By Danielle Kutchel
The elegant, heritage façade of the Grand Hotel Healesville, which greets visitors as they travel up the Maroondah Highway, has become an icon of the area – much like the hotel itself.
For over 130 years the Grand Hotel has been a favourite haunt of locals. Like many in the area, the current owners also have a past connection with the watering hole: publican Lisa McKay worked at the Grand for seven years before leaving to get married and start a family, and fellow publican Tom Campbell worked in the bottle shop before becoming a plumber. Today, daughter Adelle manages the bar while head chef Matt creates traditional pub meals with amazing flavour. Other staff members are all locals and love to have a chat.
Ms McKay says the Grand Old Lady’s focus is squarely on its clientele. “Our focus is to look after our locals and for the hotel to be the local hub that it has been for over 100 years,” she says.
Within its historic walls, there is something to please every member of the family. The Grand Hotel plays host to live music every Saturday, karaoke every Friday and a DJ on weekends. The dining room and bar offer traditional pub favourites and there is a great range of beer on tap, including Guinness. A bottle shop is conveniently located on site with a large range of products to take away, and guests are welcome to extend their stay in the hotel’s accommodation. A TAB will arrive in June, adding to the icon’s attractions.
It all adds up to something simple, Ms McKay says.
“It’s a great local hotel!”
The Grand Hotel is located at 270 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville and is open weekdays 11:30am til late, and weekends 11am til late. For more information email info@grandhotelhealesville.com.au or call 59624003.
