Pier Restaurant transformed into new accommodation option Pier Pods on the Water
The former Pier Restaurant is reopening as a unique accommodation option offering luxurious self-contained sleeping pods with water views. SEE OUR SNEAK PEEK VIDEO.
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A dramatic transformation has breathed new life into Townsville’s former Pier Restaurant, which will reopen next week as an innovative accommodation experience called the Pier Pods on the Water.
The Sir Leslie Thiess Dr hotspot now hosts 51 luxurious self-contained sleeping pods, where guests on a tight budget can bask in stunning 270-degree views of Breakwater Marina, Castle Hill and Magnetic Island.
The new venture is the brainchild of Townsville local Steve Hammant, who lives in the Breakwater Marina and often wondered why the Pier had sat vacant since the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020.
A truck mechanic by trade who worked at Sun Metals Zinc Refinery for 20 years, Mr Hammant started a side hustle managing holiday rentals, which evolved into the full-time business Townsville Holiday Rentals.
Seeing the value of having his guests in one location and Townsville’s budget accommodation shortage, he purchased Seaside Lodge backpackers two years ago.
Through his research into space-saving designs, he discovered the Japanese idea of capsule hostels, which were starting to pop up in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Perth.
After speaking with Townsville City Council and confirming that the restaurant could be converted to accommodation in the Waterfront Priority Development Area, he paid $850,000 to purchase the building last August before spending “every single cent” he had on renovations worth an estimated $700,000.
It involved gutting the property to a basic shell, removing and replacing the commercial kitchen and cold rooms, installing toilets and showers, large new windows, exterior lighting, high-speed Wi-fi, fully equipped co-working spaces and pods with a 60-guest capacity.
“It’s not really a backpackers, it’s more of a flashpackers. I really think it could be like a truly iconic accommodation facility that people are drawn to,” Mr Hammant said.
“I’ve looked it up. There’s no hostel or backpackers like this that I’ve ever seen. It’s extremely unique, and the sunsets that you get from that back deck they’re just perfect for the young ones and their Instagram shots.
“I think it’s really going to get a following, and it’s going to be iconic.”
With its newly installed LED lighting, he said the Pier Pods was going to “light up like a spaceship”, attracting passing tourists from the nearby bus hub and ferry to Magnetic Island.
“I’ve had heaps of friends and family come through the place, and everyone who has a look inside says, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’ and it makes me feel like I’ve done something right there,” he said.
Pods vary will in price from $60 to $120, depending on their size and view.
For more information, visit The Pier Pods on Facebook or Instagram.
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Originally published as Pier Restaurant transformed into new accommodation option Pier Pods on the Water
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