Nine Years on the Tweed — Still Family-Run
We opened in 2017 with 60 rooms and a pub kitchen. Today it's 120 rooms, a day spa, a gaming floor and a ballroom — and it's still the same family answering the phone.
Built for the locals first
The brief was simple: a hotel where Banora Point actually wants to spend time — not a resort that fences the town out.
That decision shaped everything. The day spa takes walk-ins. The terrace bar pours for locals every Friday. The restaurant prices like a restaurant, not a captive hotel dining room. The gaming floor runs 24/7 but lives in its own wing — you can spend a whole weekend here and never see a pokie.
Nine years in, the formula works: half our spa and dining trade is local, and our room guests get a hotel that feels lived-in rather than staged.
The philosophy
"Run it like a local, charge it like a local, and the guests will come anyway." — Maree Oster, founder. We still use it as the tiebreaker on every decision.
How we got here
The opening
60 rooms, one restaurant, a pool and a promise to the town.
Gaming wing
The casino floor and private salons opened — strictly 18+, responsible gaming from day one.
Spa & ballroom
Level 3 spa, grand ballroom, eight event spaces — the weddings era began.
Regional award
NSW Tourism Awards finalist — best regional hotel experience.
The people you'll actually meet
Permanent staff, most here five years or more — that's unusual in hotels and it's the whole point.
Marcus Doyle
General Manager
Fifteen years in boutique hotels. Still walks every floor, every morning.
Sarah Mitchell
Front Office Manager
Eleven years on the desk — if a room tweak is possible, she makes it happen.
Daniel Reyes
Head Chef
Runs Ember & Oak and Riverbend — Northern Rivers produce, zero shortcuts.
Mia Sanderson
Spa Manager
Built the spa menu herself — remedial massage is still her busiest book.
Angela Moretti
VIP Host Lead
Runs the salon program — discretion and limits are her whole brief.
Renee Callister
Senior Wedding Coordinator
180+ weddings coordinated — calm under pressure is the job description.
Fiona Marsh
Events Manager
350 events a year — quotes in 24 hours, coffee always on time.
Priya Nair
Guest Relations
Special requests, surprises and proposals — her inbox is the magic one.
Projects we're proud of
The stuff that doesn't fit on a room card — community programs, signature events and the things guests write in about.
Riverbank Restoration
Three years of planting along our stretch of the Tweed — 4,000 native plants, monthly crew days, and a bank that doesn't erode anymore.
Producers' Table Series
Quarterly dinners where the farmer sits at the table — the menu built around one Northern Rivers producer each season.
Play Safe Program
Card-enforced limits, trained floor staff and a dedicated officer — responsible gaming that's operational, not decorative.
Come see it in person
Reading about a river sunset isn't the same as sitting in front of one — book the stay or just come for dinner.