Jim Knox Lists Griffith’s Gem Hotel for $50 Million in One of Australia's Biggest Regional Pub Sales
Pub Magnate Jim Knox Lists $50 Million Gem Hotel in Griffith, NSW
In what could become one of Australia’s largest regional pub transactions, hotelier Jim Knox is putting The Gem Hotel in Griffith, New South Wales on the market, with expectations of fetching upwards of $50 million. This landmark sale would place it alongside other high-profile regional deals, such as the Robin Hood Hotel in Orange ($47.4 million), the Windsor Castle Hotel in East Maitland ($50.5 million), and the Port Macquarie Hotel ($53 million)—all completed in 2022.
Located in the thriving Riverina region, The Gem Hotel is a high-performing venue, generating more than $13 million annually, driven by its strong gaming operations and accommodation offerings. The Griffith economy—valued at $2.7 billion—is underpinned by robust industries including viticulture, agriculture, food processing, and manufacturing. It is also buoyed by full employment, elevated household incomes, major infrastructure investment, and a large seasonal workforce, making it an increasingly attractive target for hospitality investors.
Knox, who has long-standing ties to Griffith through both hospitality and civil infrastructure ventures, recently sold the Area Hotel in Griffith for around $30 million—a dramatic return on his 2019 purchase of $8 million. That deal, acquired by Trent Middleton’s Golden Vault Hotels, marked a strategic pivot as Knox begins consolidating his interests back to the Northern Tablelands, where he resides.
Despite his move away from the Riverina, Knox praised Griffith, calling it an “outlier of opportunity in regional Australia.” He told The Australian Financial Review, “There’s no town like Griffith. It never goes backwards. It rewards those who invest meaningfully and commit to the community.”
Currently, Knox’s hotel portfolio includes around a dozen venues across NSW, including the Port Macquarie Hotel, which he bought for $53 million in 2022. He remains an advocate for regional hospitality, noting that returns from country pubs can rival—and even surpass—those from metro and coastal areas, especially when paired with loyal staff and limited competition.
The sale of The Gem Hotel is being handled by HTL Property’s Andrew Jolliffe and Xavier Plunkett. According to Jolliffe, the local hospitality sector is thriving, with HTL alone transacting over $200 million in regional hospitality assets in May 2025. He highlighted Griffith’s rare hotel-to-population ratio, stating, “There are basically four hotels servicing a population of 32,000. That’s an extraordinary ratio and one that offers significant potential for growth.”
Australia’s regional pub sector continues to attract record-breaking deals. Just last month, Byron Bay’s iconic Beach Hotel changed hands for $140 million, the second-highest price ever paid for a pub nationally.
As Knox prepares to part ways with The Gem, the sale marks not just the end of an era, but a testament to the strength of regional hospitality investment in Australia.
