Port Macquarie’s Mercure taken over by 2017 winner of The Bachelorette Stu Laundy

Celebrity hotel baron Stu Laundy, who became a household name after winning the heart of Sophie Monk on the third season of The Bachelorette, has taken ownership of a popular hotel in Port Macquarie.

Millionaire pub baron Stu Laundy - the man who won Sophie Monk’s heart in season three of The Bachelorette - has quietly taken ownership of a popular Port Macquarie hotel.

Laundy Hotels, of which the former reality star is the CEO, recently acquired the 4.5 star Mecure Centro Hotel on William Street in the heart of town.

It is the hotel giant’s first foray into Port Macquarie, although they own a number of pubs up and down the coast.

Winner of season three of The Bachelorette Australia and ex-partner to Sophie Monk, Stu Laundy, has recently purchased Mercure Hotel in Port Macquarie.

Whilst pubs are their main game, the group also owns The Crowne Plaza Terrigal, the Novotel in Manly and the Sheraton Spa and Resort in Noosa. Unlike this recent acquisition, all three of those are in partnership with fellow businessman Theo Karedis.

Mr Laundy told the Mid North Coast News the purchase of the 72-room Mercure Centro was a good way into the local market.

“Whilst not housed in the same equity structure as our other beachside accommodation assets in Noosa, Manly and Terrigal; this coastal property intersects perfectly with our national investment objectives, and adds deftly to the growing portfolio,” he said.

Laundy has partnered with a local group, Flower Hotels, in the property. The group owns a number of establishments on the Mid North Coast including the Settlers Inn and Fernhill Tavern in Port Macquarie, the Hastings Hotel in Wauchope and the Lake Cathie Tavern.

Managing Director Alistair Flower said he is looking forward to continuing a relationship with the Laundy family.

“I have a relationship with the Laundy family through my time in managing Sydney pubs,” he said. “So, when they approached Flower Hotels asking to invest and operate this venue, we were happy to come on board.”

Mr Flower said they were already looking at ways to improve the Mercure and make it a central part of the Port Macquarie community.

“The Mercure has a great restaurant for in-house guests, as well as a rooftop with beautiful views, and these are two of the areas we want to focus on as we move forward.

“In the short to medium term, we want to consider expanding the restaurant’s capabilities to open up the dining and bar area to local people, not just guests.

“We’d also like to explore renovations to the rooftop, as we see lots of potential to increase the number of functions held there.”

While Laundy Hotels has been a big player in the Australian hotel business for generations, Stu Laundy became a household name when he won season three of The Bachelorette and won the heart of Sophie Monk in 2017.The pair, who knew each other before the show, continued their relationship after the cameras stopped rolling, but it didn’t last long with Monk informing followers on Instagram in January 2018 that the pair had split.