[8] The hotel closed in 1993 after a dispute between the owner and council over fire regulations, and suffered significant damage due to vandalism in the subsequent years, with most items of value stripped from the building.

A multimillion-dollar refurbishment under a new lessee began in 1996, which after delays due to disputes with the council over incentives and assistance eventually saw the ground floor of the hotel reopen as an Irish-themed pub in November 1999.

[9][10] In March 2000, the NSW Heritage Council took legal action against the lessee, claiming that unauthorised works had been undertaken on two bars on the lower level and the lobby.

[15] In March 2001, the owners lost the Heritage Act case, resulting in the lessee being discharged without a conviction, but facing a $5000 fine and $13,000 in court costs.

The owner won on both first instance and a September appeal, resulting in the hotel's closure on 31 October 2002 after the lessee was formally evicted.

[22] The owners proposed the refurbishment of the upper levels in 2005 and got development approval in 2008, but were delayed by the Global Financial Crisis.

[24] Braune sold the hotel to Sydney developer Bass Elhashem in 2013, but remained involved with the refurbishment as project manager.