Wheatbelt classic Duke’s Inn Northam on the market ahead of WA’s regional travel break bonanza

One of the Wheatbelt’s oldest and most renowned hotels — the Duke’s Inn Northam — has hit the market in time for the State’s mini-break bonanza. In the the Avon tourist region, 90 minutes from Perth, Duke’s Inn Northam sits on a hill, with views overlooking the town. The hotel includes a modern restaurant, sports bar and beer garden and it has 39 mixed rooms with a range of accommodation options. The heritage-listed venue opened in 1907 and has maintained an quaint charm through a recent refurbishment. CBRE Hotels’ Ryan McGinnity said the listing coincided with the jump in regional travel. “With current travel restrictions prohibiting people from being able to travel abroad — and even more widely throughout the rest of Australia, more West Australians are exploring their own backyard,” he said. “This is providing a welcome boost to our local tourism industry, with regional hotel operators experiencing heightened demand from local travellers.” In 2019, Australians spent 181 million nights overseas, equating to an average of nine nights overseas a person. A significant proportion of these room nights is expected to be diverted to local options in 2020 and 2021, helping boost local tourism markets. Mr McGinnity said Northam was the starting point of the Avon Descent white-water race and had recently been chosen to host the fifth Women’s World Hot Air Ballooning Championships next year. The hotel is selling via offers to purchase, closing September 29.