Justin Hemmes' Merivale buys Enmore's Vic on the Park hotel

Justin Hemmes' Merivale buys Enmore's Vic on the Park hotel
Staff ReporterDecember 7, 2020

Hospitality group Merivale has snapped up Vic on the Park Hotel in Sydney's Inner West, adding to its pub portfolio.

The deal value was not known immediately, but is estimated to be between $22 million-$25 million.

The latest transaction follows another hotel deal by the Justin Hemmes-led Merivale in August.

Sydney's beachfront Collaroy Hotel was bought by the Merivale group in an off-market sale, with market chatter putting the deal at around $21 million.

The Vic on the Park is Merivale's second pub in the area after Hemmes' purchase of the Queen Victoria hotel on Enmore Road in 2015, according to the goodfood website.

"We have a self-imposed mandate to grow this wonderful business both deliberately and responsibly, and wherever we see property backed opportunities for us to create unique experiences for our loyal client base" said Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes in a media release.

The Vic on the Park Hotel is a large format, 1,247 sqm hotel site on the corner of Addison Road and Enmore Rd in Sydney's Marrickville. 

It has 25 electronic gaming machines and the venue generates more than $7.46 million in annual sales.

“Vic on the Park has long been at the heart of Marrickville, a vibrant community hub where people of all ages and walks of life can come together”. “We have loved being part of the Inner West since opening Queens last year and can’t wait to take on what is undoubtedly an important and cherished venue in the area” Hemmes concluded. 

The hotel was sold by the Australian Pub Fund (APF), the seventh such sale of an A-grade freehold hotel by the Carnegie, Singleton and Dixon private equity joint venture vehicle over the past 12 months. 

Ray White and CBRE were running the international expressions of interest campaign closing September 28.

"We employed a strategic and very public sales campaign involving both national print and digital media levers, and the response was consistent with our expectations for an A-grade property holding of this commercial complexion" said Ray White Hotels' Andrew Jolliffe. 

"Our guidance throughout the campaign was between $22m and $25m, and that is ultimately what we achieved for our client," he said. 

CBRE Hotel's Daniel Dragicevich added that the mixed development momentum within the precinct the hotel is situated generated lot of enquiries from hoteliers and developers. 

The Vic was part of their Australian Pub Fund portfolio, a private equity group currently exiting strategic hotel investments to recycle equity, goodfood said.

The APF also sold Newtown's Marlborough Hotel to Matt Moran and Bruce Solomon's Solotel group in April.

The Vic is popular for its live music, sports, bistro dining and a carpark that hosts outdoor gigs, record fairs and even the odd basketball game.

Merivale will receive the keys to the Vic on November 13. The pub will trade as per usual.

 

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