High Steaks: Stu Laundy talks life, love and who’ll take over the family’s hotel empire

He’s part of the family which owns Australia’s most successful hotels empire, but many know Stu Laundy from his stint on The Bachelorette with Sophie Monk. He discusses life, love and pubs in this High Steaks interview.

Stu Laundy takes in his surroundings as he walks up the stairs of the Light Brigade Hotel.

That is because the pub baron’s High Steaks interview is the first time he has been inside the Paddington icon since the Laundy family added it to their $1.6bn portfolio for more than $20m in April.

“How good is the rooftop! This has got to be the best view on Oxford Street,” he says.

Laundy has made headlines for very different reasons over the years.

For some he will be known simply for being part of the family who own more pubs than anyone else in Australia, while for others it is his 2017 stint on reality TV show The Bachelor that ended with him and celebrity Sophie Monk dating, that makes him ­recognisable.

Stu Laundy (left) sits down for a meal and a High Steaks interview with journalist Joshua Hanrahan. Picture: Justin Lloyd

As we grab two beers from the rooftop (Laundy had earlier jumped behind the bar to pour his own, only to discover the kegs were off), I tell him I want to discuss the three main topics: life, love and pubs.

Pubs have been in the Laundy family since the first half of the 1900s.

Laundy’s family recently added Woollahra’s Light Brigade Hotel to their enormous portfolio. Picture: Justin Lloyd

His grandfather, Arthur Laundy Snr, had moved from New Zealand to Australia with his parents as a young child, but when the Depression hit and times became tough the family could not afford to move all their nine children back across the ditch — and so dropped two at an orphanage in Parramatta.

His grandad was in the orphanage from five to 18 and, Laundy thinks, saved money from cleaning pubs to eventually buy a pub lease.

“And that sort of started our family in pubs.”

From that humble start Laundy’s father Arthur Jr has taken the business to extraordinary levels over the past 55 years. Beneath him he is now joined in the business by sons Craig and Stuart, and two daughters Danielle and Justine.

Their empire now extends to more than 90 venues, including the Watsons Bay Hotel, Northies at Cronulla and the Woolwich Pier Hotel, while in recent years Laundy has been key in adding accommodation hotels such as the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort on the Gold Coast to the portfolio.

But Arthur is now 83 and Laundy says the difficult topic of life after dad has been ­discussed.

“Craig a couple of years ago, brought the topic of succession up … and dad struggled, it’s your own mortality,” Laundy said.

“I think the other three know I don’t have any claims to the throne or want the throne, as long as they listen to me if I think I’ve got a good idea.

“My two sisters are extremely smart, two of the smartest girls I’ve ever met, they could do the job on their ear.

“Craig was sort of groomed for the role, he’s the older brother, and I think he probably wanted the role, but I’m not sure he does any more.”

Arthur Laundy Jr with his wife Margaret and their children Stu, Craig, Danielle and Justine. Picture: Supplied

Laundy was not always set on working in pubs, but has built himself a role in the business in the buying and selling of their hotel empire.

An important factor for his father when buying a pub is how many kegs of beer it sells each week.

“Dad loves the old-school pubs,” Laundy says.

But he reveals a key part of the acquisition of the Light Brigade Hotel was its status as a go-to for Sydney Swans fans — who were this year’s AFL minor premiers and have enjoyed record attendance in 2024.

“We’ve got a long, long association with rugby league (the Laundys are the major sponsor of the Bulldogs in the NRL), but we’re all mad Swannies fans because we’re Sydney-based,” Laundy said.

“It certainly was in our minds, but it was (still) a pleasant surprise how huge this is as an AFL pub and, you never know with dad, he loves sponsoring and he might end up with some sort of deal with the Swans.”

Laundy and ex-wife Rachel, with whom he has four daughters, are still ‘the best of friends’.

His very public relationship with Bachelorette Sophie Monk fizzled. Picture: Supplied

An added bonus to the pub’s location at the top of Oxford St is its proximity to a beauty store recently opened nearby by his ex-wife Rachel, and where his four daughters all work.

Laundy and Rachel were childhood sweethearts and ­together for 10 years, but still remain the “best of friends”.

“It was Rachel’s idea to end our marriage. It was my fault, not that I cheated or anything, I was just too much in the pubs, too much socialising,” Laundy said.

“We’re the best of friends, you know, we still spend so much time together.”

His high-profile relationship with Sophie Monk after The Bachelor is not the only romance he has had since his marriage ended.

There have been other “lovely girls” who have come and gone, in between which he admits to doing “all the silly things that bachelors do”, such as buying a sports car.

But opening up on love, he admits that his close relationship with his ex-wife has made finding someone new tough, although it “sort of hasn’t bothered” him.

“I’ve found second love hard because, my first love was so deep,” Laundy said.

The Light Brigade Hotel is a favourite with Sydney Swans fans. Picture: Supplied

Laundy jokes that after he got divorced he received a call from advertising millionaire John Singleton, who was a co-owner in The Steyne at Manly.

“He had a laugh with me because I had separated, and he’s been married six or seven times, right, so he thought I might be some sort of candidate for his record,” he laughed.

Singleton is one of a number of big names who come up throughout the lunch.

TV host Larry Emdur was recently out at Laundy headquarters for a meeting, NRL immortal Andrew “Joey” Johns has been out on the family boat — on which, Laundy says, none of his family has any idea what they’re doing — he has good relationships with fellow pub goliaths such as Justin Hemmes and Pat Ryan, and spent the morning before lunch playing tennis with Gerry Harvey of Harvey Norman fame.

None of it is name-dropping, it’s just a self-confessed “westie” talking about his mates.

Laundy loves to man the taps, or host a party. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

As much time as he spends with the big names, he spends more time going back and forth with a large group of school friends in a WhatsApp group chat — more than 30 years after they all graduated.

Maintaining loyal friendships, he says, is something he learned from his father.

But putting aside the pubs and The Bachelor, when it comes to the topic of life, Laundy says being a father to his four daughters is “the greatest thing that has ever happened”.

“I’ve got four daughters, no sons, which some might call poetic justice,” he laughs.

“But life’s good. Pubs are a big part of life … I’m not operational, but I still sort of feel it in the blood.

“I love pouring the beers or hosting the party or whatever it is.

“So that’s my week really, a lot of family, a lot of fun, a bit of business, a bit of work.”

Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email [e-mail]