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Rumour: The Block to makeover South Yarra Hotel

A South Yarra hotel with a tainted past may now be on The Block's 2015 agenda.

2014-06-25_2146The Block is now rumoured to be set to makeover a former South Yarra hotel.

News Corp reports the 8 storey Hotel Saville was purchased for $7.3 million and will be turned into a boutique hotel for the show’s 11th series, due to air late next year.

In 2002 the hotel was in the news after it was alleged male gigolo Shane Chartres-Abbott violently raped a client in a hotel suite, with part of her tongue missing. The self-proclaimed “vampire” was later murdered in 2003.

Previous media reports -and even a YouTube auction video- have previously speculated the show has also purchased another South Yarra property in Darling Street.

Property Observer notes Brenchley Architects has recently lodged a $2.4 million 10 apartment, development application at 27 Darling Street, South Yarra which has a caveat on it pursuant to a purchase by Watercress Productions, suggesting the 10th and possibly subsequent series could be undertaken at the popular Melbourne suburb.

Nine director of communications Victoria Buchan told News Corp: “We are not making any comment about properties that people speculate about us purchasing or not.”

Executive Producer Justin Sturzaker recently told TV Tonight, a bluechip suburb and an interesting building were key to choosing locations.

“The #1 priority from my perspective is the buildings that we have been renovating in the most recent series have become their own character within themselves,” he said.

2 Responses

  1. Yet another ‘Block’ rumour, the second one this month?.

    But after comparing the pics of both sites, this maybe more of a case of ‘moreroom’, because the ‘Hotel Saville ‘ site looks to be a logistical/managment nightmare for site foreman Keith Schleiger.

    The Hotel Saville looks to be located on busy intersection, with it seems, a multitude of power and communication cables in close proximity on two sides, then there is site access /material storage and security fencing requirements as well?.

    But we must not forget this ‘Reality Tv’ and much contrived drama between Keith and Blockheads often revolves around such problems, with the added opportunity of renaming the ‘Saville’ to ‘ Schleiger’s Gold ‘

  2. Years ago a friend of mine after a big night woke up naked in the laundry chute of that hotel and couldn’t remember how he go there. It’s always been a bit of a seedy hotel haha

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