Esplanade Hotel (Melbourne) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Esplanade Hotel |
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| General information | |
| Address | 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda, Victoria, Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°51′51″S 144°58′22″E / 37.86417°S 144.97278°E |
| Opened | January 7th, 1878 |
The Esplanade Hotel, often called "The Espy", is a grand old hotel in St Kilda, a bayside suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Built in 1878, it looks out over Port Phillip Bay. It is one of Melbourne's oldest and most famous hotels. The Espy is well-known for its long history of live music. Many people worked hard in the late 1990s to keep this musical tradition alive.
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A Long and Musical History
The Esplanade Hotel was built in 1878. It quickly became one of the biggest and most important hotels outside of Melbourne's city center. At first, it was planned as three large houses. But during construction, the plans changed, and it became a hotel.
In those days, St Kilda was a popular place for wealthy people to live. It was also a favorite spot for visitors to enjoy the sea baths. The Espy offered beautiful rooms with views of Port Phillip Bay.
Famous Guests and Changes
Many famous people have stayed at The Espy. Alfred Felton, a rich helper of the National Gallery of Victoria, lived there from 1892 until 1904. Other well-known visitors included writer Mark Twain in the 1880s. The famous actress Sarah Bernhardt also visited in 1920.
Around 1910, a large dining room at the back of the hotel was redecorated. It was given a new, stylish look called Art Nouveau. This room later became known as the Gershwin Room.
In 1921, the hotel changed owners and was renamed Carlyon’s Esplanade Hotel. It started to offer more entertainment for everyone, not just the very rich. A bigger lounge bar was added on the ground floor. A grand staircase and new entrance were also built.
The Rise of Live Music
A new dance hall, called the "Eastern Tent Ballroom," was built at the back. In the early 1920s, this became a very important place for jazz and dancing. St Kilda's foreshore area was a big entertainment hub back then. It had many dance halls, cinemas, baths, hotels, and even an ice rink. The ballroom closed in 1925. In 1929, it was rebuilt as the Spanish-style Baymor Court flats.
Col Jackson took over the hotel in 1967. This started a new and exciting time for music at The Espy. In the 1970s, the Gershwin Room became a disco with a flashing dance floor. Later, it hosted live bands. The front bar, called the Nimrod Room, also had live music.
From the 1970s through the 1980s and 1990s, live music was played almost every night. Sometimes, there were bands on three different stages! The Espy became one of the most important places for live music in Melbourne. By the 1980s, the hotel rooms on the upper floors were no longer used. The Baymor Court flats were also empty by the 1990s. In 1990, the National Trust of Australia officially recognized The Esplanade Hotel as an important historical building.
Saving The Espy
In 1997, a company called Becton Corporation bought the hotel. They wanted to build a huge apartment and shopping complex there. Their plan was to build a 35-story apartment tower behind the hotel. But thousands of people objected to this plan. They wanted to save The Espy because it was so important to Melbourne's culture and music scene.
After much discussion, a compromise was reached. A smaller, 10-story apartment building was built at the back and side of the hotel. This building replaced some older parts, like the Baymor Court flats. The main part of the hotel building was saved.
In 2001, Paul Adamo and Vince Sofo took over the lease for The Espy. After some updates, the Gershwin Room reopened for live bands in 2004. It also became the home for the SBS television show Rockwiz. The new apartment building was finished in 2006.
The hotel closed suddenly in May 2015. People thought it would be renovated, but no work happened for a while. Only the Gershwin Room was sometimes used for special gigs.
In May 2017, a Melbourne company called Sand Hill Road bought The Espy. They are known for renovating and running licensed venues. After a big renovation, a completely new and improved Espy reopened in November 2018. It now has three stages for live music or performances. It also has many bars and restaurants. All four floors and the basement are now used and full of life!
Music at The Espy
The Esplanade Hotel is famous for being one of Australia's longest-running live music venues. This means it has had live music playing almost continuously for a very long time!
In May 1995, the Australian musician Paul Kelly recorded some songs for his album, Live at the Continental and the Esplanade, right in the hotel's Gershwin Room.
Since 2005, the SBS music quiz show RocKwiz has been filmed in the same Gershwin Room. The show's host, Julia Zemiro, even used to work at The Espy as a waitress!
