Epochal Hotels expands Whitsundays footprint with $20.75m acquisition
Images: Epochal Hotels
Sydney-based pub and hospitality group Epochal Hotels has furthered its Whitsundays footrpint, completing its third acquisition in the area despite Chinese mainland visitor numbers remaining below pre-pandemic levels.
Founder and chief executive Glenn Piper, backed by an east-coast private investment syndicate, has secured the Port of Airlie, Cruise Whitsundays Terminal and Marina for $20.75 million from Sentinel Property Group — adding a strategic piece of tourism infrastructure to a portfolio now valued at approximately $300 million across nine hotels stretching from the NSW South Coast to Queensland.
The acquisition comprises a 1,400sqm terminal building on a 1,900sqm site, pontoon infrastructure and a substantial seabed lease marina. The terminal operates under a lease to Cruise Whitsundays — part of the US private equity-backed Journey Beyond Group — running through to 2035, with a further 10-year option available.
Cruise Whitsundays services Hamilton Island and Daydream Island, and will extend connections to Hook Island once the destination is complete — a factor that makes the purchase particularly significant for Piper, who already owns that island.
"We have a vested interest in Hook Island and we thought it provided a more seamless experience," he told The Australian. "The Port of Airlie acquisition creates a seamless link between the mainland gateway and the island destination."
The move consolidates Epochal's growing presence in the region, which also includes the Colonial Palms Motel in Airlie Beach. Piper said regional accommodation was performing strongly despite headwinds from international tourism, with the Airlie Beach area tracking at 75 per cent occupancy — and signalled further acquisitions are on the radar.
"We are fond of the Australian coastal market, we see good appreciation," he said. "The Whitsundays is one of Australia's most spectacular destinations, a tropical paradise that's still just a short flight from major cities. That accessibility gives the region incredible longevity as a tourism market and we think it's something that should continue to be championed both here in Australia and internationally."
Favourable currency conditions are also helping with demand: a weaker Australian dollar makes the region increasingly attractive to European travellers alongside a resilient domestic tourism base.
On the development front, Epochal is pushing ahead with its Hook Island transformation. Since acquiring the island for $11 million in 2022, the group has completed a $2.4 million jetty and will soon begin construction on 39 cabins, an arrival pavilion, two dining venues, wellness spaces and swimming pools — with the island expected to open by 2027. Notably, the cabins will be largely prefabricated off-site to navigate the elevated construction costs common in regional and remote locations.
The Port of Airlie transaction was negotiated by agents from JLL, CBRE and Burgess Rawson. Sentinel Property Group had originally acquired the asset for $15.3 million in 2015.
Piper, who entered hospitality ownership in 2020 following a background in residential property investment, continues to build one of Australia's more distinctive coastal hospitality portfolios — with the Whitsundays clearly central to its next chapter.
Jonathan Jackson, 10th March 2026
