A five-star Gold Coast wedding venue and unique investment opportunity is expected to draw interest from across the country.
‘Kwila Lodge’ at 5 Boomerang Road, Mudgeeraba is a wedding, events and accommodation venue anchored on a 16,200m2* freehold parcel only 12km from Burleigh Heads, on the doorstep of Springbrook National Park.
According to Kollosche commercial agents Tony and Adam Grbcic, who are marketing the property, the land value alone underpins the investment. Yet, it is the addition of a new 10-year lease, with annual rent increases, alongside rare approval to operate as a “tourist facility” that makes the offering highly attractive to investors.
Kwila Lodge is currently co-owned by Amanda Appel, whose family is behind the luxury wedding and event venue The Bower Estate in the Gold Coast hinterland.
She acquired Kwila Lodge, formerly known as the Eco Studio Fellini, in January 2023, alongside business partners Daniel and Ruggie Ridgeway of restaurant and hospitality group The Ridgeway Group. The vision was to transform the historic property into a luxury events venue, with a much sought-after accommodation component.
Over $2 million was spent on improving the land parcel and refurbishing the main lodge, alongside multiple outbuildings in a project that took six months to complete.
“My business partner Nikki Scarrabelotti and I had been operating The Bower Estate for some years and listening to people’s feedback we found there were a few common denominators,” Ms Appel said.
“People wanted a venue with more infrastructure on-site and in closer proximity to the city. When the Fellini estate came on the market, we knew it was exactly the opportunity we had been looking for and set about creating a sister offering to The Bower Estate,” she said.
“The property is of historical significance to Mudgeeraba in that it was once the old dairy. Our vision was to retain the essence of its original character so when people walk in they feel that connection to the past.
“There are some beautiful historic venues around Australia, but the Gold Coast doesn’t have anything like that, so it was our chance to offer something different to the area. There is certainly nothing else like it.”
Operating successfully for the past 12 months, with weekly event bookings, Ms Appel said deciding to sell had been a difficult one.
"Considering whether to keep it for the long term, or sell it at this point, was an emotional journey. But we figured that if we sold it, it would give us back some equity and frees us up should we want to take on another project. That is the real driver - the business is successful, we believe in it, and we might want to do something again if we find the right property,” Ms Appel said.
Kwila Lodge consists of the main homestead, which houses a large function room with a commercial-grade kitchen and bar able to seat up to 160 guests, and 250 cocktail, with adjacent licensed, loft-style accommodation that sleeps up to up to four people and overlooks stunning grounds with a private pond.
Rounding out the accommodation offered are three self-contained, one-bedroom studios, which each sleep up to four guests, and one two-bedroom, self-contained lodge that sleeps up to eight.
DA approval has also been granted for further accommodation to be built on the site and the main lodge has an approved license to operate a restaurant.
Adam Grbcic said an opportunity of the likes of Kwila Lodge had not come to market in a long time and was unlikely to be repeated.
“The Kwila team have taken what was a very rundown site and turned it into one of the best and most successful wedding venues on the Gold Coast.
“As the future tenant and an established events operator, they will have a vested interest in maintaining the property and ensuring that it continues to succeed, which is highly appealing for an incoming owner,” Mr Grbcic said.
“They will also benefit from a guaranteed income for the coming decade, with a 3% annual rent increase built into the lease, alongside an extremely rare approved “tourist facility” zoning, which opens the property up to a range of future uses.
"Add to this, the value of the land underpinning the investment, and Kwila Lodge is an opportunity that any investor seeking a low-risk, high-return asset to add to their portfolio will not want to miss.”
Mr Grbcic said Kwila Lodge was suited to both local and interstate buyers with the property open to expressions of interest, closing Thursday, 22 August at 2 pm.
