But something is changing along Five Islands Road and it's not the view of the steelworks.

In a transformation potentially worthy to rival The Block finale, the Cringila Hotel is morphing from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.

It's set to welcome families and sports fans, as well as its regulars keen for an amber ale though stepping inside will be like stepping into a completely different venue, we're told.

The 64-year-old building is saying goodbye to the dingy yellow facade and sticky floor, along with its name and tagline "daddy daycare".

In about three weeks patrons will say "hello" to a newly renovated Five Islands Hotel with new entrance, new bistro, an indoor/outdoor sports bar, new fixtures and colour scheme.

In March 2017, property sales data show the venue was sold for $1.1 million.

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It's now owned by the Oscars Hotels group who also have the trendy Pepe's On The Beach, The Port Darling Harbour, The Belvedere Hotel, Annandale Hotel, Towradgi Beach Hotel and Novotel North Beach in their stable.

Oscars' Special Projects Manager Sarah Tucker said it was an attractive purchase due to being in a growing community and in a residential area.

Despite a complete makeover, Ms Tucker said the hotel was moving into a new era "whilst still being the cornerstone of the area".

The carpark has also been leveled to increase capacity from a handful of vehicles to more than 50, "making it Wollongong's newest destination venue".

It's no secret the Crini Pub - also known at the Cringila Village Inn or South Pacific Hotel - has enjoyed a colourful past throughout the years.

But so did The Glasshouse which was polished into Mr Crown, and the Illawarra Hotel which reopened in June after extensive renovations.

"It will still be similar to an industrial feel because it's across the road from the steelworks, but a warm industrial feel and still capturing families," Ms Tucker said.

"The refurbishment of this venue means we will be able to inject more employment opportunities for the area."

The revised version will also see the entrance moved to where the bottle shop was, multiple screens to watch multiple sport from various corners of the globe, a new-look beer garden, VIP area and updated hotel rooms.

The last major update to the premises was by previous licensee Robert Grisilo. During the mid-2000s the Mercury reported he injected close to $1 million into the pub to ensure "the cafe latte set was counted among his clientele".

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