A family-run hotel is currently up for grabs, with Ben and Kylie O'Sullivan putting the Quest Apartments in Gurwood Street up for sale.
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The 43 apartments have been put up on the market for a 21.5-year leasehold, with a current asking price of $1.99 million.
Potential buyers will be scoping out the place on March 5, when the hotel holds an open day for those interested in becoming the next franchisees.
The current owners will be making a sea change to coastal Queensland, where they will instead be running the Quest branch in Rockhampton.
The two of them end their stint in Wagga on a high note, with their branch winning the Quest NSW and ACT top franchise award last year for its financial performance and high customer satisfaction rating.
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Mr O'Sullivan admitted there had been "challenges" over the years, including the emergence of competitors such as Airbnb and newly built motels, but he insisted the local market still had plenty of room for growth.
"Wagga is a strong enough town to handle competition across the board," he said.
"The town is proactive, forward-thinking, and growing, which is what excites me about Wagga."
Despite the arrival of competitors, the hotel has managed to run at an occupancy rate of 88 per cent, buoyed by annual events such as the recent junior touch football carnival that saw motels fully booked throughout Wagga and beyond.
He predicts an ongoing "fruitful market", pointing to the town's growing population as well as the boom in industrial activity such as the Inland Rail Project, the Riverina Intermodal Freight Link, and the steady growth in areas such as Bomen.
Mr O'Sullivan said he enjoyed the thriving business community in Wagga, but that the family would most sorely miss the friends he made over the years.
"We first arrived knowing nobody in Wagga, but we had so many people who reached out and made our journey a whole lot easier," Mr O'Sullivan said.
"They went out of their way to bring us into the family, and that's what's so amazing about Wagga."
Mr O'Sullivan said they had built many relationships and forged many fond memories over the years.
"We have put our heart and soul into the business and into the community," Mr O'Sullivan said.
Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
