Tower Estate, one of Australia’s most iconic and luxurious wine country escapes, has been listed for sale on behalf of local winemakers the Hope family.

Opened in 1999 by the late industry legend Len Evans AO, Tower Estate offers the region’s best in hospitality, with two distinctive and recently renovated operations – the luxurious Tower Lodge and the Tower Whiskey Distillery.

The property, owned by Michael and Karen Hope, occupies an expansive 16.1ha landholding in the heart of the Hunter Valley, comprising 14 recently renovated and luxuriously appointed suites.

It features a range of world-class guest facilities including the Tower Lodge Restaurant, a private event space and a wellness amenity with a secluded swimming pool and sauna.

Also included in the property is the Tower Estate Whiskey Distillery, which opened in 2023, serving up the region’s finest whiskey.

“It’s with mixed emotions that Karen and I have decided to sell Tower Lodge. It holds a very special place in our hearts having originally been our family home, then putting our blood, sweat and tears into the renovation and relaunch into the luxury accommodation sector,” Michael Hope said.

“We’re looking forward to enjoying the next chapter of our lives and are excited to hand the property on to the new owner so they can build on the foundation we’ve created and grow the business to its fullest potential.”

CBRE Hotels’ Tom Gibson and Nick Hill are exclusively managing the sale via an international Expressions of Interest campaign closing Wednesday, April 30.

“Tower Estate presents an opportunity to secure the most luxurious and centrally located hotel in Australia’s most visited wine region, offering diversified income streams across accommodation, events, and food and beverage operations. There is also an opportunity to scale the business via a room expansion and business repositioning,” Mr Gibson said.

“Following its 1998 opening, Tower Estate quickly earned a reputation as one of Australia’s premier hospitality destinations and closest luxury escapes to Sydney. This has been further enhanced by a $6 million renovation of Tower Lodge in 2022,” Mr Gibson added.

An additional 10 stand-alone vineyard suites or 20 hotel rooms could be added to the estate subject to the relevant planning approvals.

CBRE’s Mr Hill noted, “We expect widespread interest from domestic and international investors given the property’s highly strategic location in the heart of the Hunter Valley amid forecasts that the region’s economy will grow 75% by 2036, underpinned by record private and public investment.”

Mr Hill said the property was being offered with vacant possession, providing the flexibility for an incoming purchaser to implement operational strategies for the lodge and further activate the whiskey distillery to capitalise on its prominent Hunter Valley location.