Follow the Piper: Sydney’s newest hotel baron

CBRE’s Hotels director Tom Gibson advised on the Hook Island sale and said he received more than 150 inquiries from well-known investors, including major international food and beverage specialists to “ultra-high net worth individuals”.

“Queensland, and more specifically the Whitsunday Islands, has witnessed record hospitality and tourism investment recently, marking it as one of the most resilient markets through the pandemic and positioning it perfectly to capture the resurgent international inbound market,” Gibson said.

Piper, who grew up in western Sydney and went to Greystanes High School, would escape the summer heat by travelling to Newcastle with his dad to visit some family and “surf for as long as we could”, Piper told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“We stayed at the Merewether beach pub as they used to have accommodation rooms upstairs.”

After finishing school Piper went into the residential property sector before heading up his own property investment group in 2003.

Having moved to the northern beaches where he lives with his wife Alexandra and three children, Piper always had his eye on the Harbord Hotel to launch into the hospitality sector.

“Harbord was definitely the first step into hospitality and it’s also in my suburb of Freshwater,” he said.

“I was really drawn to the architecture of the building and I had my eyes on it for a few years, but I wasn’t in a position to approach them,” he said.

“But at the right time I did approach the owner and let him know my interest in the property. And I was fortunate enough that he was happy to pass it on after 40 odd years to myself.”

Piper says that was “definitely my first step and experience in hospitality, I just enjoy it and I love it. I love creating spaces where people can create memorable experiences and so that’s led me to continue that passion.”

Despite having set the hospitality market alight with three quick deals, Piper says he never had any intention of expanding into hospitality, but rather it’s been the venues that have been the attraction.

“I love the Australian beach culture. I think that the pubs and other hospitality venues in those locations really celebrate Australian beach culture and that’s what I’m passionate about,” he said.

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“The Harbord, Q Station, the Merewether pub, and now Hook Island are all iconic venues by the water and have a lot of community significance so that’s what I’m attracted to.”