Mercure Hotel Canberra, historically known as the Hotel Ainslie and Olims is a historic, four star hotel located in the inner Canberra suburb of

Braddon, Australian Capital Territory Braddon is an inner north suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia located adjacent to the Canberra CBD. The suburb is one of the oldest suburbs in Canberra, a relatively young city, settled in 1922 and gazetted as a divi ...

. It is the closest major hotel to the Australian War Memorial and is located on Limestone Avenue. The Hotel Ainslie has been listed on the Australian Institute of Architects' Register of Significant Twentieth Century Architecture since 1984 due to its significance as a rare late example of English Arts and Crafts

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

and was previously listed in the now defunct Register of the National Estate. It is listed on the ACT Heritage Register.

History

The building now occupied by the hotel was built between 1926-27 as one of eight

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designed to provide accommodation for public servants in preparation of relocating the

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from

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to the new national capital. Following the adverse impact of the Great Depression in 1932, a

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was granted to building lessee Ernest Spendlove. The building was renovated and shortly thereafter re-opened as a public hotel. Spendlove sold the hotel in 1950 to Rex Investments, a division of the

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, and the name was changed to the Hotel Ainslie Rex. Another change of ownership saw the hotel renamed "Olims" in 1989, a name which remains in common use locally. Prior to the sale, an 87-room extension was completed in 1987 and the bar and restaurant areas were remodeled. The hotel began market itself as a function centre, opening conference rooms. The beer garden was built in a distinctively more modern architectural style, disrupting the building's façade facing Limestone Avenue. In 2011, the hotel was rebranded by operator

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as Mercure Canberra and underwent a $8 million refurbishment, hoping to draw more International guests. A proposal which would have seen an extra 125 rooms added to the hotel encountered strong opposition from the National Trust of Australia due to the impact of the proposal on the building's aesthetics and heritage significance. The proposal was subsequently scaled back.

Events and charitable fundraising

The Canberra Craft Beer Festival has been held annually at the hotel since 2008. Mercure Canberra participates in ''Room for Hope'', a program which allows guests to donate $1 in addition to the room rate to charitable causes.

References

{{Canberra landmarks Hotels in the Australian Capital Territory Buildings and structures in Canberra Australian Capital Territory Heritage Register