Imperial Hotel To Get 24-Hour Basement Bar In $5 Million Upgrade

Erskineville’s Imperial Hotel (“the Impy”), the shining LGBTQ+ jewel of Sydney’s inner-west, is getting an upgrade. The heritage-listed bar of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert fame will undergo a $5 million renovation, which will see the ground floor almost double in size, the beer garden expanded, and the installment of a 24-hour basement bar.

The changes come as part of a joint venture between venue owner Universal Hotels (Universal, The Oxford, The Riley) and Odd Culture Group. The latter, the same group behind Newtown’s swanky subterranean “Pleasure Club”, is set to take control of the Impy’s operations from September 1, with the sweeping renovations slated for 2027. 

“The Imperial has spent more than 40 years helping to shape Sydney’s queer culture,” said Odd Culture Group director James Thorpe. “This redevelopment is one of the biggest investments in its history, but more importantly, it’s an investment in the next 40 years.

“Our ambition is not simply to preserve one of Australia’s most iconic queer venues, but to ensure it continues to evolve as one of the world’s great queer institutions for generations to come.ˮ

An Important Step In The Imperial’s Future

Universal Hotelsʼ COO Richie Haines assured patrons that the upgrade has been carefully considered with the future of the venue in mind.

“Weʼre committed to making The Imperial the best it can be,” said Haines, “for the local and broader community.  Partnering with Odd Culture Group will ensure that happens – weʼre impressed with their ambition, and confident that we can work together to bring it to life.ˮ 

The operations switch-up comes just a decade after the institution was almost forced to close. As more and more queer venues fall, and the rights of LGBTQ+ people across the world are eroded, the Imperial’s new operator reflected on the importance of tenacious stewardship for the hotel moving forward.

“The past few months have shown just how fragile queer cultural infrastructure can be,” Thorpe said. “Creative spaces don’t just need operators with ambition, they need landlords with the conviction to stand behind them.

“Both Odd Culture and Universal Hotels understand that queer venues are living cultural institutions. They’re places where artists experiment, communities gather and culture continues to evolve. That isn’t always comfortable, and it isn’t always universally embraced, but it’s essential. That’s what makes this partnership so exciting: we’re aligned in our commitment to protecting the Impy’s legacy while giving it the confidence to be ambitious.ˮ