Australia: Quest Flemington has closed, marking Quest’s seventh hotel closure since the pandemic began.
The property, prior to its closing, was operated by franchisee Peter Lovric.
Quest Flemington, which has 54 rooms and is located near Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse, was closed after months of disputes between Quest and the landlords of the property. The landlords wanted a deed of surrender from Lovric for the return of the keys to their apartments after yearlong disputes over rent and other problems that began in 2020. Quest spokespeople said that the disputes had lasted over 18 months and that they had advised mediation.
A spokeswoman for Quest said: “In consultation with all stakeholders, we have determined the best course of action is to debrand Quest Flemington, giving landlords back control over their investment. That process is now under way, and the property will be decommissioned in full by June 4, 2021, ceasing to operate as a Quest Apartment Hotel.”
The property will be converted back into a regular apartment block, managed by the owners corporation, and one landlord, Diana Pawluk, said that she plans to operate her apartments as typical long-term residential units.
Quest has closed six other hotels throughout Australia throughout the course of the coronavirus pandemic, but has opened several others.
David Mansfield, managing director for Australia of the Ascott Limited, which owns 80 per cent of Quest, said: “To have debranded seven hotels out of 140 plus in 16 months amid a global pandemic is sad, but not surprising. Our industry has been decimated and what we are seeing is the flow-on implications of that.”
