A piece of history worth caring about, the hotel is still in the family and in recent years son Peter Feros has been slowly renovating it.

It’s a big job, both helped and hampered by its heritage-listing.

“It means a lot to have the listing but it also impacts on how you can renovate,” office manager Catherine Thomas said.

“Slowly but surely we are getting there – we’ve done the kitchen and the bistro and most of the 21 rooms. Everything has been rewired and all the rooms now have air-conditioning and ensuite bathrooms.”

It is certainly a far cry from the original hotel that had community bathrooms and multiple beds in many of the rooms.

“The hotel was built when the town’s original hydro scheme kicked off … it has always had the community’s psyche at its heart and community groups often hold their meetings here.”

The seven-day a week bistro that focuses on consistency with daily specials is something the community also appreciate … not to mention travellers, who make it a base to explore the area.

With all this plus an award of excellence from TripAdvisor, the hotel now finds itself a finalist in the North Coast Tourism awards, which will be announced next Wednesday, July 25.

“We are cautiously optimistic,” Catherine says.

“Situated right in the heart of town, we work hard to make everyone feel welcome.”

* Urunga’s Riverside Holiday Resort is also a finalist – and we’ll bring a story about them tomorrow (Wednesday).

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