Heritage hotel home to Ben Chifley back in business in December
The upgraded Hotel Kurrajong will be welcoming guests from December. Photo: Jeffrey Chan
Former prime minister Ben Chifley's residence of choice, the Hotel Kurrajong, will reopen its doors to guests in December after a six-month renovation that has sought to revitalise part of Canberra's political history.
The hotel, which is co-owned by TFE Hotels and NRMA, was designed in 1924 by the government's chief architect, John Smith Murdoch, who also designed Old Parliament House.
Mr Chifley made the hotel his residence of choice while prime minister and then opposition leader – rejecting the The Lodge in Deakin – until he suffered a fatal heart attack in a hotel room on June 13, 1951.
Hotel Kurrajong manager Robert McKenna in front of the historic hotel, which will be reopening in December. Photo: Jamila Toderas
NRMA ACT chief executive Alan Evans said a lot of time, money and energy had been invested in the hotel to ensure it retained its historical importance and charm.
"We are very conscious that we have a significant and valuable part of Canberra's heritage and we must preserve it," he said.
Mr Evans said the former prime minister's room would remain in its original state despite other rooms being extensively refurbished.
Prime minister Ben Chifley had a fatal heart attack in the hotel on June 13, 1951. Photo: National Archives of Australia
TFE Hotels chief executive Rachel Argaman said the company was looking forward to reopening the hotel as a 4.5 star hotel and allowing guests to enjoy its legacy.
"Our guests want more than just a bed, and at Hotel Kurrajong they will experience a piece of the capital's history with the hotel having enjoyed a long association with key Australian political and architectural figures," she said.
The hotel will relaunch as a 147-room hotel with 26 heritage-listed rooms, four executive suites, four balconies, and eight terraces.
NRMA chief executive Tony Stuart was quick to point out the history and tradition of the building and described the reopening as "an exciting chapter in the NRMA's growing travel and accommodation portfolio".
"We can't wait to open its doors to our members and the broader community," he said.
The garden built by Commonwealth horticulturist Thomas Charles Weston in 1926 will remain, along with most of his original paintings scattered throughout the hotel.
The relaunch will include Chifley's Bar and Grill, which will offer a selection of more than 80 local and international wines.
Between 1976 and 1978, the Kurrajong closed its doors to guests and became the temporary base for the offices of Parliamentary staff.
The ACT government secured a 50-year lease on the building in 1993 and reopened it as a hotel in 1995 before selling it in a joint venture in March 2013 for $7,650,00, well short of the $10 million asking price.
