The Criterion Hotel

What The Criterion Hotel does

The Criterion Hotel Motel is a privately held, family-owned heritage hospitality business operating from a single 1889-built property at 150 Quay Street, Rockhampton, Queensland, on the banks of the Fitzroy River. The establishment operates as an integrated hotel, restaurant, bar, and function venue, offering 26 rooms in total (8 pub-style rooms upstairs from the main bar, retaining 1800s character, and 18 modern motel suites constructed in 2004 beside the Bush Inn Bar & Grill), plus the Bush Inn Bar & Grill steakhouse (open daily for lunch 11:30am–5:30pm and dinner 5:30pm–9:00pm) and Parkers Function Room (the original 1889 Grand Ballroom, capacity up to 100 guests cocktail or 60 seated, hire from A$150 with a 30-guest minimum).

The business generates revenue across three streams: accommodation (nightly room rates with on-site and off-street parking), food and beverage (steakhouse, full bar, and online ordering via thecriterion.orderup.com.au), and event hire (function room for weddings, corporate events, seminars, and private dinners). Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer via the hotel's own GuestPoint-built website (thecriterion.com.au), a direct booking engine (thecriterion.bookus.direct), and walk-in trade; no third-party channel partners, online travel agencies, or institutional distribution relationships are used. The current licensee is Ryan Turnbull, whose family has owned the property since 1991, marking four generations of Turnbull family involvement.

Customer segments span leisure travellers and tourists seeking riverside accommodation, local community bar and steakhouse patrons, and event hosts requiring character-rich function space. Underlying technology is limited to standard hospitality SaaS (GuestPoint CMS, Bookus Direct, OrderUp) with no proprietary platform, mobile app, or AI capabilities disclosed. The operation is single-site, domestic to Queensland/Australia, and privately financed with no institutional investment, debt issuance, or public listing.

Name

The Criterion Hotel

Legal name

The Criterion Hotel Motel

Website

https://thecriterion.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Criterion Hotel is a privately held, family-owned heritage hospitality business in Rockhampton, Queensland, operating a 26-room heritage hotel, the Bush Inn Bar & Grill steakhouse, and Parkers Function Room from an 1889 building on the Fitzroy River, serving leisure travellers, event hosts, and local patrons through direct bookings and walk-in trade.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Hotel & Hospitality Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic/Heritage Conference Hotels (THAGALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Resort-Area Full-Service Hotels (Non–All-Inclusive) (THAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Heritage hotel accommodation
• Steakhouse restaurant dining
• Function room events
• Pub style rooms
• Motel suites hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockhampton

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accommodation: The hotel offers 26 rooms total — 8 pub-style rooms upstairs from the pub and 18 motel suites built in 2004 beside the Bush Inn Bar & Grill. Revenue is generated through nightly room rates with on-site and off-street parking included.
2. Food & Beverage: The Bush Inn Bar & Grill Steak House generates revenue from lunch (daily 11:30am–5:30pm) and dinner (daily 5:30pm–9:00pm) service. A full bar is also operated. Lunch is available 7 days a week for guests.
3. Function Room Hire & Events: Parkers Function Room (the original Grand Ballroom built 1889) is available for hire for events including small weddings, anniversaries, trade shows, seminars, cocktail parties, and private dinners. Catering capacity is up to 100 guests cocktail style or 60 seated.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Criterion Hotel is a heritage Australian hotel and motel built in 1889 on the banks of the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Queensland. It provides 26 guest rooms (8 traditional pub-style rooms and 18 modern motel suites built in 2004), a full-service Bush Inn Bar & Grill steak house serving daily lunch and dinner, and Parkers Function Room — the original Victorian-era Grand Ballroom — for events, weddings, and corporate functions.

Product overview

The Criterion Hotel Motel is a single establishment offering an integrated hospitality experience combining accommodation, dining, and event venue services. The property features 26 rooms total: 8 pub-style rooms upstairs from the main bar built in 1889, and 18 modern motel suites constructed in 2004 beside the Bush Inn Bar & Grill. Dining options include The Bush Inn Bar & Grill Steak House serving daily lunch and dinner, plus Parkers Function Room—a heritage function venue from 1889 for events up to 100 guests. A full bar service complements the dining and function offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Parkers Function Room: The original Grand Ballroom of the Criterion Hotel, built by the Parker and Curtis families in 1889, representing traditional English/Victorian influence. Can cater for up to 100 guests cocktail style or 60 guests in formal seated style.
• The Bush Inn Bar & Grill

Products and services

• Pub-Style Hotel Rooms Eight heritage pub-style guest rooms located upstairs from the main pub, retaining 1800s charm combined with modern appliances and furniture, with either shared bathroom facilities or ensuites and on-street parking. Designed for travellers seeking affordable, character-rich accommodation in central Rockhampton.
• Motel Suites Eighteen modern motel rooms built in 2004 beside the Bush Inn Bar & Grill, featuring ensuites, off-street parking, and modern styling suitable for singles, couples, families, or groups visiting the Rockhampton region.
• The Bush Inn Bar & Grill Steak House Steak house restaurant serving lunch (daily 11:30am–5:30pm) and dinner (daily 5:30pm–9:00pm), offering a full bar service, for hotel guests, local Rockhampton residents, and visitors.
• Parkers Function Room The original Grand Ballroom built in 1889, now a fully air-conditioned function venue with its own bar, hosting weddings, anniversaries, trade shows, seminars, cocktail parties, and private dinners for up to 100 guests cocktail-style or 60 guests seated. Room hire starts at $150 with a minimum of 30 guests.
• Full Bar Service Comprehensive bar service offering beer and beverages operating within the hotel's public bar and Parkers Function Room, including appreciation awards from Australian, US, and Singapore military forces displayed on the forces wall.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Rydges Hotels & Resorts: National full-service and limited-service hotel chain operating across Australia including regional Queensland properties. Competes with The Criterion for leisure and business travelers in Rockhampton via standardized inventory, loyalty programs, and corporate distribution.
• Choice Hotels Australasia: Mid-scale franchise hotel chain (Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Econo Lodge) with regional Queensland coverage. Competes on price and consistency for value-driven travelers in the Rockhampton corridor.
• AccorHotels Australia: Major international hotel group operating budget through upscale brands (ibis, Novotel, Mercure, Sofitel) across Australia. Represents scale-driven competition for regional travelers and corporate RFP accounts that The Criterion cannot match on loyalty or distribution.
• Quest Apartment Hotels: Australian apartment-style accommodation chain with strong regional Queensland presence, targeting extended-stay leisure and corporate travelers. Competes for the same Rockhampton regional demand pool with larger room formats and kitchen facilities.

Direct peers

• The Great Western Hotel: Heritage-listed pub hotel located on Quay Street in Rockhampton, offering accommodation, dining, and live entertainment. The most direct local competitor to The Criterion, operating a comparable pub-hotel format in the same regional market and customer base.
• Hides Hotel Cairns: Heritage-listed hotel in Cairns offering accommodation, dining, and bar service in a historic building. Comparable format to The Criterion as a regional Australian heritage pub hotel with diversified F&B and accommodation revenue.
• The Old Melbourne Hotel: Heritage pub hotel in Melbourne offering accommodation, dining, bars, and entertainment in a historic building. Comparable operating model and target customer profile to The Criterion, scaled up in a major metro market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-criterion-hotel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Criterion Hotel