New hotel, restaurant and rooftop bar set to open in Palmer Street

A high-end property developer has big plans for an old Townsville icon, set to unveil a ‘first of its kind’ hotel in the city.

George Daoud (Developer _ Urbancom), Jared Francis (Iconic constructions) and Nick Nasr (Levanti) outside the premises of their new venture, which will include a Mediterranean restaurant, hotel and rooftop bar. Picture: Shae Beplate.

What was once a humble backpackers resort in South Townsville is set to become the face of the future as the latest investment in Palmer Street takes shape.

Urbancom managing director George Daoud purchased the Adventurers Resort at 73 Palmer Street earlier this year through Colliers, with an aim to turning the waterfront property into a high class hotel and restaurant targeting the business community.

The new design, which will turn the existing allotment into 75 rooms, as well as a Mediterranean restaurant, Levanti and an accompanying rooftop bar, will be the latest addition looking to lift the city’s hub further.

“When I decided to invest in a resort, Townsville was the obvious choice,” Mr Daoud said.

“It’s a city with a thriving tourism industry, which is only going to grow in the coming year, it has the Great Barrier Reef, which is one of Australia’s great natural wonders and it’s just a stone’s throw away.”

While he said the city’s ‘pristine beaches, stunning landscape and vibrant culture’ were all big enticements to develop in the North Queensland capital, Mr Daoud said there were plenty of other factors that made his vision for what was once a humble motel a possibility.

George Daoud (Developer _ Urbancom), Jared Francis (Iconic constructions) and Nick Nasr (Levanti) outside the premises of their new venture, which will include a Mediterranean restaurant, hotel and rooftop bar. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“The appeal goes far beyond that natural beauty. Townsville is becoming a hub of innovation and technology,” Mr Daoud said.

“There’s a growing number of start-ups and entrepreneurs setting up shop here. That’s creating a really vibrant, diverse community that’ll attract people from all over the world.

“It’s got a strong economy, booming mining industry and a growing healthcare sector. There’s a steady influx of business travellers.

“That’s going to be the focus of our hotel; the corporate, business clientele.”

To that end, every room in the premier hotel – dubbed the Aria suites – will feature a slew of features that make it the first of its kind in Townsville.

A computer generated render of what Levanti will look like once work is completed later this year.

“We’ll have seamless smartphone integration that lets guests book, check in, gain access to room services and check out all with their phone,” Mr Daoud said.

“Technology is paramount to what we aim to achieve, people want that kind of ease when they go to a hotel and we’re hoping to provide that.”

Levanti, a combination of a restaurant and rooftop bar, will offer an ‘ultimate fusion’ of Mediterranean culture and cuisine.

“It’ll captivate people’s senses, it’ll take their tastebuds on a journey from Mykonos to Byblos, all on that tranquil waterfront Townsville setting. We wanted it close to the marina because it perfectly emulates the renowned ports scattered along the Mediterranean.”

Mr Daoud said work was progressing well, and the hotel is expected to be fully renovated by the end of July.

The developer also has big plans for other venues near the same location, with other redevelopments expected to commence soon.

Originally published as New hotel, restaurant and rooftop bar set to open in Palmer Street