Adelaide’s Daniel O’Connell Hotel ready to shift gears

Brenton Griguol is hoping the luck of the Irish rubs off on him as he takes North Adelaide’s former The Daniel O’Connell Hotel in a bold new direction.

Griguol, together with Dr Rebecca Linke, purchased the Irish-themed The Daniel O’Connell Hotel in December, and this week will auction the pub’s contents to make way for a renovation he hopes will get punters motors running.

“I want to get away from the Irish theme,” Griguol says.

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“The flavour of Irish pubs has gone and it’s time to do a full reno and bring it up to a 2018-spec.”

He says The Daniel O’Connell’s closing is a sign Irish pubs may have had their day.

Instead, Griguol — who owns Koala Car Rentals and Cut Price Truck Rentals — plans to reopen the hotel with a motoring theme.

“It’s about showcasing what motor racing has done in South Australia — there’s a big push for motor racing in this state and it’s got a very unique history,” he says.

Griguol, a passionate motorsport enthusiast, last year had his Stanley St, North Adelaide home on the market for $1.9 million.

Rather than keeping his car collection just in his garage, he stored his vehicles throughout the house and at one point had one parked under a custom-made dining table.

Race car driver and car collector Brenton Griguol at his North Adelaide home, which was specifically built to house is extensive car collection. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

He says he is looking forward to sharing his passion with the community when he opens his racing-themed hotel in Spring.

“It will take time, and we’re going to do a motoring theme, I don’t want to elaborate too much more on that, but we’re going to do it properly,” Griguol says.

“This hotel will be for everyone, but if want to see a bit of history and find out how it’s come about and evolved, then they’ll get that too.

“When it comes to race cars, people identify with stuff from the 60s, 70s and 80s, because they grew up with it and if they can see it in the flesh, that’s awesome.”

To make room for the renovation, Griguol says the hotel’s entire contents will be auctioned through Mason Gray Strange auctioneers.

“Everything is totally unreserved — everything’s got to go, lock, stock and two smoking barrels, whether it makes a dollar or a hell of a lot more, it doesn’t really matter, it’s all got to go, or else it’ll be ending up in the Wingfield tip,” Griguol says.

This article from The Advertiser was originally published as “Rejuvenation of Irish pub sure to get your motors running”.