Iconic Eimeo Pacific Hotel in Mackay facing demolition
One of the most popular hotels on the north Queensland coast is likely to be demolished to make way for a large-scale development when it is sold, its agents say.
The Eimeo Pacific Hotel has been operating on the site since 1915 and has been owned by the same family for more than 70 years. The restaurant and bar complex is 13 kilometres from the centre of Mackay and offers stunning views of the Whitsunday Coast and foreshore.
It is currently owned and run by Donald Stayte and his wife Darlene, who have been overseeing the restaurant for nearly 10 years and have now decided to put it on the market through Power Jeffrey & Co.
The hotel is being pitched at developers rather than publicans and comprises nearly 2 hectares of prime beachfront land, agent Peter Power said.
The pub is on 2 hectares of prime beachfront land with views to the Whitsundays. Photo: Supplied
“I believe that eventually the hotel would be demolished in order to put together a high-end tourist development there,” he said.
“It’s not your average pub. There’s a very substantial holding income from that business but because of the very attractive zoning on the property it allows for very diverse redevelopment of the land.”
The redevelopment could be for high quality resort-style accommodation or a residential site, Mr Power said.
The current hotel is very popular among locals, and was voted the best pub in Mackay in 2015.
The hotel is one of the most popular watering holes in Mackay. Photo: Supplied
“They see Eimeo Pub as being an icon in Mackay, and it attracts a lot of tourists because it is pretty special when you get up there at night looking over the water. It’s a beautiful location,” Mr Power said.
The owner is currently seeking expressions of interest, with no asking price or price guide available.
Mr Power said the owners were choosing to sell now because of personal reasons.
“The operator on site is over 60 and he and his wife run it on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
“They’re just at a point where they’d like to retire. I don’t believe there’s anyone else in the family that’s in the position to take it on. That’s really their reason for wanting to try to move it on and let someone take it to another level.”
The property where the hotel now sits has a long history, and was first purchased by timber merchant Jeremiah Armitage in the 1870s. Mr Armitage used much of the site to grow fruit, and the heritage-listed mango trees still remain.
The hotel has been owned by the same family for 70 years. Photo: Supplied
He opened a boarding house on the site in April 1880 and it quickly became a leading tourist attraction for Mackay. But in October 1890 Mr Armitage was declared insolvent and the property was handed over to Queensland National Bank.
It changed hands numerous times over the next 40 years until the land was bought by Lavinia Walters – the current owner’s grandmother – in 1932, who rebuilt it.
The hotel went to auction mid last year but failed to sell. Mr Power said this was because the sale was angled more at hoteliers than developers.
“We’re aiming it more at the developer types rather than straight out publicans because they probably won’t be prepared to pay a price that the property really deserves.”
It is yet to receive any formal expressions of interest, but Mr Power is hopefull a buyer will be found.
“It’s a bit unique and we didn’t expect we were going to get knocked over in a rush,” he said.
“With these sort of properties you might get a limited amount of interest but that interest is coming from the right sort of people. We’re hopeful that we’ll get some good solid interest from a small number of people.”
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