History

The Coolangatta Hotel is situated on the beach front of one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the name Coolangatta comes from an old aboriginal word for ‘pleasant outlook’.

Coolangatta is situated on the border of New South Wales and Queensland. Coolangatta is often looked at as a sportsman’s paradise offering world class bowling greens, close proximity to championship golf links, sky diving, local rugby league, rugby union, AFL and soccer clubs, the famous Coolangatta Beach, as well as arguably the worlds 2 most exciting beach breaks, Duranbah and Snapper Rocks the latter being the home of the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro. Coolangatta’s close proximity to the Gold Coast Airport (5 minutes drive) has made it irresistible to tourists in an un rivalled sub tropical climate with an average year round temperature of 25 degrees celsius and around 287 days of sunshine each year.

The Coolangatta Hotel was first built in 1910 and opened its doors in 1911 for proprietors Ada Tighe and quickly became a meeting place for all Tweed Shire locals. It was first named the Hotel Tweed but was promptly changed to The Hotel Coolangatta. Additions to the buildings structure were made in 1913, adding some 58 overnight rooms. On June the 1st 1930, a most memorable fire engulfed the Hotel Coolangatta resulting in the total destruction of the Hotel and two adjacent buildings. In 1930, the Hotel Coolangatta was rebuilt on the original site in Marine Parade. The construction provided much needed work for the locals in the midst of a worsening depression. The new licensee, Jack Ajax, reopened the doors in 1931. The Hotel soon became a half way point for travellers and tourists alike. After the depression, families would come from everywhere and stay from 4 to 12 weeks at a time. The beer garden was a great meeting place for families.

In the April of 1983, another spectacular fire engulfed the now known Coolangatta Hotel. This fire happened in the early hours of the morning and took locals by surprise as the drama unfolded before them. Over $100,000 damage was caused and a former barman was charged with arson.

The new structure was then developed as stage 1 of a two part construction process. The formerly known ‘Witan Building’ know known as ‘Showcase on the Beach’ was finished in 1988. In 1988, the new Coolangatta Hotel opened its doors under the guidance of Billy Coo. In 1992, the hotel was on sold to Dilan Corp under the guidance of Ian Lancini and in April of 2001, the Coolangatta Hotel was once again sold, where it now forms a part of the Vinta Hotel Group.

Under the leadership of Vinta Hotels, the Coolangatta Hotel has grown into one of the best live entertainment venues in Australia. The maintaining of the Cooly Beach Culture consists of good times, a laid back atmosphere, great live entertainment encompassed with great views of the Pacific Ocean, including the famous break at Snapper Rocks. It has long been a summer tradition at the Coolangatta Hotel to spend your day at the beach and then crossing the road for a cold beer and watch the sun set. The Coolangatta Hotel has also maintained its strong local heritage and roots to the local sporting, business and greater community.