The Hurley Hotel Group is a proud South Australian; family owned and operated business for over 45 years. To celebrate #NFBD today, we’re looking back at where it all began and how our family business has grown to employing over 600 staff, operating 10 hotels in SA and NSW, a winery, seven Hurley Cellars retail outlets, accommodation along the Murray River and other significant investments across our state.

A little history…

The Hurley Hotel Group started with Peter Hurley in 1975 when he purchased the Wudinna Hotel, where he meet his soon to be wife Jenny Pengelly. After selling his share of the hotel to his brother Brian, Peter and Jenny then purchased the lease of the Spencer Hotel in Whyalla in 1978.

In 1979 Peter and Jenny purchased the lease of the Hotel Royal in Torrensville, their first suburban hotel. Over the next few years, they continued to grow their hotel property portfolio including the Marion Hotel in 1984 and the Arkaba Hotel in 1991. Peter’s brother Tony Hurley took the reins of the bottleshop and partnering with local retailers Sip'N'Save, Tony has grown the Hurley Cellars retail liquor business to seven convenient locations across SA.

More hotels were subsequently purchased by the Hurleys with other partners over the years. The Tonsley Hotel in 1997, the Alma Tavern in 2000 with Adelaide Crows legends Mark Ricciuto and Simon Goodwin, Kensington Hotel, Torrens Arms Hotel, Pretoria Hotel at Mannum and in 2007, the impressive Port Lincoln Hotel.

The next generation…

The Hurley Hotel Group continues to grow with the next generation of the Hurley family stepping up into senior roles within the business. Peter and Jenny’s son Nick Hurley is responsible for the group’s accommodation rate management. In 2019, the group acquired the Ivory Tavern and Marina in Tweed Heads NSW with their daughter Samantha and husband Scott Oakley moving interstate to take over management and renovations of the hotel. Samantha now works as the Finance Director of the group and Scott manages Hotel Royal and other building projects. In the same year, Anna Hurley, Peter and Jenny’s youngest daughter assisted with the major redevelopment of the Marion Hotel, overseeing the renovation project and is currently Hotel Manager of the Marion. Family values flow throughout the business with many long serving staff encouraging their own children to join the Hurley workforce. The group’s own General Manager Sam McInnes has been with the business for over 20 years with his older sons now also working at TA.

Since the beginning, the Hurley Hotel Group have worked closely with many local family-owned businesses including AH Beard, Galipo Foods, Rohde’s Eggs, Harris Seafood, Surround Interiors, Fotobase, Polar Displays, Colourbox Printing, Boylen, Big Screen Video, Xpansionz Electronics, Seeley, Contect Electrical, BJ Plumbing, Goodall Refrigeration, Letcher Moroney, Wallis cinema, MiniJumbuk, Coopers, Henschke, d’Arenberg, Brown Brothers, Chaffey Brothers, Jim Barry, Taylors Wines, Yalumba and many more.

Today, we celebrate being a proud family owned and operated South Australian business. Thank you to our staff, local suppliers and fellow family-owned businesses for your ongoing support the past 45 years – the best is yet to come!