Crown's $281m plans for Burswood

PerthNow: Russell Quinn

Burswood Casino Resort's parent company, Crown Limited, will spend hundreds of millions of dollars upgrading the casino and hotel.

CROWN Limited's spending $281 million so the Burswood resort can acquire the neighbouring Holiday Inn hotel and expand the casino's gaming floor and VIP suites.
Crown said it will restructure the existing relationship it has with the Intercontinental Hotel Group, allowing the acquisition of the Holiday Inn hotel building and associated assets and dissolve the partnership under which the Intercontinental and Holiday Inn hotels are operated.

This, Crown said, means Burswood will be entitled to a greater share of hotel profits.

Burswood already owns the land on which the Holiday Inn hotel building is located.

“The total cost of acquiring the Holiday Inn hotel buildings and associated assets plus the costs of dissolving the partnership will be approximately $79 million, subject to usual sale adjustments,” the company said.

The deal, which is subject to a number of regulatory conditions, is expected to be completed early in July 2011.

Crown’s board has also approved a more extensive expansion of the main gaming floor which will accommodate the expansion of Burswood’s food and beverage offerings to include a pub style restaurant, a western style restaurant, a feature bar and a café.

The further expansion will take the expected total cost of the project from $73 million to $112 million.

Design work is already underway and, subject to certain conditions, it’s expected that the project will be complete late in 2012.

Meanwhile, the company has approved $7 million in expenditure for the construction of a new Infinity Suite on the ninth level of the resort which will provide additional support to the new VIP gaming salons currently under construction at Burswood, as well as the Pearl Room and its VIP salons.

Under Burswood’s current capital expenditure program, one Infinity Suite has been constructed on level 10 of the Intercontinental Hotel and two Infinity Suites have been constructed on level eight.

Finally, $35 million will be put towards a series of other small projects have also been approved for the Burswood Entertainment Complex including improvements to the entry, convention centre amenities and theatre areas and additional investment in new retail and food and beverage offerings.

The Death of Andy Marshall OBH Cottesloe

Tragety stuck on Sunday the 8th of May 2011 at the Ocean beach Hotel (OBH) in Cottesloe in the form of a vile 'Rock Machine' foot soldier 25 year old Stefan Pahia Schmidt who caused the death of Andy Marshall.

Mr Marshall 29 originally from New Zealand is well liked and has a wide circle of friends. He works both as a musician with a Perth band and roof tiler. He died after plunging through a window of the Ocean Beach Hotel in Cottesloe about 9pm on Sunday night. Mr Marshall is believed to be the innocent victim of a gang attack.

The Rock Machine bikie associate, has been charged with Mr Marshall's murder. He did not apply for bail when he faced court this morning and was remanded in custody to appear in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court via video link on May 18.

Photo Courtesy of Perthnow.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/man-pushed-to-death-in-horror-pub-balcony-fall/story-e6frg12c-1226053072866

Great Little Venue In Perth

I just had a great night out at Canton in Perth City.....Fantastic cocktails awesome staff....Melbourne thanks for showing up!

April 2011 Liquor Licensing Decisions

Conditional Grant Of A Tavern Licence PRINT HALL Perth
Conditional Grant Of A Small Bar Licence WHOS YOUR MUMMA Fremantle
Conditional Grant Of A Hotel Restricted Licence CENTRE BREAK BEACH STAY Green Head
Extended Trading Permit - Ongoing Hours CELLARBRATIONS AT SAM'S CELLAR Exmouth
Conditional Grant Of A Tavern Licence MANDOON BREWERY Caversham
Conditional Grant Of A Liquor Store Licence SEABIRD SUNSET CAFE Seabird
Grant Of A Special Facility - Tourism Licence MITCHELL FALLS WILDERNESS LODGE Broome
Grant Of A Tavern Licence SOHO BAR AND KITCHEN Fremantle
Conditional Grant Of A Liquor Store Licence PROGRESSIVE SUPA IGA HALLS HEAD Halls Head

Palais 85 in South Perth

Palais 85, Perth's first self-proclaimed six-star restaurant which aimed to set a trend in opulence with an expensive fitout and high prices, has gone bust, leaving plans for a wedding and a FTV high-profile fashion party in ruins.

The chandelier-lit restaurant hit the headlines when it opened in May 2009, touted as Perth's first six-star dining experience. To acheive this Palais 85 seemed to do little more than provide an expensive renovation, charge $5 for a flat white and be brave enough to sign an expensive lease of premises with a wonderful view next door to seasoned professional Ian Love's 'Cocos'.

What does motive industry newbies to take on a venue which in my reckoning has seen atleast 5 spectacular failures in the last decade? The location has now seen the great opening and dismal closure of Palais 85, colourful bankrupt Warren Mead's 'The Oyster Bar',his ex wife, Linda Ross's 'Linq', Spegettis and The River Bank Restaurant.

The sad part is that Palais 85 never really made the grade. Lasting just under 2 years the venue should consistancy only in lacking. Thinking that my expectations were possibly to great, I turned to Urbanspoon to see how the venue had performed in the eyes of the restaurant goers.
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/147455/restaurant/Perth/Palais-85-South-Perth

Going through the comments I am amazed at the hatred. The venue has an approval rating of 38% and I could find no one that had, had a good experience there this year. Not even an obvious one from the owner....

A spokesman for Insolv Liquidators confirmed Branwell the company behind Palais 85 owed tens of thousands of dollars to the building owner as well as to Westpac Bank and the tax office. Branwell spokesman Jay Daha said Palais 85 was sold in January and the closure was the result of the new owner, Mascot Holdings, failing to take over the lease. This has been denied by Mascot Holdings, which denied ever purchasing the business.

March 2011 Liquor Licensing Decisions

Conditional Grant Of A Tavern Restricted Licence THE AVIARY Perth
Prohibition Order FINBARR CHRISTOPHER FAGAN Carlisle
Prohibition Order BRENT JON VODANOVICH Cable Beach
Prohibition Order MARAIKA KASANDRA LAUESE Kalgoorlie
Prohibition Order BRYCE LESLIE HOLDEN Canning Vale
Prohibition Order RHIANNON SKYE BONACCHI Landsdale
Prohibition Order BENJAMIN MICHAEL SPORN Scarborough

February 2011 Liquor Licensing Decisions

Conditional Grant Of A Small Bar Licence Oyster Bar, Mandurah Mandurah
Grant Of A Small Bar Licence Havana Restaurant East Perth
Prohibition Order Nikolas Thomas Martin Balcatta
Prohibition Order Margaret Winder Kilgour Port Hedland