HUNTER VALLEY TO GET FIRST NEW ULTRA-LUXURY RESORT IN 20 YEARS
A new 65-villa luxury resort complete with a longevity spa, vineyard villas and major Gillie & Marc art collection is coming to the Hunter Valley in 2027.
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A major new luxury resort development is set to reshape the Hunter Valley’s high-end tourism offering, with HVL Hotels unveiling plans for Laval Hunter Valley, a 65-villa resort opening in Pokolbin in 2027.
Positioned on the historic 165-acre Lindeman Estate site, Laval is being described as the first new-build luxury resort of its scale in the Hunter Valley in two decades.
The project is expected to generate about $49 million annually in economic activity while supporting up to 479 jobs across construction and ongoing operations.
HVL Hotels Managing Director Dominic Lambrinos said the development aimed to create a new benchmark for regional luxury tourism.
“Laval is more than the answer to a longstanding gap in the Hunter Valley’s luxury accommodation segment,” he said.
“It represents an ambition to do something that hasn’t been done before, on the most magical piece of land within the valley.”
The resort will feature 65 pavilion-style villas positioned throughout a working vineyard landscape, including a Wabi Sabi-inspired Presidential Villa designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. Architecture will be led by EJE Architects, with interiors by Some Studio.
The development will also include a private helicopter landing facility, a 25-metre red-tiled pool overlooking Shiraz vines, landscaped meditation meadows, sensory gardens and a major ecological regeneration program involving more than 21,000 plants and 6,782 vines.
One of the resort’s defining features will be its art program, anchored by one of the world’s largest collections of Gillie & Marc sculptures. The collection will include 13 large-scale outdoor works alongside more than 130 in-room and digital pieces integrated throughout the property.
Food and beverage offerings will be led by chef Justin North, with signature restaurant Vallery drawing inspiration from Provence, coastal Spain, southern Italy and Japan. Poolside venue La Vida and a central lobby bar will round out the culinary offering.
A 10,000-bottle cellar and 1,000-label wine list curated by Jon Osbeiston will focus on Hunter Valley heritage alongside international producers.
Wellness will form another key component of the resort, with the two-level Veraia Spa spanning 1,000 square metres and offering 15 treatment rooms, thermal circuits and longevity-focused therapies.
The Hunter Valley project is scheduled to open in the second half of 2027.
For Central Element, the start of work at Pearl represents another step in the company’s growing eastern suburbs pipeline.
All three vehicles will form part of a broader charitable initiative benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and Starlight Children’s Foundation
From its Liverpool headquarters, Kanebridge Finance brings together decades of banking and lending experience to support developers and businesses across one of Sydney’s fastest-growing regions.
3 min
South Western Sydney is undergoing a significant transformation. New infrastructure, expanding industries and sustained population growth are creating opportunities for developers and business owners—but they are also producing increasingly complex funding requirements.
Kanebridge Finance has grown alongside this changing market. Established in 1999 and headquartered in Liverpool, the brokerage combines local knowledge with specialist experience across property development, commercial lending, asset finance and working capital.
Rather than relying on a traditional founder-led structure, the business draws on the complementary expertise of three senior leaders: Marwan Rahme, Jon Gawley and Mark Donovan.
Complementary experience, shared direction
Founder Marwan Rahme continues to shape Kanebridge Finance’s broader vision and growth strategy. His focus on innovation and expanding the firm’s capabilities has helped the business evolve well beyond a conventional finance brokerage.
Managing Director Jon Gawley oversees its day-to-day operations and commercial lending activities. A finalist for the 2026 AFG Best Broker – Commercial Lending award, Jon brings more than 20 years of senior business banking experience from NAB and Suncorp. His understanding of how lenders assess commercial transactions is particularly valuable for developers, business owners and borrowers navigating complex funding decisions.
Mark Donovan leads Kanebridge Finance’s asset finance and working capital offering. Recognised as a finalist for the 2026 AFG Best Broker – Asset Finance award, Mark joined the business following almost three decades in NAB’s business banking division. His team supports businesses seeking finance for equipment, construction activity, cash flow and expansion.
Together, the three leaders provide distinct but connected areas of expertise. Clients benefit from access to a broader team while still receiving advice from someone experienced in the particular type of finance their transaction requires.
Experience demonstrated through delivery
Kanebridge Finance’s position has been built through completed transactions and long-term client relationships.
The brokerage has funded approximately $675 million across residential and commercial projects, arranged $300 million in property development finance and supported the successful delivery of more than 100 projects.
These transactions frequently involve the kinds of challenges that require more than a standard lending approach: complicated ownership structures, staged developments, commercial property, business expansion and time-sensitive capital requirements.
The firm’s work has also received industry recognition. Kanebridge Finance was named MPA Magazine’s Commercial Broker of the Year in 2025 and 2026 and received a Global Best in Mortgage award recognising commercial brokers across the Asia-Pacific region, North America and the United Kingdom.
Local knowledge in a rapidly changing region
Liverpool is more than Kanebridge Finance’s head office location. It places the business within one of Australia’s most active development and investment corridors.
The growth associated with Western Sydney International Airport and the Aerotropolis is contributing to wider industrial, logistics, commercial and residential activity throughout South Western Sydney. For local businesses and developers, these opportunities often bring financing questions that cannot be answered by comparing interest rates alone.
Project location, development timing, lender appetite, cash-flow requirements and future expansion plans can all influence how a facility should be structured. Kanebridge Finance’s presence in the region gives its team an informed understanding of this environment and the ambitions of the people investing in it.
Specialist support without unnecessary complexity
For clients, the benefit of Kanebridge Finance’s leadership model is straightforward: they can work with one brokerage across several stages of growth without receiving generalised advice.
A developer seeking project funding can draw on the firm’s property and commercial finance experience. A growing company purchasing machinery or vehicles can work directly with its asset finance specialists. A business requiring additional liquidity can explore working capital solutions with advisers who understand business banking and cash flow.
Each client is connected with the expertise most relevant to the transaction, while the wider team remains available as their circumstances evolve.
As investment in South Western Sydney continues, Kanebridge Finance is positioned to support the businesses and developments helping shape the region—combining more than two decades of local presence with the specialist capability required to turn ambitious plans into funded projects.
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