THE Pines Resort at Seven Mile Beach has sold to Trendwest South Pacific, which will rebrand the property as WorldMark Seven Mile Beach, Hobart. Commercial agents Jones Lang Lasalle finalised the sale which is estimated to inject an additional $9 million into the local economy.
Chris and Patricia Dillon, the previous owners, are pleased to have sold the property to Trendwest because of their ability to take the property to the next level.
“We would like to thank the Clarence City Council for their positive attitude in regards to this matter and believe this is a wonderful vote of confidence in Tasmania. Combined with cheaper airfares, and the three Spirit boats, we’re sure the resort will be very popular,” Chris Dillon said.
Trendwest plans to further develop the 22-year-old property into an eco-tourism resort. Council approval includes further development of the 19-hectare site increasing the 20 villa accommodation facilities to 60 villas. Refurbishment work will commence immediately on the existing two-bedroom villas and other facilities including the tavern and beer garden, barbecue area and children’s playground. The master plan for the development will be completed shortly, with construction beginning on the next phase of units once necessary building approvals have been gained.
The Seven Mile Beach resort is the first resort in Tasmania for Trendwest, who currently operates WorldMark South Pacific Club resorts in 13 locations across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. WorldMark resorts are available to the Club’s 26,000 owners using a flexible, credit-based timeshare system.
“Our owners have always wanted a Tasmanian product and so this acquisition has been in response to their demand,” says Trendwest South Pacific president and CEO, Barry Robinson.
According to Mr Robinson, local tourism numbers can expect to increase substantially with WorldMark resort locations typically attracting 80-90 per cent occupancy.
Mr Robinson says WorldMark Seven Mile Beach will be unique in construction, working to an architectural concept that is cohesive and complimentary to the woodland environment. “Our aim is to create a feeling of uniqueness in style, design and affordability, to present something special that is also a reflection of the area,” Mr Robinson said.
“We will be making configurative changes in the villas to offer a more open plan. This will be created through an extensive use of glass to bring the outdoors in,” he says. “While villas will be opened up to the outdoors there will be more seclusion through the use of effective landscaping and aesthetic privacy walls.”
Water features, walkways and landscaping through the use of raw materials like timber, rock and stone are among the steps in working towards the eco-tourism concept, preserving open space and natural woodland.
Trendwest South Pacific is a leader in the holiday ownership industry, offering a network of drive-to, exotic and national/ international attraction resorts with a unique, flexible credits-based system of ownership.
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