Manly’s Q Station lease up for grabs for between $15m and $20m
The lease on Manly’s Q Station is up for grabs.
Manly’s Q Station looks set to offer a diverse mix of luxury hotel accommodation where guests spend $2000 a night and arrive by water, corporate events and cafes and restaurants that attract a younger crowd.
Interest in the 30ha Sydney Harbour site has been intense, a short-list of businesses wanting a 29-year lease will be drawn up before Christmas and the new owners should be operating in the New Year.
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The property is marketed by Nick Simarro and Andrew Jackson, of HTL Property, and Vasso Zographou and Tom Gibson, of CBRE Hotels.
Mr Gibson said interest has been phenomenal and buyers have lots of different ideas of how they can take the Q station to the next level including operating boats from Manly, Watsons Bay and Circular Quay, building up the wedding market and offering luxury accommodation surrounded by nature at up to $2000 a night.
Q Station Manly.
“How many hotels are on the water with 270 degree views, it could offer high end accommodation where people pay $1000 to $2000 a night for a luxury experience,” he said.
But that might not mean the end of the ghost tours, Mr Gibson said the site was so big there could be many different attractions on offer.
“Buyers are enthused by the opportunities, the scale and the fact it is so special,” Mr Gibson said.
Q Station Manly.
For the past 15 years the lease holders, the Mawland Group, has developed the Q Station on the edge of the National Park on Manly’s North Head into a popular venue, with historic guest cottages, accommodation, conference rooms, restaurants and nightly ghost tours.
Q Station Manly.
Manly MP James Griffin said he hoped the revitalised Q Station could help lead a renaissance in the Manly tourism sector.
“There has been pressure on the Manly tourism sector since the bushfires from the summer before Covid and there has been a real drop off of patronage,” he said.
Q Station Manly.
“One of the issues we have is the need to elevate our hotel offering to compete with the city and to link up with the more mature dining scene in Manly.
Q Station Manly.
“We need to increase our visitor spend. Historically visitors are spending less in Manly than when they are staying in other parts of Sydney. We could create a compelling year round offering where people go to the beach, explore health and wellness and go bushwalking.”
Q Station Manly.
The historic Quarantine station, which was in use until the early 1980s, is under the care of the National Parks and Wildlife Service but a lease is being offered until 2050 for business owners to run Sydney Harbour’s only hotel with its own beach and wharf, five restaurants and bars, 105 guest rooms and 11 meeting and event spaces.
Q Station Manly.
HTL Property said there were multiple operational growth propositions. The entire premises has a liquor license and there are different income streams including educational tours and water sports.
Q Station Manly.
Expressions of interest close on Thursday October 28 and the lease is expected to change hands for $15m to $20m.
