A trio of accommodation and hospitality assets in the World-Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest region is to be listed for sale this month as part of a strategy shift by the Morris family’s Northern Escape Collection.
The renowned Daintree Ecolodge, Red Mill House Bed & Breakfast and Daintree Village Hotel are being offered individually or in one line through CBRE Hotels’ Wayne Bunz and Hayley Manvell.
The offering comes amid growing demand for boutique and sustainable accommodation offerings within highly sought-after visitor destinations.
The Daintree Ecolodge is one of Australia’s most highly decorated, eco-friendly accommodation offerings. Situated on an expansive 6.57 ha freehold site, the property features 15 luxurious freestanding villas.
Part of the Northern Escape Collection since 2013, the asset offers a range of facilities, including the Julaymba Restaurant &Bar, a wellness spa, pool and sun deck. Guests are also provided with various unforgettable experiences, including an elevated rainforest boardwalk, waterfall trail and indigenous cultural immersions.
Also included in the sale, is a 5.39 hectare vacant parcel of land adjoining the Ecolodge with approvals in place for the development of an additional 10 units.
Northern Escape Collection founder Chris Morris said, “While Daintree Ecolodge has delivered countless memorable experiences to guests of the Collection, the strategy for the group has shifted towards super-elevated, luxury experiences such as those delivered at Orpheus Island Lodge, Mount Mulligan Lodge and an ultra-luxury experience that the group is set to launch toward the end of 2023 on Pelorus Island.”
Mr Morris said Northern Escape Collection and its parent company, Morris Group, would continue to reinvest in its luxury tourism portfolio, which includes superyacht business Morris Nautical, which features M.Y. Beluga and M.Y. Flying Fish operating out of Port Douglas, and M.Y. Northern Escape operating out of the Mediterranean.
Other strategically aligned acquisitions will also be considered to complement the group’s luxury tourism portfolio.
In the interim, Daintree Ecolodge, Red Mill House Bed & Breakfast and Daintree Village Hotel, are being offering for sale to capitalise on investor demand for north Queensland accommodation offerings.
CBRE’s Mr Bunz noted, “More and more, we are seeing tourists seek out sustainable yet high-quality eco-tourism experiences within Australia. As a result, we expect interest and enquiry throughout this campaign to be strong from a variety of investment sources looking to gain a significant foothold in the industry via the Daintree Ecolodge.”
The portfolio of assets also includes the Red Mill House Bed & Breakfast and Daintree Village Hotel & General Store, both of which are located within Daintree Village.
The Red Mill House B&B is situated on a 6,070sqm freehold land parcel and is currently closed to provide staff accommodation for the Daintree Ecolodge. The 3.5-star asset comprises two double storey, 20th-century timber Queenslander buildings, providing eight accommodation rooms, outdoor and indoor living areas, a kitchen and swimming pool.
The Daintree Village Hotel and General Store is currently only operating for alcohol sales and post office services. It comprises a full commercial licence, bar, restaurant and bottle shop, with the general store providing basic grocery sales and the store acting as the village’s Australia Post out let and courier collection point.
Over the property’s large 2,023sqm freehold landholding, there is an additional three-bedroom owner’s residence, three walk-in cold rooms, a walk-in freezer and further vacant land.
Ms Manvell said, “This portfolio provides prospective investors with a substantial opportunity to acquire three assets within the Daintree’s highly constrained and tightly held accommodation and hospitality market. The incoming owners will be acquiring high quality, established and well-renowned assets that have significant long-term development, repositioning and branding upside with strong economy of scale benefits.”
The assets will be sold via an Expressions of Interest campaign closing mid-June 2023 (unless sold prior).
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