Townsville Strand top-floor commercial space listed for $890k
Dating back to the 1970s, this retro hotel has served travellers to Townsville for decades, and now, its top floor overlooking the water is on the market for $890,000.
Occupying level 14 at 75-77 The Strand in North Ward, the 497-square-metre property once housed the restaurant of the former Travelodge hotel. Today, the vacant space presents an opportunity to bring its hospitality roots back to life, or reimagine it as something completely different.
“The former Travelodge Restaurant has attracted a lot of interest due to the spectacular views, however the configuration does not suit conversion to a residential apartment, and ideally should be renovated and brought back online as a restaurant serving both guests and the public,” says Graeme Russell, executive director of Ray White Commercial Townsville.
Its outlook takes in Cleveland Bay and Magnetic Island, alongside Castle Hill, the Port of Townsville and Breakwater Marina, giving a prospective operator a setting that stretches well beyond the beachfront below.
An entire floor above The Strand
The offering is a strata-titled commercial floor within the wider Aquarius complex, which comprises 156 hotel rooms and an in-ground pool.
Two passenger lifts and a goods lift service the former restaurant, providing access for guests and the practical requirements of a commercial operation.
There is potential to convert the top floor into up to 12 studio-style short-term accommodation units, subject to council approval. A restaurant, conference and function venue, or another hospitality concept are also identified as possible directions for the property.
“Essentially we are seeking an experienced restauranteur to buy and renovate the strata,” Russell says, adding that a return to dining would fill a gap in the hotel’s existing offering.
“The Aquarius on the Beach hotel does not offer room service or in-house dining at present, which represents an opportunity.”
From Travelodge to Aquarius
The tower’s history reaches back more than half a century. Construction began in 1966 and was completed in 1972, when the Travelodge became Townsville’s tallest building.
It later operated as part of the Ambassador motel chain before being acquired by a developer and strata titled. The hotel took on the Aquarius on the Beach name in 1993.
The former restaurant is therefore part of a building that has witnessed decades of change along The Strand, from its years as a high-rise hotel to its current operation as an individually owned apartment complex.
At street level, The Strand is central to Townsville’s streetscape. Its 2.2-kilometre beachfront promenade brings together land and sea recreation, while restaurants, bars and cafes line the surrounding precinct.
The foreshore itself underwent a major transformation following damage from Tropical Cyclone Sid in 1998, with the redeveloped Strand opening in 1999.
For the Aquarius property, that setting connects its potential uses upstairs with an established visitor and leisure precinct below.
The CBD, Breakwater Marina and The Ville Resort-Casino are also nearby, placing the former restaurant within reach of the city’s broader accommodation and entertainment offering.
