Grandeur in Albert Park

20 January 2018 :

Former Albert Park Coffee Palace, built 1887-1889 in Bridport Street as an alcohol free hotel with 40 rooms and big lounge and dining rooms. After the Windsor it’s the most palatial one remaining. It was designed by my favourite High Victorian architect, #WSLaw, and has a similar top pavilion to his Benvenuta in Carlton (now Medley Hall, last pic). Unusual to be all arcaded verandahs like this, especially since it faces south, but it is splendid, and totally dominates the area. Renamed the Biltmore Private Hotel in 1931, in 1950 it became a nurses hostel, then a hotel again in 1966, then office by the 80s, becoming (very desirable) apartments in the 90s. Lobby looks intact. Very nice flat on an upper floor, looks like lots of original details, might have been an upper lounge or billiard room? But 1887 descriptions don’t imply anything like that. Then a huge flat top floor, with the tower included. A biggish thing was proposed next door in 2023, I’m told mid last year VCAT ordered it to be a floor lower.