Comiskey Group director Rob Comiskey reminisced on the highlights and successes of the last decade as Eatons Hill Hotel marks its tenth birthday this month.
In 2010, Comiskey Group set out to create a hotel and pub for all Australians to enjoy. However, what eventuated since officially opening in 2011, could not have been predicted.
Within the last decade the hotel has become well-known for its entertainment offering, housing some of the biggest names in music. With international acts Prince, Ice Cube, Tyga, Rita Ora, Khalid, Jessy J, Good Charlotte, and Post Malone all taking the stage at Eatons Hill.
“Our ultimate success was achieved by our collaborative effort. We must be proud in our success today, I certainly didn’t do it all, we’ve got a great team behind us. They’re dynamic and very experienced and we all worked towards a common goal,” Comiskey reflected.
Once the mega-pub was finished, it housed 7500 sqm internally and three hectares of outdoor entertainment area, making it one of the largest hotels in the southern hemisphere according to Comiskey.
“It has achieved more than we could imagine in our wildest streams. We have now won Best Entertainment Venue in Queensland for the QHA awards nine times and will be in the Hall of Fame for the third time this year which as far as I know, has never been done before. We also won Best Entertainment Venue at the National AHA Awards in 2018 which is great,” he added.
This month it celebrates a decade since opening and will host a small party for family and friends before opening the hotel to a big party to thank everyone for their support.
Reflecting on the unfathomable
Comiskey told Australian Hotelier some of his fondest memories were achieving entertainment heights he never thought possible.
“Just looking back on it I think I never would have imagined we would host so many incredible international acts. You just couldn’t fathom it at the time we opened. It’s just a bit surreal. When you look back it seems like a flash, but then you see how much we have achieved and how much we have grown over that time and it becomes a great legacy over 10 years. One that we’re looking forward to building on going forward.”
A shopping village fit for a hotel
In 2017 and 2018 the hotel took another leap forward to finishing the $45m complex, opening a 90-room, 4.5 star hotel on the property as well as a shopping village that includes a supermarket, bottle shop, pharmacy, hairdresser, barber, café and more.
“The shopping centre launch has gone really well, we’ve got a Woolworths and about 25 shops all together. Between the hotel, accommodation, the pub, and the shopping centre, there are some really good synergies that tie together. And I think it works extraordinarily with how we designed it,” Comiskey said.
Supporting the local community
While Eatons Hill Hotel has become known for its international entertainment, Comiskey believes at its heart is a local business that has contributed to the prominence and success of the community.
“Our entertainment is only one facet of our business. We have extremely strong ties back into the community. We do a lot of sponsorship for the local sporting teams, hosting functions to help them raise money. We also have a local council that support us and recognise we are special and draw people to the region.”
Having achieved so much at the pub in just one decade, patrons and industry peers are no doubt excited to see what Eatons Hill Hotel has in store for the greater community over the next 10 years.
This piece was originally published in the April issue of Australian Hotelier, which you can view below.