Brisbane pubs called on to add hotel accommodation ahead of 2032 Olympics
Brisbane’s suburban pubs are being called on to play a much bigger role than pouring pints, with the city facing a serious accommodation squeeze in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is encouraging more than 70 large venues across the suburbs to consider major redevelopments that include on-site hotel rooms, helping boost room numbers without relying solely on inner-city builds.
Council’s review found dozens of pubs sitting on sizeable 2,000sqm-plus blocks that could easily support additional floors, new wings or full-scale hotel extensions. The maths is appealing: converting just 20 of these venues could deliver more than 1,600 new rooms into Brisbane’s stretched accommodation market. Iconic pubs such as the Normanby, Regatta, Caxton, Breakfast Creek Hotel and Story Bridge Hotel all appear on the list, alongside breweries like BrewDog.
A Queensland Tourism Industry Council analysis earlier this year warned Brisbane could be short as many as 30,000 hotel rooms when the Games arrive, with a total of 76,000 needed. Council’s new Suburban Pub Stays Strategy, now open for public feedback until February 28, aims to lighten the load by making redevelopment easier through potential planning amendments and faster approvals.
Some operators are already thinking ahead. The Glen Hotel at Eight Mile Plains — home to five function rooms and 43 four-and-a-half-star rooms originally built for the 2014 G20 Summit — is preparing a fresh expansion.
Owner Cathy Fitzgibbons said demand remains strong. “We’re underway with plans at the moment to invest about $30 million plus by the time we’re finished,” she told The Courier Mail. “The Olympics is obviously a catalyst for it. With the city growing, it’s a great moment to give us confidence in dreaming bigger, with the announcement from the council that they will be supporting and fast tracking applications.”
Schrinner believes the idea is more of a revival than a reinvention. “There was a time when suburban pubs across Brisbane had rooms upstairs and we want to bring that back,” he said. “It’s a simple idea that will help provide more places for families and friends to stay, right near the people they love. It will provide more reasons for people to get out and enjoy their own suburb, and deliver more local jobs.”
Beyond the Olympics, industry leaders argue the strategy is essential for Brisbane’s long-term tourism pipeline.
QTIC CEO Natassia Wheeler said the shortfall remains one of the state’s biggest economic constraints. “For several years, QTIC has highlighted the need for diversified accommodation models and smarter planning levers to support sustainable growth ahead of 2032 and beyond,” she said. “The Suburban Pub Stays Strategy is a constructive step in that direction. It creates opportunities for suburban operators to invest with confidence, revitalise under-utilised sites and deliver the rooms our city urgently needs.”
Urban planner Ross Elliott agrees suburban venues are perfectly positioned. “Many suburban pubs have not changed in many years, yet they can occupy large sites capable of providing more local accommodation and function spaces, and can meet some of the Olympics accommodation challenge in the process,” he said.
Queensland Hotels Association CEO Bernie Hogan adds that more rooms in the suburbs simply means guests stay closer to where they need to be. “Whether it is for regular work travel, visiting friends or attending an event – pubs are conveniently placed across our city and we look forward to seeing these city assets add more opportunity and jobs in the hospitality sector,” he said.
SEQ pubs identified for potential redevelopment
Suburban hotels with existing accommodation
- SUNNYBANK HOTEL
- THE BROOK HOTEL MOTEL
- GLEN HOTEL
- CALAMVALE HOTEL MOTEL
- EVERTON PARK HOTEL
- ACACIA RIDGE HOTEL MOTEL
- SALISBURY HOTE
- L INALA HOTEL
- HOTEL COLMSLIE TRADE COAST HOTEL
- QUEENSPORT TAVERN
- WATERLOO BAY HOTEL
- BRIGHTON HOTEL
- HOTEL DIANA
- THE MANLY HOTEL BRISBANE
Suburban hotels without accommodation
- THE GAP TAVERN
- CENTENARY TAVERN
- RUNCORN TAVERN
- NUDGEE BEACH HOTEL
- LUCKY TREE TAVERN
- MANSFIELD TAVERN
- BREWDOG BREWERY
- HOTEL RICHLANDS
- BRACKEN RIDGE TAVERN
- NEWNHAM HOTEL
- CAMP HILL HOTEL
- NORMANBY HOTEL
- JINDALEE HOTEL
- HAMILTON HOTEL
- STAFFORD TAVERN
- HOTEL MONIER
- TINGALPA HOTEL
- BREAKFAST CREEK HOTEL
- OXLEY HOTEL
- HOMESTEAD TAVERN–BOONDALL
- MOUNT GRAVATT HOTEL
- HOLLAND PARK HOTEL
- ASPLEY CENTRAL TAVERN
- BONNY VIEW HOTEL
- KEDRON PARK HOTEL
- REGATTA HOTEL
- CHARDONS HOTEL
- LORD STANLEY HOTEL
- ALDERLEY ARMS HOTEL PRINCE OF WALES HOTEL (NUNDAH)
- ASPLEY HOTEL
- THE FULL MOON HOTEL ON BRAMBLE BAY
- AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL HOTEL WOOLLOONGABBA
- SHAFSTON HOTEL
- NORMAN HOTEL
- PADDINGTON TAVERN
- EDINBURGH CASTLE HOTEL
- BULWER CONVENIENCE STORE
- SLIPSTREAM BREWING COMPANY
- BELLBOWRIE TAVERN
- FOREST LAKE HOTEL
- ALBION HOTEL
- CANNON HILL TAVERN
- THE JUNCTION @ ANNERLEY ROCKLEA HOTEL
- STONES CORNER HOTEL
- CROWN HOTEL LUTWYCHE
- STORY BRIDGE HOTEL
- BRUNSWICK HOTEL (NEW FARM)
- INDOOROOPILLY HOTEL
- ROYAL EXCHANGE HOTEL
- LUCKY STAR TAVERN (SUNNYBANK)
- FERNY GROVE TAVERN
- CASTLEMAINE ST BREWERY
- CAXTON HOTEL
- PALACE BROADWAY
- THE ROYAL HOTEL NUNDAH
Jonathan Jackson, 10th December 2025
