It's all in a name, and that's what newly minted hoteliers thought when they purchased the Rainbow Royal Hotel northwest Victoria.
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The hotel had held the name since the 1890s, but with some forward thinking and sound judgment, they renamed the hotel King Charles III even before the right royal owner of the title inherited it.
"We have the only hotel in Australia with the name of King Charles III, and because we registered the name, no one else will be able to use it," one of the new owners, Graham Francis, said.
"The hotel bore the name even before His Royal Highness did..
"We thought the name would give the hotel and the small Wimmera town an edge in the hospitality business and a landmark to attract people," he said.
"With 242 Royal Hotels Australia-wide, we wanted a point of difference for Rainbow, and by securing the name, we have achieved that," he said.
The hotel has been painted inside and out and upgraded upstairs to create an AirBnB accommodation space.
A four-bedroom upstairs apartment is fully self-contained, and another seven rooms share two bathrooms and two showers but have a self-contained living area.
The majority of the community welcomed the name change immediately, and very soon, everyone was on board with it when they realised the significance of the name and the impact it could have on the town, he said.
"We'd like to have the kitchen, dining, and bar operating soon, but we've yet to find the right people to manage that area.
"We are still looking and would like to have the hotel fully operational, but the AirBnB has been welcomed," he said.
The hotel has quite a few nods to its history, with crowns and kings on its windows, so the new name is in keeping with the changing history of the new king's coronation.
New owner Graham Francis said the name would attract people from outside of Rainbow, and that's what they wanted to do; the new name, the vivid blue exterior, and the upgrades upstairs will make it a holiday destination for travelers and workers who need accommodation and reflect the confidence and investment we have made into the town.
"We are keen to get the right people in the kitchen and complete the transformation, but it will always be a country pub, just upgraded.
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The accommodation has been fully booked most of the time since opening, so the future is looking good for King Charles III.
Rainbow is a town of about 670 people in northwest Victoria, 400 kilometres from Melbourne.
