Leading hospitality investment manager and operator, Harvest Hospitality, has announced the sale of the Woy Woy Hotel on the NSW Central Coast to Laundy Hotels, following a significant uplift in the pub’s performance.
Acquired by Harvest in December 2021, the Woy Woy Hotel was identified as an underdeveloped asset with strong fundamentals and clear upside. In 2025, Harvest completed a full renovation across the bar, bistro, beer garden and gaming offer, improving the layout, expanding the food and beverage offering, and enhancing the overall customer experience.
The result was a material improvement in performance, with the pub’s earnings over the life of the investment doubling – driven not only by capital investment, but by a disciplined focus on operational fundamentals.
The sale to Laundy Hotels, one of Australia’s most experienced pub operators, reflects the strength of the repositioned asset and the quality of the business.
Harvest Hospitality Group CEO Chris Cornforth said the sale reflects the successful execution of the Harvest’s investment strategy.
“What sets Harvest apart is that we don’t just allocate capital and step back. Woy Woy is a good example of our approach – identifying underperforming assets with strong fundamentals and then doing the work to unlock that value. We didn’t just renovate the pub, we focused heavily on getting the fundamentals right including building the right team, elevating the experience and running the venue well. That’s what ultimately drove the uplift in performance. The result is a business that has doubled its earnings since we bought it at the end of 2021.“The Laundy family is one of the most experienced pub operators in the country. They know what a good asset looks like, and we’re confident they’ll continue to build on what’s been created at The Woy Woy.”
JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group Managing Director Ben McDonald and Senior Vice President Kate MacDonald managed the competitive on-market campaign.
Ben McDonald, Managing Director, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, said the sale reflects the continued strength of coastal pub assets among acquisitive buyers seeking premium locations. “The transaction demonstrates the market’s appetite for dominant trading assets with diversified revenue profiles in tightly held coastal markets.
“This marks Arthur Laundy’s second acquisition through JLL in the last month, following the sale of the Imperial Hotel in Singleton. Mr Laundy’s savvy investment in the Woy Woy Town Centre, now owning the only two hotels in the town, underscores the confidence in the Central Coast’s long-term hospitality fundamentals,” Mr McDonald said.
Senior Vice President Kate MacDonald noted the property’s appeal to sophisticated investors. “The sale outcome validates the strength of premium coastal hospitality assets in established markets with solid investment fundamentals.
“The Central Coast’s resident population of approximately 360,000 people and forecast growth of 14 per cent over the next two decades supported strong buyer confidence,” Ms MacDonald said.
Harvest will continue to focus on identifying and repositioning underperforming hospitality assets, with several projects currently underway across its portfolio. The recently relaunched Harvest Hospitality Income Fund is now open for investment, providing investors with access to the group’s pipeline of opportunities.
For more information, visit harvesthospitality.com.au/income-fund
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About Harvest Hospitality
Founded in 2014, Harvest has grown from a two-person team running small bars to a leading hospitality asset manager operating multiple large-format pubs, supported by a head office of 20 and a staff network of over 450. With a clear strategy, expanded investment offerings, and a well-resourced team, Harvest Hospitality is focused on elevating the everyday and continuing to create great experiences that add value to their people, patrons and investors.
About JLL For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune 500® company with annual revenue of $23.4 billion and operations in over 80 countries around the world, our more than 113,000 employees bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise. Driven by our purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER WAY SM. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.
