Comiskey Group director Rob Comiskey spoke to Australian Hotelier for the 2025 Annual Industry Leaders Forum about upcoming plans for the group.
For Comiskey Group, 2024 was a year marked by growth and continued momentum. Despite the cost-of-living pinch, the group’s portfolio was resilient to economic pressures, and the group continued to invest in sustainable long-term growth.
Comiskey Group director Rob Comiskey stated: “I don’t know whether it’s because we’re continuing to reinvest constantly, but we’re not seeing that [consumer spending downturn]. We’re seeing fresh sets of people coming through, our food hasn’t seen a dip, our retail’s holding up, gaming’s going strong and accommodation’s going strong.”
One of the biggest projects of the year was the overhaul of the Imperial Hotel in Eumundi, and the first of three stages of renovation was unveiled in September.
“The unveiling of the Imperial Hotel was really rewarding. You hope that you’re doing the right thing, and when you get to the end, you always hope it’s going to live up to the concept you had in your head, and I was really happy with the way it came up in the end,” stated Comiskey.
“The way we embraced the heritage and built upon that was really impressive to me, and so we’re really looking forward to the next stage of development which is a big one. We’re redoing the beer garden, plus installing a kids’ arcade and an Asian fusion restaurant upstairs. We’ve probably got another 60 per cent of the hotel to open towards the middle of the year.”
Comiskey is proud to have honoured the pub’s 112-year history, and since the reopening patrons have shared a similar sentiment.
“They saw the amount of effort we put in to embrace the heritage of the development rather than just ignore it. We went and got hundreds of photos, not only from the hotel but the surrounding area, and featured them on the walls as part of the artwork throughout the development. People read the walls, they see the history, and how we’ve embraced it.”
In the year ahead, large-scale renovations will remain the focus for Comiskey Group. Pending planning approvals, the group hopes to push forward with eight projects, including works on the Aura Hotel and The Doonan, both on the Sunshine Coast, and the Dakabin Hotel in the Moreton Bay region.
Construction underway at The Country Club Hotel
One of the major projects for Comiskey Group in 2025 is The Country Club Hotel at the group’s Strathpine development, designed to cater to a diverse range of recreational and entertainment needs.
“As always, we don’t try and do a cookie cutter build, but this one’s quite different to our other hotels. Throughout 4000sqm it’s got eight lanes of bowling, an arcade, an American sports bar, four karaoke rooms, two pickleball courts, two shuffleboard courts and two half basketball courts,” explains Comiskey.
“It’s not too far from one of our other developments in Eaton Hills, but we didn’t want to recreate the same thing. It’s a different style of hotel that’s entertainment based.”
Expected to open in 2026, the $50m Country Club Hotel mega-complex will honour the family’s long history of operating sporting facilities in Strathpine, which includes the opening of Australia’s first indoor skate park in 1988.
Although the venue celebrates the Comiskey family’s sporting roots, its name is a nod to the beloved Country Club Hotel pub that was built in Strathpine in the 1950s.
Director David Comiskey recalls: “My first job back in the day was at the old Country Club, working at the liquor barn. The original Country Club Hotel was demolished about 15-to-20 years ago, but it stood for around 20-to-25 years before that. Anyone from the area would know of it.
“We wanted to honour one of Strathpine’s most beloved past locals, which is why we’ve named the new venue The Country Club Hotel. It really is a full circle moment for me; from stocking shelves at the old Country Club to owning the hotel that commemorates it.”
With construction underway, locals can expect an immersive sports experience from basketball courts to a mega HD screen showing FoxSports live. The pub will also provide a platform for live music on its outdoor beer garden stage.
Located at 90 Gympie Road, The Country Club Hotel is one of many family friendly offerings at the new site, sitting adjacent to a Guzman y Gomez food precinct and a 6000sqm Area 51 indoor play centre.