Iconic Victorian Sphinx Hotel up for sale
The iconic Sphinx hotel is in Geelong, Victoria is up for sale for the first time in over 50 years.
The Ramia family, who built a 14m-high replica sphinx on the roof of their pub, are looking to sell their property after 53 years of ownership.
“We’ve got to the stage where we all want to do our own thing and it’s quite a large family,” George Ramia, the owner of the hotel said.
“We’re up to nearly 53 years here and I think we’re getting a bit tired.
“I started work here when I was about 14. I recall those days I wasn’t allowed in the pub but I used to do all the beer lines.
“Johnny O’Keeffe used to play a lot and he always asked me to play pool, and I was a pretty good player because it’s all I was allowed to do.”
Ramia who started working at the former Golf View Hotel when he was 14, saw the venue change throughout the decades from a home for live music to a bistro and recently renovated sports bar.
He also saw the venue grow in popularity, after a period of financial difficulties, when the pub was remodelled with the 14m-high Sphinx on the roof, completed with Egyptian-style motifs including hieroglyphics and even a mock gold pharaoh’s tomb in the 1990s.
The pub continues to host live bands and events, including the Geelong Elvis Festival.
The Sphinx Hotel is positioned on a 15,000sq m freehold land parcel, with 16-rooms of various configurations, with approvals in place to develop a further 24 rooms.
It also features 67 electronic gambling machines, multiple bar areas and function rooms, an outdoor beer garden, a TAB and a recently renovated sports bar.
The sale of the property also include the drive-through bottle shop and a licence capacity for 1010 patrons.
The hotel is available as either a new long-term lease or a freehold going concern, which is currently being managed by CBRE Hotels’ senior director Scott Callow.
“Geelong’s Sphinx Hotel presents a compelling investment opportunity in the thriving gaming and entertainment industry,” the CBRE Hotels’ senior director said.
“We anticipate strong interest from a range of investment segments seeking to gain a significant foothold in Victoria’s tightly held gaming market.”
Images: Sphinx Hotel / Facebook