29 Sep 2025
Words Layton Holley Green Street News

Travel + Leisure buys Hotel Bellinzona in Victoria for Club Wyndham brand

The Houses Hotel Group has sold Hotel Bellinzona in Hepburn Springs to US-listed Travel + Leisure Co., which will rebrand the 122-year-old property as Club Wyndham Bellinzona Hepburn Springs.

The sale price was not disclosed, though the property had been marketed with a price guide of about $16m when it was listed earlier this year. ResortBrokers’ West Victoria agent Hugh Thomas, who handled the transaction, said the campaign drew more than 75 enquiries, four inspections and “several highly competitive offers”.

Established in 1903, Hotel Bellinzona was bought by The Houses Hotel Group in 2020 for about $4m. The group undertook a multimillion-dollar refurbishment later that year that restored it as the largest deluxe hotel in the Daylesford and Hepburn Springs region.

The 43-room property includes six executive suites, a heated indoor pool, spa and sauna, the 160-seat Virgin Kitchen restaurant, a 40-seat lobby bar, and event facilities capable of accommodating up to 650 guests.

Barry Robinson, president and managing director of international operations at Travel + Leisure Co., said the acquisition was part of a push to grow in wellness destinations across Australia.

“Daylesford is the heartland of wellness in Australia, and this strategic move gives our owners access to a destination that has long been on the radar of discerning travellers,” he said.

The acquisition marks Travel + Leisure Co.’s second Australian deal with ResortBrokers this year, following its purchase of the 48-room Castaways Resort & Spa in Mission Beach, Queensland, now rebranded Club Wyndham Mission Beach.

Daylesford and the neighbouring Macedon Ranges, with a permanent population of about 70,000, attract an estimated 2.4m visitors annually. The local economy is built on spas, wellness retreats, wineries and food tourism, and the region recently featured as the filming location for the 2025 season of The Block. END