Medusa’s gaze gone in days as Gold Coast’s Palazzo Versace is no more
No longer will Medusa gaze down from the facade as the A-listers sweep into the grand foyer.
The Gold Coast’s lavish Palazzo Versace is no more, the 200-bed hotel reopening on Tuesday as Imperial Hotel.
Imperial Hotel, formerly known as Palazzo Versace, will begin operation under its brand on Tuesday.
“Imperial Hotel will retain the essence of Palazzo Versace’s grand legacy, and will continue to offer the highest standard of luxury and impeccable service, to ensure an unforgettable stay for our guests,” general manager Richard Clarke said.
The famous Medusa head crowning the entrance will be torn down in mid-August, although the exterior will remain mostly unchanged.
The Medusa tiles under the grand chandelier in the hotel entrance will be taken out.
About 1600 Medusa heads on tapware and light fixtures and a gallery of photos of famous people in Versace have already disappeared.
About 1600 Medusa heads had to be removed from the hotel, as they are trademarked by Versace.
The fine-dining restaurant Vanitas, the Il Barocco restaurant known for its seafood buffet, and lobby bar and high tea location Le Jardin will have new menus.
But the antique chandelier will continue to leave guests in awe as they enter.
At least one expert believes a revamp could not have come at a better time.
“While it’s still on the bucket list for some, I think that position has been eroded over time and it’s really up to the current team to showcase the hotel in a different light,” Griffith Business Lab director Graeme Hughes said.
“We’ve seen celebrities, including Beyonce and J.Lo, come through but as of late we’ve seen A-listers choose to stay elsewhere, so I think the revamp is a good thing.”
Clarke, who visited for his honeymoon in 2018 and predicted he would move from Canada to work at the hotel, has had various experiences rebranding hotels in the UK and Canada.
He said this transition was smooth, the changes to the property and website kept subtle.
“People will still be able to listen to our pianist and experience the buffet on a Saturday night,” he said.
Following negotiations with Versace, Imperial Hotel is able to keep furnishings.
“Apart from a few changes here and there, I think our guests will be pleased it will still feel and look very similar.
“We’re mindful of not forgetting the history of the hotel and preserving the furnishings and cutlery ... we contacted future guests to inform them of the name changing but reassured them the service standards will be the same,” he said.
“I think there’s a level of excitement.”
Hughes said there was an increasingly competitive space in the hotel industry on the Gold Coast, with The Langham opening last year and the announcement of The Ritz-Carlton to open in 2026.
“The timing of the rebranding is important and quite positive,” Hughes said.
“As long as they remain consistent in their offerings, packaged in a different light and showcasing the location with walkthroughs and social media forms, it will bring an element of intrigue from new and old patrons.
“They have a moment of time to capture the audience and demonstrate what they do best before the Ritz-Carlton lands.”