Daintree resort Bloomfield Lodge in search for saviour
One of Australia’s most unique and remote luxury resorts, Bloomfield Lodge in the heart of the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest, is on the market.
The rare opportunity to acquire the Far North Queensland property comes as owner Mike Gooley CBE, chairman of UK travel agency network Trailfinders, looks to rationalise his Australian holdings after his 80th birthday.
Set on 2.9ha of freehold waterfront land about 120km north of Cairns, the resort consists of 17 retreats and is sandwiched between two UNESCO World Heritage sites — the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.
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Previously ranked number one in Forbes Magazine as the World’s Best Remote Hotel, the luxurious Bloomfield Lodge is described as tantamount to being an island on the mainland, as the resort can only be reached by boat.
Guests either drive to the Bloomfield River wharf departure point or fly from Cairns Airport to the Bloomfield Airstrip, located on Mount Louis Cattle Station, and take a coach transfer to the wharf.
Queensland eco-resort Bloomfield Lodge is seeking a new owner.
Clive Abbott, principal of Betta Real Estate, says construction last year of a bridge across the Bloomfield River has improved road access, but all guests and goods must still make the final leg by boat.
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The resort includes 17 timber retreats with sea and rainforest views, a bar and restaurant, pool with lounging pavilions and outdoor hot tub with views across Weary Bay.
All have been maintained to a high standard and are designed to blend in with the natural surroundings.
Lifting occupancy to only 55% would result in a break even scenario, while anything above that would see a profit generated
Due to the potential sale, the resort is currently in “hibernation” after being placed into the hands of caretakers on September 23 last year.
Previously the resort consistently rated as a five-star destination on TripAdvisor and was awarded a 2015 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the fifth year in a row.
Bloomfield Lodge is only accessible by boat or plane.
Gooley has owned the Bloomfield Lodge for 25 years, promoting the unique resort exclusively through his Trailfinders network in the UK and Ireland, “with an occasional Australian newspaper advertisement”, Abbott explains.
“This firm policy has resulted in average occupancy over time of only 45%.”
“Lifting occupancy to only 55% would result in a break even scenario, while anything above that would see a profit generated,” he says.
“The resort has not been marketed to prospective guests through other travel agents, leaving a massive opportunity in Europe, USA and Asia virtually untouched.”
Gooley is also offering to place an amount equivalent to the last two years of Trailfinders’ generated sales in trust, to be drawn upon by a new owner in the event of any shortfall in continuing Trailfinders sales over the next two years.
Abbott is selling Bloomfield Lodge via an expressions of interest campaign, in conjunction with Darren Curtis of Ken Jacobs, which has an exclusive affiliation with Christie’s International Real Estate.
