JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group has been exclusively appointed to sell the absolute waterfront ‘Shaws Bay Hotel and Fenwick House’, East Ballina, less than 25 minutes from Byron Bay and offered for the first time in nearly 30 years with $30 million+ price expectations.

After fielding numerous unsolicited approaches, the long-time private owners have decided to divest the asset amidst the burgeoning demand for hotels and commercial opportunities in the tightly held greater Byron Bay and North coast regions.

The ‘Shawsy’, as it is referred to, lies at the picturesque entrance to the explosive East Ballina growth corridor which has seen the emergence of large new masterplanned communities such as the ‘Aureus’ development, linking the area to Lennox. Ballina is experiencing extraordinary population growth, currently estimated to be growing at 5% since the onset of COVID as Sydney and Melbourne residents relocate families to the sought-after north coast in droves. Ballina Gateway Airport has seen huge growth in arrivals and the centre is bursting with infrastructure, commercial and residential development. One the busiest regional airports in Australia, Ballina Byron Gateway Airport has seen passenger numbers more than double in the past five years and are expected to surpass 700,000 in the short term with up to 14 services a day at its peak, underpinning the recent $10 million upgrade.

Adjacent to the Shawsy is the spectacular Fenwick House built in 1886 by Lord Fenwick and considered the best example of opulent Victorian Italianate architecture in the region. Meticulously presented and genuinely captivating in its presence. Fully restored to its former glory, entry through huge cedar double doors take you into an entrance hall tiled in traditional black and white checked marble and a jaw-dropping carved English mahogany staircase that ascends through an arch to the second storey. The building would ideally lend itself to a myriad of value-add operating opportunities including a unique boutique hotel, much-needed coworking or commercial office uses in an undersupplied growing market or breathtaking wedding and function space uses for example. (STCA).

Combined, the Shaws Bay Hotel and Fenwick House reside on over 6,500sqm of site area with an attractive B1 Neighbourhood Centre zoning with absolute water frontage, believed to be the only hotel in New South Wales with a title that actually extends to the beach and waterline.

North coast hotels have enjoyed unprecedented prominence in recent times with the sale of the Beach Hotel Byron Bay for $104 million, the Great Northern hotel and Lateen premises for circa $80 million, the Lennox Hotel for $40 million and with mooted $60 million offers being rejected for the Pacific Hotel in Yamba. Long known to hoteliers, equity markets and the broader investment community have now identified these assets as irreplaceable and are exalting their trading approvals and locations which can never be replicated. The Shaws Bay Hotel and Fenwick House are considered the last north coast NSW hotel that may be available foreseeably, with all others having recently transacted, or being generationally held, especially proximate to Byron Bay.

The Shaws Bay Hotel and Fenwick House precinct is situated less than 25 minutes’ drive by the new improved coastal road from Byron Bay where the laid-back township has seen an explosion of Hollywood celebrity, sports stars and muso pilgrimages with many becoming residents. From Matt Damon to Miley Cyrus, Chris Hemsworth to Margot Robbie, it has rapidly become the global “go to” destination highlighted by its monthly music, arts and culture festivals and more recently the filming of multiple movies and Netflix series, jettisoning the region into further international prominence.

The campaign will be managed by JLL Managing Director John Musca, along with Vice President Kate McDonald and with the full support of the JLL’s capital markets and international platforms.

“This is a quite remarkable asset like no other nationally, offering an absolute waterfront location, huge outdoor beachfront beer garden areas and so much scope to integrate Fenwick House and the hotel into a real ‘precinct’ hospitality offering the likes of which does not exist anywhere in the region presently - you can safely say it can never, ever be replicated”, Musca said.

“Whether you’ve made your fortune in mining, software, property or another asset class, there simply cannot be a better way to create a legacy, have a place for your family and friends and make a generational imprint, than by owning the Shaws Bay Hotel and Fenwick House”, Musca suggested.

National and international Expressions of Interest will be sought with bids closing Tuesday 23 November.

To request a copy of the Information Memorandum please contact one of the marketing agents via the contact details below.

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