Rugby league goes upmarket with the Hotel NRL in Brisbane

Rooms will be named after rugby league personalities at the hotel in Brisbane purchased by the NRL.

The Gambaro Hotel near Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

The National Rugby League has entered the upmarket hospitality business by buying the prestige restaurant and boutique hotel run by Brisbane’s Gambaro family in the shadows of Suncorp Stadium.

The $25m-plus purchase by the ARL Commission will pave the way for the Gambaro Hotel to be re-themed, with rooms named after greats of the code. The Wally Lewis, Allan Langer and Darren Lockyer suites will certainly be up for grabs.

What about the Andrew Johns penthouse? Whether NSW legends could or should get a look-in will be keenly debated along the length of Caxton Street on State of Origin night – the traditional kickoff point for one-eyed Queensland supporters on their way to The Cauldron. This year’s series decider there on Wednesday week is already sold-out.

Running the gauntlet of the thirsty throng outside Gambaro’s and the Caxton Hotel in the NSW team bus is a rite of passage for the visiting Blues, a reminder they’re up against more than their opposite numbers on the field.

Announcing the acquisition on Monday – the NRL’s first purchase of “assets that protect the game and provide new revenues for reinvestment in the game” – the commission said it wanted to strengthen its balance sheet against “major interruptions” such as the hit it took from the pandemic.

This also fulfilled a promise by chair Peter V’landys and chief executive Andrew Abdo to start investing in ventures to future-proof the code.

Club bosses were notified of the purchase about an hour before it was made public as the commission used roughly 15 per cent of its cash reserves to snap up the 68-room hotel and restaurant.

The NRL had $171m in cash reserves at the end of last year and has enjoyed a bumper start to this year, albeit at a time when the game is locked in negotiations with the clubs and players.

The NRL is yet to finalise an agreement with the players’ union over retrospective payments for the past three years but will hold further talks this week designed to reach a deal.

Club grants are up for discussion as well, and club bosses were still digesting the surprise news; it is understood some members of the game’s investment committee were unaware of the negotiations.

Three years ago, the five-star hotel overlooking Suncorp Stadium was put on the market as the Gambaro family sought more than $30m for its purchase. The hotel stayed in family hands until the ARL Commission weighed in with an offer that will see the venue rebranded as the NRL.

Interestingly, the NRL only last year announced a three-year agreement for hospitality giant Accor to provide accommodation for their players.

Gambaro’s Seafood restaurant has been one of Brisbane’s best for 50 years, favoured by business executives cutting lucrative deals, a treat on that special family occasion or romantic night out. The hot and cold seafood platter for two is priced at $189.

The Gambaro Group includes the Gambaro Seafood Restaurant, within the Gambaro Hotel on Caxton St as well as the Black Hide Steakhouse across the road, Persone restaurant next to the W Hotel in North Quay in Brisbane’s CBD and Black Hide by Gambaro restaurant at the ­Treasury casino.

Additional reporting: Lisa Allen