JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group is delighted to announce the off-market sale of the Lucky Hotel in Newcastle for circa $20 million to a new entrant into the NSW pub market, Partners Group Australian Head, Martin Scott and family.

As a former live music venue, once popular on the Newcastle pub rock scene, the ‘Lucky Country Hotel’ closed its doors in 2002. After years of sitting idle, a local family-operated property developer, the ‘McCloy Group’ purchased the hotel in 2008 and commenced an extensive restoration and renovation of the striking 150-year-old building. The ‘Lucky Hotel’ re-opened in August 2014 to over 2,000 patrons on day one.

Located two blocks from the impressive and extensive mixed-use development ‘East End’ by Iris Capital, the Lucky sits on an 820sqm corner site, opposite the newly constructed light rail, delivering patrons from broader Newcastle. The hotel includes 17 GMEs, large commercial kitchen, superb indoor/outdoor beer garden, public bar and 30 ensuited hotel suites.

In 2016, sisters Hayley Van de Stadt and Blake Nash (nee McCloy) acquired the Hotel from the Group after being responsible for five (5) AHA Awards for Excellence including ‘Overall Hotel of the Year – Country’.  They have remained at the helm ever since.  

“We have loved our time at the Lucky, and to contribute to the wonderful Newcastle hospitality scene has been an honour, however the time is right for us to focus on our families and let the incoming operator take the hotel to its next chapter” stated Hayley Van de Stadt.

Van de Stadt and Nash appointed JLL Hotels & Hospitality Groups’ Vice President Kate MacDonald and Managing Director John Musca to undertake a discreet process to divest the much-loved asset. Several qualified parties inspected the asset with interest literally “flying in” from Sydney and as far as Melbourne.

“The Lucky Hotel is an outstanding hospitality asset in the heart of the developing East End of Newcastle. Very rarely do you come across such an impeccable building restoration, inclusive of 30 ensuited rooms, with the added benefit of 17 gaming machines” commented MacDonald. “Hayley and Blake have built an iconic Newcastle business, but both with babies on the way, it was the right time to exit, and our purchaser will greatly benefit from their foundations.”

JLL has been at the forefront of the recent Central Coast and Newcastle investment wave which includes the sale of Woy Woy Hotel, the Duke of Wellington in New Lambton, and the Grand Hotel in Newcastle, located less than 1km from the Lucky – over $75m of transactions in 3 months.

In 2021, the JLL National pubs team has recorded 83 transactions for the year, representing over $1 billion of asset sales.

To request a sales analysis please contact the selling agents JLL Hotels & Hospitality Groups’ Vice President Kate MacDonald and Managing Director John Musca via the below contact details.