Mario's Palace Hotel

Our Members Say

 Mario Celetto purchased the hotel in 1973 and in 1979 he bought paint, brushes and scaffolding and painted Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus' on the second floor ceiling - about 50 ft above the ground.

Rightly proud of his work, Mario then wanted more paintings to match, so in 1980 he put a $1000 reward into the Local Newspaper for anyone who could match his own painting.

An Aboriginal man answered the call, for what was to be an interesting relationship with Mario. He would paint a particular panel or two and then go walkabout - when he needed more money, he would return and paint some more panels until about four years later the pub walls were covered in landscapes, skies, and water on every wall and ceiling...

Inside, the bar is a large dark room, its decor a throwback from the 70's, clashing with vivid murals all around the walls.

Walk into the foyer of the two-story pub with and you'll see murals in all the primary colours covering every flat place, including underneath the staircase itself - it seems no space has been wasted in this artistic endeavour!

Of to one side of the foyer is an office, a large room made much smaller by the dozens of stuffed birds and bric-a-brac taking up every spare space.

In the dining room a mural of a naked woman looks down from the ceiling, although she is modestly covered by a piece of cloth that dangles down, apparently at the request of some religious diners.

Although we didn't stay here, apparently waking up in their bedrooms is a new experience, as one awakens to a blue sky and clouds painted on the ceiling.

These days, the pub is run by Marios's son, Maratz Celetto.

When we visited we were fortunate to meet Mario himself and after enjoying a chat over a few beers, I was allowed to roam the hotel taking snaps (See Travelogue!). 

5 members live in Broken Hill