The Court Hotel has applied to the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor for an extended trading license. The Court Hotel currently operates until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights, and now they are applying for an extended license that permits them to trade until 3am, with a voluntary lockout at 2am.
According to hotel owner, Bree Maddox, this would provide Perth’s GLBTI community with a greater choice in their late night venues, and the lockout would a more gradual dispersion of the weekend crowd.
‘The same management strategies we apply between midnight and 1am and 1am and 2am still apply after 2 o’clock. The same safety features are built into the venue, the same experience of the staff, the same training behind it, the same security,’ Bree Maddox said.
The Court’s application was supported unanimously by Perth’s City Council.
‘I support the application because there aren’t too many gay venues in the city. When the hotel closes there is a displacement issue,’ Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi told OiP.
The Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor is unable to comment on the application while it is still before the commission. Under law the Court Hotel had to advertise its application, and the Department will take any objections from organisations or individuals into consideration when evaluating the application.
