current incarnation sees the former majesty of the building restored and complimented by a luxurious and eclectic interior, incorporating classic and contemporary furniture with modern lighting to create a rich tapestry of materials, colours and textures.

In keeping with the Hotels rich historical background, The Waterloo’s recent refurbishment was sympathetic in its execution and was reopened with gusto after the two years of downtime. With the majestic Art Deco facade restored to pristine condition, the wait was well worth it, and now the venue offers a unique wining and dining experience in a cosy, elaborate setting.

The layout of the establishment is such that patrons can choose to tuck themselves away in private lounges, dine in the elevated restaurant, or simply kick back in the open bar and social area. At the centre of the building stands the enormous main bar which invites visitors to circulate, exploring the many rooms. Each area is characterised differently, defining the space with varying floor and wall finishes.

Upon entering, one is struck by the decadence and opulence of the materials adorning every surface. The plush custom designed carpets floral pattern is a throwback to another era, while the dazzling modern mirrors juxtaposed with a mixture of traditional and contemporary wallpapers bring the walls to life. From the ceiling hangs a combination of time honoured and funky light fittings. The interior aims to put guests at ease by collaborating varied themes to create a comfortable atmosphere.

The main bar is a statement which demonstrates a lavish granite counter and elegant black tiling to the bar face in the pattern of fish scales. Plants cascade from a central plater located at the back of the bar, while the entire area is illuminated by the vast overhead skylight. Adjacent to the bar is the raised restaurant platform; enclosed with graceful carved balustrades the timber flooring adds a natural element to this area. Floral wallpaper, ornate picture frames and yet more beautiful granite gives a sense of fine dinging.

The Waterloo Hotel offers individual lounges furnished with luxurious upholstered seating. Dark decorative wood grains play a large role in creating its privileged feel, and soft drapery aims to make the customer feel relaxed and secluded. For a more collective experience, patrons can take a seat in the bar lounge which adds funky contemporary furniture to the mix.

Evolving with its community over 130 years, the Waterloo Hotel is an exciting new venue once again! Bespoke and antique furniture are lavished upon a sophisticated interior, which successfully marries new and old to create a truly enigmatic space with surprises around each corner.

The venue boasts a Nightlife system in fact Nightlife has been working with the Spirit Hotel Group for a number of years. Their extensive music catalogue means they can provide customised music programs to suit the vast range of different properties within the group, including this their latest development, the Waterloo. Being on the fringe of the Valley entertainment precinct, the Waterloo’s music brief needed to reflect the urban vibe Hotel Manager, Kellie Prescott was trying to create. Nightlife’s National Sales Manager, Phil Brown and Group Relationship Manager, Sean Martin worked closely with Kelly to turn this vision into the one easy to work solution.

The Multi-zone Nightlife system plays one zone of sophisticated lounge and indie “rock-tromica” in the various open plan bar areas and a separate channel of more accessible content in the Gaming room. To further enhance the Waterloo’s eclectic interior design, Nightlife in conjunction with MoodTV also provides a channel of Ambient Visuals that plays a blend of designer graphics and visual landscapes through the various screens around the property. Consistency and digital advertising is also important to the Group and this is all controlled again through the one Nightlife system.

Audio was installed by BJ’s Sound & Lighting and included 30 xDynacord Vari-Line VL62 loudspeakers, 4 x Dynacord DSA8405 Power Amps, 2 x E-V Sb122 subs, 8 x E-V C8.2 Premium Ceiling Speakers and 12 x Bosch BCS-CS5E ceiling speakers.