03 Nov 2026
Words Su-Lin Tan Green Street News

Developer seeks $75m+ for new Sunshine Coast hotel as brands jostle for position

Accor, Ovolo and Radisson have flagged their interests in RCQ’s upscale Maloja Hotel on the Sunshine Coast as the Queensland developer lists the property ahead of completion, Green Street News can reveal.

Price expectations for the 140-room hotel sit at $75m+ – a rare offering given the shortage of new hotel developments amid elevated construction costs.

The Maloja is among the first projects approved under the Sunshine Coast Council’s push for more upscale accommodation in the region, and only the second new hotel to be built in the tourist precinct in more than 30 years following the Avani Mooloolaba Beach, which opened earlier this year.

The listing will appeal to investors looking to capitalise on Queensland’s hotel shortage ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.

Alongside selling agent ResortBrokers, RCQ ran an off-market campaign before listing the asset. Aside from major hotel brands, it also fielded interest from leading white-label operators including Mandala Hospitality Group, Trilogy Hotels and La Vie Hotels & Resorts. Singaporean and Hong Kong investors have also expressed interest, said ResortBrokers, for whom Tim Crooks is managing the sales campaign.

RCQ bought the site two years ago, and now has approval to build the hotel alongside two apartment towers in a mixed-use precinct. The 13-storey towers sit at 126-140 Bulcock Street, Caloundra, fronting Bulcock Street and Maloja Avenue. It is a two-minute walk to Bulcock Beach. There will be amenities such as restaurants and retail in the wider development.

The hotel will include a resort-style pool with a glass-bottom portal to a main plaza below, a steam room and sauna, an extensive fitness centre and a rooftop viewing deck.

Construction of the hotel is due to start in April, with completion scheduled for 2029. RCQ will also kick off construction of the first apartment tower and the wider project at about the same time.

The apartments, mainly larger two- to three-bedroom units, will be launched to the market separately, although the hotel buyer may be given consideration if they wish to acquire the units for short-term leasing.

Serious shortage

Research from the Property Council and CBRE in May found Queensland has an acute shortage of hotel rooms and will have just 24% of the rooms required for the Games. On current projects, the state will fall 11,000 rooms short of its 2032 target.

The council says another 2,450 hotel rooms will be needed on the Sunshine Coast in the next decade to meet forecast demand. The shortage in rooms has led to both local and overseas investors scouring Queensland for hotels, hospitality and tourism assets.

Green Street News revealed that Asian-backed hospitality asset manager Celestial Capital Group bought Cairns Harbourside Hotel in May, while Alceon and Aktiv scooped up The Strand lifestyle property at Coolangatta last year.