The Hurley Hotel Group has acquired the Barker Hotel in Mount Barker, South Australia.
The Barker Hotel acquisition is in partnership with Adelaide Crows legend, Mark Ricciuto, and Hurley Hotel Group general manager, Sam McInnes, who will also have a share of the new acquisition.
McInnes says that the Barker will complement the Hurley Group’s portfolio – which includes award-winning venues Arkaba Hotel and Marion Hotel – as a well presented and well-located hotel in one of the strongest growth areas of South Australia.
“The team are excited to be welcoming Barker Hotel to our portfolio. Mount Barker has seen significant growth in recent years and is fast becoming South Australia’s largest city outside of Adelaide, and we are thrilled to be a part of this boosting community.
McInnes told Australian Hotelier that the Barker Hotel buy was too good an opportunity for Hurley Hotel Group to pass up.
“Whilst we weren’t actively on the lookout for a new hotel, we do keep an eye out for opportunities that align with our vision. This acquisition stood out to us as it was a great hotel that offered lots of potential. Mount Barker is one of South Australia’s fastest growing areas, it offers a growing local customer base and attracts tourists heading to the nearby Adelaide Hills. With rapid population growth and ongoing infrastructure improvements, the town is becoming more accessible, while its status as a regional hub means steady demand for hospitality services,” he said.
“At this stage, we have no immediate plans to dramatically change the layout or operation of the Hotel, we will focus on providing quality food, beverage, functions and gaming facilities, and continue to train and employ from the local community,” stated McInnes.
Originally called the Scotch Thistle Inn, the Barker was the second hotel to be licensed in Mount Barker in 1846 and is the oldest surviving hotel in the town.
The Barker Hotel will be the tenth venue in the Hurley Hotel Group portfolio, and the first acquisition for the esteemed pub group since 2019, when it acquired the Ivory Waterside in Tweed Heads, New South Wales.
The Barker Hotel is being sold by the Fassina family, who have owned the pub since 2003 and undertook a massive renovation to the venue in 2014.
“It’s been quite a ride for 21 years, but all good things come to an end. The family would very much like to thank our hard-working staff who give the hotel its warm inviting character. We are very grateful for the loyalty the staff have shown, some of which have been with the hotel since we started in 2003,” stated Ross Fassina.
“Although it is a sad day for us, I am comforted that the Hurley Group will further develop the hotel working alongside our current staff.”
It’s been a big twelve months for Hurley Hotel Group, completing the last stage of a massive renovation of Arkaba Hotel at the end of 2023, which has since won several awards at the recent AHASA awards, including Best Metropolitan Hotel. The group has also begun construction on Hotel Panorama, after the Tonsley Hotel was acquired by the South Australian Government as part of the Torrens to Darlington Road project.
Settlement on the Barker Hotel acquisition is expected to take place early in 2025.