General News
22 February, 2026
Hotel construction ‘imminent’
CONSTRUCTION of the region’s first four star hotel in Stawell is ‘imminent’ as developers finalise plans for the project.
Plans for the new Loam Hotel were reported in the Stawell Times-News back in September.
The Loam Hotel will be constructed on the Western Highway at a cost of around $16 million and follows a period of collaboration between the developers, the Victorian Government and Northern Grampians Shire Council.
The new hotel is predicted to be a huge boost for local tourism, job creation and the local economy.
The two storey hotel will feature 77 rooms and will create 174 new jobs during construction and a further 53 ongoing jobs once complete along with 100 indirect ‘flow-on’ jobs in the supply chain.
It’s estimated the hotel will inject an estimated $150 million economic value into the local economy over the next decade.
Barkly Property Investors Director Sam Ballantyne said the new hotel will be a beacon for visitors to the region.
“Loam Hotel will be a beacon in the region, and act as a massive catalyst for visitation and investment into the local community.”
“We identified that partnering with local stakeholders was absolutely critical in the success of the property.”
“Our head contractor, Buildspec Constructions, have worked with us for over 18 months on the design. The planning and design phase is now complete and construction commencement is imminent,” he said.
Work on the development, north of the United service station, is expected to start in coming months.
Northern Grampians Shire Mayor Karen Hyslop said the hotel will give local tourism a significant boost.
“The Loam Hotel will not only provide a significant number of new motel units for tourists and travellers between Melbourne and Adelaide, but it will also offer accommodation options for management workers and contractors serving our major industries.
“It is also strategically located near the turn-off to Halls Gap,” she said.
Wimmera Southern Mallee Development CEO Chris Sounness described the hotel as an exciting project which would grow and diversify the regional economy.
"The Loam Hotel fills an important accommodation need for both tourism and business and will provide valuable employment opportunities during construction and when operating.
"Our region needs growth to survive and prosper and we are looking forward to seeing this new project take shape,” he said.
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