Apollo Bay Hotel
About
Overview & Vibe
A pub on the Great Ocean Road at Apollo Bay, overlooking the beach, with the Otways behind it. It runs weddings the way a good pub does — six bookable spaces, every capacity published, every beverage package priced, and platters rather than a per-head banquet.
Setting & Style
The Casino Room is the function room proper: ocean views, its own private bar and amenities, and glass doors that open onto the alfresco so the party spills outside. The Bistro takes 100 seated or 150 standing on exclusive hire; the Beer Garden, Bar Alfresco and Casino Room Alfresco handle the casual end, all with umbrellas, wine barrels and picnic tables looking at the water.
Ideal For
Couples who want a relaxed coastal reception with the numbers on the table, and who would rather feed people platters and pizza than plated courses.
The Need-to-Knows
- Six spaces, each with a published capacity. Bistro exclusive 100 seated / 150 standing — the largest — Casino Room 80 / 100, Beer Garden 50 / 70, Bistro sections 60 / 80 and 50 / 60, Bar Alfresco 40 / 60, Casino Room Alfresco 30 standing.
- Beverage packages are priced by tier and duration: Standard $46 / $59 / $72 per person for two, three or four hours; Premium $57 / $70 / $84; Deluxe $68 / $81 / $94. All include tap beer, cider, soft drinks and juices.
- Food is by the platter, not the head. $75–$175 a platter across canapés, with pizza platters at $90 (four pizzas, eight slices each). Morning or afternoon tea is $25pp.
- Add-ons carry a 20-guest minimum: a spirits upgrade is $28pp and a cocktail on arrival $14pp.
- The venue says “Low Gluten”, not gluten free, and is explicit about why: “as our menu is prepared freshly in kitchen, there may be trace allergens.” Vegetarian, vegan, low-gluten and low-dairy are all marked dish by dish, with separate markers for “option available”.
- Spaces are semi-private, not exclusive — every one of the six is labelled semi-private on the venue's own filter, and the alfresco is sectioned off with bollards.
- There is accommodation on site, a courtesy bus, and a sister motel across the road.
Standout Feature
A function room with its own bar whose glass doors open straight onto an alfresco deck above the beach.
Contact
Amenities
- Beachfront On The Great Ocean Road
- Six Function Spaces
- Casino Room With Private Bar
- Ocean Views
- Glass Doors To Alfresco
- Moveable Furniture
- Powered Speakers And Microphone
- Bistro Exclusive Hire
- Beer Garden
- Bar Alfresco
- Wine Barrels And Picnic Tables
- Umbrellas
- Platter And Pizza Catering
- Three Beverage Package Tiers
- Bar Tab Or Cash Bar
- Spirits Upgrade
- Cocktail On Arrival
- Function Team
- On-Site Accommodation
- Swimming Pool
- Courtesy Bus
- Loyalty Program
- Gift Vouchers
Ceremony Setting
- indoor
- outdoor
- waterfront
- beer garden
- alfresco
Dietary Options Supported
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Low Gluten
- Low Dairy
Nearby Landmarks
- Apollo Bay – The hotel is on the main street
- Great Ocean Road – Runs past the door
- Great Otway National Park – Behind the town
- Marriners Lookout – Above Apollo Bay
- Cape Otway Lightstation – South-west along the coast
- Twelve Apostles – West along the Great Ocean Road
- Lorne – East along the coast
On Site Accommodation
- Hotel rooms on site, plus the Apollo Bay Motel opposite
Price Notes
- FOOD IS PRICED BY THE PLATTER, NOT PER HEAD, WHICH IS WHY price_per_head IS NULL. From the 2026 Function Pack: 'Cheeseburger Spring Rolls | $175 per platter', 'Arancini | $135 per platter', 'Mini Beef Pies | $115 per platter', 'Warm churros | $105 per platter', 'Sticky date pudding | $100 per platter', 'Wings | $90 per platter', 'Dumpling | $90 per platter', 'Mac and Cheese Croquettes | $75 per platter', 'Samosas | $75 per platter', and 'PIZZA PLATTERS $90 PER PLATTER | (4 PIZZAS CUT INTO 8 SLICES)'. No platter yield is stated in guests, so a per-head figure cannot be derived from them without guessing.
- BEVERAGE PACKAGES ARE PRICED PER PERSON BY TIER AND DURATION: 'Standard Package 2hrs - 46pp | 3hrs - 59pp | 4hrs - 72pp. Premium Package 2hrs - 57pp | 3hrs - 70pp | 4hrs - 84pp. Deluxe Package 2hrs - 68pp | 3hrs - 81pp | 4hrs - 94pp.' All three tiers include 'ALL TAP BEER & CIDER' and 'NON-ALCOHOLIC Assorted Soft Drinks & Juices'; the wine list lengthens with each tier, and the Deluxe adds Chandon Blanc de Blancs, Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir and a 1500ml magnum rose. 'Wine is subject to availability. An alternative will be offered in these cases.'
- ADD-ONS AND THEIR MINIMUMS: 'SPIRITS UPGRADE Available to add to all beverage packages, minimum 20 guests, $28pp.' 'COCKTAIL ON ARRIVAL Available to add to all beverage packages, minimum 20 guests, $14pp.' 'MORNING OR AFTERNOON TEA - $25PP' for a coffee station with scones, slices and fruit. A bar tab on consumption or a cash bar are both offered as alternatives to a package.
- EVERY SPACE IS SEMI-PRIVATE, NOT EXCLUSIVE. All six spaces are labelled 'Semi-private' on the venue's own space filter, and the Casino Room Alfresco is explicitly sectioned with bollards and has 'Shared Bar and toilets'. Only the Bistro is described as hireable 'exclusively', and even then 'with the option of including the use of a private bar (depending on availability)'. Worth confirming what exclusivity a wedding actually gets.
- THE FUNCTION PACK IS CURRENT DESPITE ITS FILENAME. The file is named 'Editable_-APO_Function-Pack_Jan25-1.pdf' and titled 'Editable_ APO_Function Pack_Jan25', which reads as January 2025 - but its Canva CreationDate and ModDate are both 15 May 2026 and the HTTP Last-Modified is 15 May 2026, making it two and a half months old at harvest. The filename is stale, the document is not. A separate Conference Pack sits at /wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ and was not used.
- THE HOTEL TRADES WHILE YOU CELEBRATE: 'Trading Hours Monday - Sunday 11:30am - late. Kitchen Hours Sunday - Thursday 11:30am - 2:30pm // 5pm - 8:30pm, Friday - Saturday 11:30am - 2:30pm // 5pm - 9pm.' The venue also runs a courtesy bus, a loyalty program and a sister property, the Apollo Bay Motel.
- NO VENUE HIRE FEE IS PUBLISHED for any of the six spaces - the pack prices food and beverage but not room hire, and the site directs enquiries to the function team.
Price Per Head
Venue Capacity
- Up to 150
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