Three hotels in the NSW Southern Tablelands could soon be in new hands. Photo: John Thistleton.
Three mainstays of Goulburn’s pub scene have hit the market.
The Empire Hotel (Auburn Street), Gordon Hotel (Union Street) and Southern Railway Hotel (Sloane Street) are being sold on a leasehold basis.
HTL Property director Blake Edwards said his team had been “overwhelmed” with interest since the campaign launched.
He said the portfolio was a rare chance to acquire multiple assets within a single high-performing regional market.
“You get the opportunity to secure three businesses in close proximity to one another, which will have a lot of synergies, at significantly less than what the cost of a freehold would be,” he said.
Currently, all three are in the Goulburn Pub Group.
It was established by former Olympic and professional boxer Simon Paterson, who bought the three pubs from hotelier Adrian Guest.
Each hotel benefits from long leasehold tenure (with about 28 to 31 years remaining) and valuable band three poker machine entitlements.
HTL Property’s website states the Southern Railway Hotel boasts a restored mid-Victorian architectural facade.
Long-time locals might remember when historic letters and cigarette cards were discovered behind a fireplace one Sunday.
The 1530 sqm landholding is located directly opposite the Goulburn Railway Station, with 18 pub-style rooms and a manager’s residence.
The hotel also has a main bar, bistro, gaming room, private dining area in the renovated horse stable, outdoor beer garden and commercial kitchen.
The Southern Railway Hotel (above) is one of three leasehold hotels up for sale in the Southern Tablelands. Photo: John Thistleton.
The Empire Hotel features a bar, drive-thru bottle shop, as well as nine accommodation rooms and a two-bedroom manager’s unit.
The Gordon Hotel also features accommodation (with space for 14 pub-style rooms), a three-bedroom manager’s residence, an outdoor beer garden, a kids’ playground and a commercial kitchen.
Mr Edwards said the leasehold sale was a chance for an investor to “get a foothold” in the NSW Southern Tablelands in “one neat, little package”.
“I’m familiar with most regional towns in NSW from a pub perspective.
“Overwhelmingly, most of the pubs are owner-occupied. … It’s very rare that there’s a leasehold [opportunity].”
HTL Property’s Ben Kennedy said Goulburn had strong ties across southern Australia.
“Goulburn’s strategic positioning between Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne continues to drive strong and consistent trade, capturing both commuter and intercity traffic.
“When combined with an excellent pub-to-population ratio of approximately one hotel per 4200 residents, the market offers a highly sustainable and compelling environment for long-term hotel investment.”
He also believes the flexibility of the offering will appeal to a broad range of buyers.
“The ability to acquire these assets individually or collectively creates genuine optionality for both private operators and larger groups, with further upside available through operational alignment and targeted capital improvements,” he said.
Inspections are strictly by appointment.
Expressions of interest close at 4 pm on 22 April for all three properties. Find out more information on HTL Property’s website.
