By TOM HAYES
ALREADY proving to be a popular addition at Traralgon’s Crown Hotel is the new upstairs function room – Phelan’s.
After being in the works for about 12 months, Crown Hotel finally opened Phelan’s for bookings last month, taking on one booking per weekend on average.
So far, Phelan’s is booked out for functions for the rest of the trading year, as well as some getting bookings ahead for 2025.
The upstairs function room can hold a minimum of 50 people, and as many as 200. Many of the features downstairs can be found in Phelan’s, fitted with a bar, entertaining area, toilets, and an outdoor balcony.
Also upstairs is a kitchen, equipped to serve canapes at functions, so customers can choose from foods like roast tomato and goats cheese bruschetta, wagyu beef meatballs, and macaroni and cheese croquettes.
“It started off well and its proving very popular,” Crown Hotel Part Owner, Brett Melbourne said.
“We’ve had a lot of enquiries, but we’ve already been booked out for those days, so there could have been even more,” Crown Hotel Function Co-Ordinator, Emma Campbell added.
The two mentioned the appeal of the function space being in Traralgon’s CBD, as customers have the decision to bar hop across town, or simply go downstairs following their function.
The name ‘Phelan’s’ holds special traditions to the Crown Hotel, named after the 1927 licensee of Crown Hotel, Michael Phelan, who held the position for 30 years alongside his son, Denis.
The Phelan legacy continued in 1979 when Michael’s grandson, Terrance, brought the Phelan name back to Crown for the first time since 1957. Terrance purchased the freehold in 1983, solidifying Crown in Traralgon.
The current owner group of Crown Hotel had the pleasure of hosting Terrance and Nanette Phelan, with their extended family for the first private viewing of Phelan’s in late October.
