![Proprietor Gavin Gordon and his nephew Tom Hodgon have been at the charge of the restoration of The Exchange Hotel accommodation, Beaconsfield. Picture by Phillip Biggs Proprietor Gavin Gordon and his nephew Tom Hodgon have been at the charge of the restoration of The Exchange Hotel accommodation, Beaconsfield. Picture by Phillip Biggs](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/117466170/386acf84-9c8d-4272-b7a8-6250fd52c7c9.jpg/r0_0_5000_3289_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Weary travellers can now spend the night at Beaconsfield following the reopening of the heritage Exchange Hotel.
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Proprietor Gavin Gordon has been working to restore the 1879 property over the past 22 months.
He said it was an opportunity to reopen the town's only hotel after it hadn't been lived in for about three years.
"I rang my sister and just said 'do you want to buy a hotel?'," Mr Gordon said.
"She was like 'are you crazy?', and I said 'oh by the way it's lost all its classifications'."
He said the "rest is history" after gaining the support of his sister Donna Hodgon, and his nephew Tom Hodgon also becoming a key member of the hotel's rebuild.
Mr Gordon has experience in the industry, also owning an 1860's accommodation in Franklin, south of Hobart.
He has worked closely with the Heritage Council during the restoration as the Exchange Hotel reopens in stages.
The accommodation returned to service in February, and Mr Gordon said the hotel's bar planned to open at the end of this year.
"We're doing it as a lounge bar so that it's inclusive for children as well," he said.
So far the hotel offers an in-house breakfast for guests and has held a few function with the help of a local chef.
Beaconsfield a 'gem' full of potential
![There's belief Beaconsfield is forging ahead at The Exchange Hotel. Picture by Phillip Biggs There's belief Beaconsfield is forging ahead at The Exchange Hotel. Picture by Phillip Biggs](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/117466170/f1adbbfb-b8ed-4593-9edf-8eaf985c6448.jpg/r0_0_5000_3333_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The former gold mining town is full of tourism attractions including the Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre, wineries and Miner's Gold Brewery.
Mr Gordon likened Beaconsfield to a "gem" that needed to grow.
"We can see this area is really going to go ahead, it's probably a bit undiscovered and really needs to go ahead," Mr Gordon said.
"I thought I could be part of that vision as well."
New estates are being planned for the area and he said it was an undiscovered part of the West Tamar.
"I think it's going to have a really positive vibe and I think it's just going to be a be a great place to be," he said on the town's future.
"I've had guests that have come here and they said 'why have we based ourselves in Launceston?'."
![Picture by Phillip Biggs Picture by Phillip Biggs](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/117466170/dee2fb39-aea8-477a-a64a-231a50b7a492.jpg/r0_0_5000_3333_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Beaconsfield has access to Batman Bridge to more wineries, and close proximity to Devonport and Launceston, making the town easy for travellers to base themselves.
"I think we need to work towards making that clear to travellers, that this is a really good spot if you want to go out and do the wineries and have the experience and the museums," he said.
He praised the support he had received from other businesses and the tourism network in the region.
"We can provide visitors advice on where they can go, and we can do deals for each other," Mr Gordon said.
"So we will help each other. Community support is vital as far as I'm concerned."
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