The Beach Hotel in Byron Bay sold for $140m in May.
A frothy pub market underscored a string of mega deals for landmark Aussie hospitality venues that ushered in new owners in 2025.
The $140m sale of Byron Bay’s Beach Hotel headlined the high profile trades, notching the nation’s second most expensive hotel sale on record.
Businessman Scott Didier, group CEO of Johns Lyng Group, added ‘The Beachie’ to his family’s growing portfolio in the region.
The venue is popular with locals, including Hollywood A-lister Chris Hemsworth, who calls Byron Bay home.
“We are sure it will continue to thrive as a beloved part of the Byron Bay landscape under the guidance of the Didier family,” Redscape Hospitality managing director Chris Unger said when confirming the sale in May.
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![Scott Didier](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Scott Didier is the new owner of the popular venue with locals and visitors alike. Picture: Stuart McEvoy
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In another notable trade, billionaire Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis recently wrapped up a $50m deal for Queensland’s most iconic pub, The Caxton Hotel.
It marks the end of an era for the Farquhar family, which has owned the famous rugby league hotel for 28 years.
The Caxton, first opened in 1864, is a magnet for fans who gather in their thousands around State of Origin clashes before walking to nearby Suncorp Stadium.
The sales highlight the growing popularity of Aussie trophy pubs for family offices and high-net-worth individuals.
JLL reported a notable trend of towards “the outsized role of private capital” in 2025 as transactions volumes in the hotel sector surged above $2 billion.
South of the border, several owners sought to cash in on the strengthening market by calling time on long-held venues.
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NRL fans celebrate NRL Magic Round outside The Caxton Hotel, which has just sold in a$50m deal. Picture: Annette Dew
Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis is the new owner of The Caxton Hotel. Picture: Rohan Kelly
Popular North Geelong watering hole, the Firehouse Hotel, also changed hands in 2025.
Sydney’s landmark Crystal Palace Hotel, across the road from Central Train Station, sold to the Feros family’s JDA Hotels in an off-market deal.
Records show the property traded for $13.5m.
In North Sydney, publican Mark Barry offloaded the Firehouse Hotel after 25 years during which it was converted from a heritage-listed fire station to a favoured watering hole, while The Good Beer Group sold the Union Hotel to Aston Waugh’s Watering Hole Hotels for $22m.
Another Aussie icon, the original Ettamogah Pub, just off the Hume Highway near Albury, is currently on the market for circa $50m – which includes the rights to the brand.
Changes are also afoot in Melbourne’s CBD, where Billionaire Justin Hemmes unveiled his vision for transform a car park into a new high-end entertainment precinct.
Concept plans for Justin Hemmes’ proposed development at 34-60 Little Collins St, Melbourne.
He paid $55m for the eight-storey complex in Little Collins St, a “passion project” where he hopes to creates restaurants, bars, a boutique hotel and skygarden.
“We want to create the most exciting and iconic destination, not only for the city of Melbourne and the people of Melbourne, but an iconic destination within Australia,” he said.
Just a few blocks away, the hospitality group behind Nomad has taken over Guy Grossi’s stable of venues Floretino, The Grill, Cellar Bar, Ombra and Arlechin.
Guy Grossi has sold his famous Melbourne Italian fine-dining restaurant. Picture: Jason Edwards
New owners with an appetite to continue the legacy of Great Ocean Road dining institution Chris’s Beacon Point have also been found.
Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise and gridiron giant Joe Montana are big names who dined at the Skenes Creek eatery, which sold for $3m in July.
Another international dining destination, the Birregurra farm that home’s to the world-renowned Brae restaurant, hit the market in November with $5m price hopes.