Feros family sells Peakhurst Inn to Sonnel Hospitality for $60 million
A Sydney pub dynasty has offloaded a landmark south Sydney venue in a deal that again highlights the momentum driving Australia's hotel transaction market.
JDA Collective, the vehicle through which siblings John and Dean Feros and Alexandra Henderson manage their hospitality interests, has sold The Peakhurst to Sonnel Hospitality for approximately $60 million. M3 Property research says the transaction pushes the national tally of pub sales so far this year to more than $898 million, close to triple the $310 million recorded over the same period in 2024.
This wasn’t an easy decision for the Feros family.
"We're from the St George, Hurstville area. We've had pubs in that region for a long time, and that's one of the reasons why we originally bought The Peakhurst," JDA Collective's John Feros told the AFR. "For those reasons, it was hard to leave. [But] we're really happy that Sonnel has taken it on. It's an amazing venue, and it went beyond what we thought it would do in food and beverage, solid gaming asset."
JDA acquired The Peakhurst about a decade ago for $22.5 million from the Australian Pub Fund, the $300 million vehicle backed by John Singleton and Geoff Dixon, before undertaking a full rebuild of the property in 2020. Sitting on a substantial 5,800 square metre landholding in the suburb of Peakhurst, the venue encompasses a large sports bar, children's play area, 11 hotel rooms and 30 gaming machines.
The divestment follows the family's $70 million acquisition of the Bexley North Hotel in May, signalling a deliberate portfolio repositioning rather than a withdrawal from the market.
JDA Collective traces its origins to 1971, when John and Dean's father Theodore Feros and uncle Nick Feros purchased a Newtown hotel together. The business has since expanded across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, and operates independently of Feros Group, which is led by Nick's side of the family.
In August last year, the siblings added the Crystal Palace Hotel for around $35 million and The Northside Hotel in Albury for approximately $27 million, both acquired from fund manager Harvest Hospitality.
The incoming owner, Sonnel Hospitality, is led by Simon Meers, who founded the company under the name Nelson Meers Group. Sonnel's growing portfolio already includes North Sydney's Firehouse Hotel, the Guildford Hotel, New Victoria Tavern in Wetherill Park and the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, which changed hands for around $160 million in 2022 in what remains the largest pub transaction in Australian history.
Chief operating officer Tim Fitzgerald said The Peakhurst aligned squarely with Sonnel's acquisition criteria.
"Peakhurst Hotel is exactly the type of all-occasion venue we look for when considering opportunities to grow the Sonnel portfolio," Fitzgerald said. "It already plays an important role within the local community and has a strong foundation across food and beverage, accommodation and entertainment. What excites us most is the opportunity to build on that foundation and continue evolving the venue in a way that reflects what local guests want from their local pub."
The transaction was brokered by HTL Property's Dan Dragicevich and Andrew Jolliffe, who pointed to the deal as further evidence of the pub sector's resilience in the face of broader economic headwinds.
"Transaction volumes are up on the same period last year, despite well-documented headwinds both domestically and abroad," Dragicevich said. "This activity underscores the resilient investment fundamentals of a robust asset class, which continues to attract strategic capital in any cycle."
Jonathan Jackson, 15th June 2026
