Bells Hotel began life in 1874 as Freer's Family Hotel, designed by architect M Hennessy, who was also responsible for the Meagher's Family Hotel on City Road and the Maori Chief Hotel on Moray Street. Publican Annie Bell took over the licence in 1935 and renamed the venue Bells Hotel, a name that stayed with the same family until 2013, making them one of South Melbourne's longest-serving pub license holders. Parts of the original building remain intact, including the slate roof, chimneys and double-hung sash windows, though extensive refurbishment in recent years has transformed the venue into a large-scale entertainment precinct. Ten separate function spaces are available for hire, ranging from the rooftop bar and the all-weather Main Hall with its retractable roof through to the more intimate Hennessy Room and the light-filled garden space known as Lady Kaye, catering for groups from 8 up to 500. A dedicated sports bar with large screens covers everything from the footy and cricket to international rugby, NBA and UFC, and the kitchen runs a straightforward menu of classic pub meals, with weekly specials including Schnitzel Mondays, Burger Tuesdays, Steak Wednesdays and Parma Thursdays, each paired with a drink for $25. Happy hour runs Monday to Friday from 3pm to 6pm. Bells Hotel trades close to around the clock, open every day from 10am until 4am, making it one of the later-trading venues in South Melbourne and a popular stop for major sporting broadcasts that fall outside standard Australian viewing hours.