More the 110 years after its foundation stone was laid, Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne has debuted its new-look Baroque-inspired ballroom and conference space.
The refurbished ballroom was the last piece in the puzzle of the hotel’s makeover, which has seen their lobby, restaurant, and 320 hotel rooms all go under the designer’s knife to return to the hotel’s turn-of-century origins.
The King Edward Ballroom, named after the hotel’s most famous visitor, was originally a club bar within the Commercial Travellers Building. The room featured distinctive timber paneling that was removed during a 1990s remodel, but has now been reinstalled to retune the ballroom to its former glory.
A false ceiling that was installed during the same remodel was removed to take advantage of the gorgeous high ceilings whilst three crystal chandeliers, each weighing over 300kg, have been installed to provide a touch of elegance.
Joseph Stipo, General Manager of Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne, spoke of the attention to detail that is prevalent in both the design and modern technology used throughout the hotel. Rendezvous Melbourne was one of the first buildings to feature Australian motifs in stained glass windows, something the interior design team wanted to acknowledge.
“In a nod to those early design touches, the interior design team chose an earthy olive-green palette to help tie in unique heritage features, and handcrafted cornices from original moulds, albeit with 21st-century LED lighting for best effect,” said Stipo.
The needs of modern-day PCOs have not been overlooked, the renovation team installed dual 130” data projection screens and HD projectors, state-of-the-art lighting, Bluetooth connectivity, surround sound capability, soundproofing, and hidden rigging points to allow clients to personalise the space without disrupting guest views.
