Former Swiss Grand Set To Open Its Doors After Facelift

By Marcus Braid on January 5, 2016 in News

It survived a controversial development application process and sparked community uproar, but Bondi Beach’s newest boutique multi-purpose development is ready to open this month.

Pacific Bondi, the wide-ranging redeveloped Swiss Grand Hotel, offers the only high-end hotel apartments on Bondi Beach, along with residential apartments and premium retail space. The apartments have proven both popular and particularly expensive, with one ‘Lighthouse’ apartment selling for $21 million.

Despite this, Waverley Mayor Sally Betts said she hasn’t given the development much thought.

“It is what it is,” she said. “It’s approved, so I haven’t given it much thought. It looks good.

“The old hotel was such a mixed architectural design that I don’t think it added anything to the general landscape of Campbell Parade.”

Cr Betts asserted that Campbell Parade is looking better than it has looked in a long while.

“I understand that the new development will have lots of greenery, so I’m quite looking forward to seeing that,” she said. “There’s going to be new outdoor seating, and I think people will be really impressed with that as well.”

One of the first businesses to open within the development will be the 69-apartment QT Bondi. Each of the boutique, high-end hotel apartments will offer the ultimate in chic beachside glamour, individually styled to capture the quintessential Bondi experience, fully furnished with custom-made touches by one of Australia’s renowned hotel designers, Nic Graham.

QT Bondi has commissioned Australian-born, London-based artist Shaun Gladwell to be the featured artist, with permanent displays of artworks inspired by the Bondi landscape.

“Shaun Gladwell draws extensively on the intense physical energy of the local context, blending kinetic movement with the landscape to evoke a brooding almost calming and still sense of romance,” said QT Hotels and Resorts Art Curator Amanda Love.

“This provides a fascinating juxtaposition against the almost extreme sport experience to provide a thoughtfully measured perspective that truly connects with the Bondi experience.”

Pacific Bondi Beach will offer exclusive local retail experiences across surfing, art and fashion, as well as a number of new restaurants.

However, not everyone is impressed with the new development. The effect of alcohol consumption and an increase in the number of licensed premises has concerned Lenore Kulakauskas, the convener of the Bondi Beach Precinct Committee, despite the original request for a liquor store within the complex being knocked back.

“The Swiss Grand (Pacific Bondi) doesn’t look too bad and it fits in okay,” Ms Kulakauskas said. “We fought for many years about things like height, and what it was going to look like. In the end, they got all the things that they asked for, so that’s just the way things go. Our main concern at the moment is about the impact of these licensed premises.

“You’re looking at another potential 1,600 people coming down in that area of the Swiss Grand, which is already a bit of an area that police take note of. We have so much alcohol down there, you could swim in it.”