Sale of the Lansdowne HotelSale of the Lansdowne Hotel The Lansdowne Hotel, situated at the junction of Sydney’s CBD and Chinatown, has been acquired by a new owner. The sale was finalized in late 2023, though the new ownership was only recently announced. Throughout its history, the Lansdowne Hotel has established itself as a notable live music venue in Sydney. Julian Romero, the new tenant, has partnered with the new owners on several initiatives in Melbourne. A New Concept While Preserving Live Music Upon taking over the lease in April, Romero introduced The Happy Mexican concept from Melbourne. Under the guidance of Mexican chef Jesus Rios, the Lansdowne now offers a menu centered around birria tacos, burritos, and shared dishes. The beverage selection includes margaritas, palomas, and mezcalitos, along with draft beers. While The Happy Mexican’s restaurant concept is being integrated, Romero emphasizes that the Lansdowne will continue to function as a live music pub. He values the venue’s long-standing commitment to local and rising artists. Demand for Inner-City Hotels Recent pub sales in central Sydney include the Light Brigade Hotel in Paddington, acquired by Laundy Hotels, and The Unicorn Hotel in April, acquired by JDA Hotels. Industry experts cite strong demand for inner-city hotels, driven by factors such as potential repositioning and refurbishment opportunities. Phase three tax breaks and a stabilizing rate cycle are also contributing to a positive outlook for the hotel sector.
The famous Lansdowne Hotel, on the edge of Sydney’s CBD, is under new ownership. The sale took place at the end of 2023, but has only just been announced.
Located at the entrance to Sydney’s southern CBD and Chinatown, the Lansdowne Hotel has a long and storied history as one of Sydney’s premier live music venues, including most recently managed by Marys Group.
The Group did not renew the lease in 2022 and the building’s owner put it on the market in mid-2023. The identity of the new owner has not been disclosed, says new tenant Julian Romero Australian hotelier in April that he has been working with the new owners on a number of projects on projects in Melbourne.
The highly competitive sales process was handled by Sam Handy, Andrew Jolliffe and Blake Edwards of HTL Property, in collaboration with Stefan Ippolito of IB Property.
The Lansdowne is surrounded by some of the largest mixed-use urban renewal redevelopments – including the $2 billion Frasers Central Park precinct – and by numerous demand drivers, exemplified by the adjacent Broadway Shopping Centre, RPA Hospital and UTS.
The four-storey hotel boasts an extensive trading footprint, with outdoor spaces including a recently approved rooftop beer garden. The hotel also has a 5am liquor license and a rare extended trading license on the first floor. The location also has an approved capacity of 480 customers at a time.
“Whilst institutionally popular as a live entertainment venue, the Lansdowne Hotel’s distinct scale lends itself favorably to the further and regular activation of several other levels, most notably the expansive rooftop beer garden,” Handy said.
New concept, but still a pub with live music
The leasehold was taken over in April by Romero, who brought his The Happy Mexican concept from Melbourne. With Mexican chef Jesus Rios at the helm, The Lansdowne now serves a menu that revolves around birria tacos, burritos and shared plates; while the drinks menu focuses on Margaritas, Palomas and Mezcalitos, in addition to draft beer.
While bringing The Happy Mexican’s restaurant concept to Sydney, Romero stated that The Lansdowne would still operate as a live music pub.
“I really love the whole culture around music and performances, and everything that’s going on regarding local and emerging artists, everything that the Lansdowne has been founded to do for years,” Romero said.
“At the Lansdowne, people didn’t even know it was still open for many reasons. I think it fits very well with our culture at The Happy Mexican, we will integrate it all together, and this time make sure everyone knows we are open, and that music events are still happening at Sydney’s iconic venue.”
There is a lot of demand for hotels in the city center
The Light Brigade Hotel in Paddington is another recent pub sale on the city’s edge, with Bayfield Hotel Group selling the pub to Laundy Hotels. Nearby, JDA Hotels acquired The Unicorn Hotel in April.
“We are working discreetly with several sub-bidders from both this (The Lansdowne) and the Light Brigade Hotel campaign, who are looking for inner city hotels that showcase strong existing businesses and deliver benefits through repositioning, refurbishment and refurbishment,” said Handy.
Jolliffe added: “We are heartened by the traction that the recent sale of the Light Brigade Hotel has enjoyed and by the market depth for inner city hotels such as The Lansdowne and others we work with outside the market.
“The impending phase three tax breaks, a rate cycle that has been rising at a declining pace for six months and represents a macro change in the fiscal rhythm, linked to the sale of numerous hotels nationally and which have yet to be made public; To us, all of this strongly points to a strengthening of sentiment from key players in the wider hotel sector.”
