Paul is manager of the Lorne Hotel and has an interesting story to tell. He first came to Lorne in 1985 for holidays and in 1989, to Paul’s surprise, his father John declared that he had purchased the Lorne Hotel. John sold the hotel in 1995, but liked Lorne so much, he repurchased it again in 2010.
Prior to going into the hotel business, Paul attended St Patrick’s College in Ballarat, and then studied commerce at Monash University. After obtaining his commerce degree he moved to London and worked for merchant bankers, JP Morgan. Paul met his wife Jane in London and they then moved back to Melbourne where Paul worked in financial services. Jane and Paul have twin children Angus and Matilda aged 2 and live in Lorne.
He likes to spend time with his family, is a keen cyclist and enjoys visiting various eateries on the Surf Coast. He is an active member of the Lorne Business and Tourism Association and likes to contribute with ideas to improve the future growth of Lorne.
Paul kept up his interest and maintained his contacts in Lorne by visiting Lorne as often as possible and in 2015, became manager of the Lorne Hotel. He said the Lorne Hotel has seasonal peaks and troughs like most businesses in Lorne but is a very popular place for locals and visitors to meet, greet and eat.
There are 11 rooms and 4 apartments for accommodation and two function rooms. The smaller “Conference Room” will cater for up to 50 people, while the larger “View Room” upstairs caters for groups up to 150. This room is great for weddings, conferences and birthdays and as the name implies, has stunning views of the ocean and Lorne streetscape.
For punters, there is a gaming room and TAB, also a 150 seat bistro with ocean views and a varied menu with a children’s playroom, making it “peaceful” for parents to enjoy their meal. Or if you would like to dine outdoors, the beer garden offers comfortable seating, views and a pizzeria.
The Lorne Hotel has live music on Friday and Saturday nights and on Saturday 20th May, the Pierce Brothers will be coming to town, which also coincides with the Great Ocean Road Bike Race the same weekend.
