Business loans for hotels

Ardent Capital Group brings the same method to every client: execution and strategy, clear advice for smart lending, and long-term growth. That means the right lender, structure and timing, straight advice so you borrow with confidence, and today's deal built toward where you want to be tomorrow. We are specialists in helping business owners secure finance to purchase their own property, and we understand the complex structures that often sit around it, including multiple trusts, holding companies and self-managed super funds. Through that work we also understand what the business needs from its cash flow, and where an overdraft or line of credit fits for working capital. For a hotel, where costs stay fairly flat while revenue swings with the season, that means the lenders among our 60-plus panel who back the strength of the operation rather than the property alone. As the property grows we stay on with you. Every figure is subject to serviceability, lender appetite and approval.

It depends on how quickly you need it and what you are willing to offer as security. Unsecured facilities are assessed mainly on trading strength and can be arranged in days, which suits a limit of $100K to $500K. Secured facilities, backed by property or plant, support larger amounts and price better, and make sense once you are funding a major purchase or an acquisition. Most established operators end up with a mix, and we shape which sits where.

It depends on your trading, your structure and the purpose, but lending here commonly runs from $100K to well into seven figures, and our range extends to $100M for larger operators. Hotels are commonly assessed as a going concern, so trading performance and the freehold are read together rather than the property alone. The binding constraint is usually serviceability rather than security, and we shape the funding early so you know your number before you commit.

Yes, and the equipment is normally the security rather than the freehold. Commercial laundry, kitchen and refrigeration, HVAC and guest room fit-out can all be funded new or used, and a floor of rooms can go on one facility. Terms are typically matched to the life of the asset, and established businesses can often be assessed on bank statements and BAS rather than full financials. Dealer and manufacturer finance programs are available too, and we compare them against a bank facility.

By funding the revenue you lose as well as the works themselves, which is the part operators most often underestimate. Taking a floor offline removes income while the cost base and the interest keep running, so the facility needs to carry both. We size it to the works plus the downtime, and set repayments to start landing once the refurbished rooms are earning at the higher rate. Bring us the scope and the staging early, subject to serviceability and lender approval.

No. Plenty of operators fund growth without touching the family home, either through unsecured facilities assessed on trading, or by securing against the equipment being purchased. Property security widens the range of lenders and structures open to you, so it is worth considering once you are borrowing well into seven figures. The choice is yours, and we will show you what each option costs before you commit.

An unsecured facility can often be approved within 48 hours and funded inside a week where the business is established and the BAS and bank statements are current. Secured facilities take longer, typically two to four weeks, because a valuation is involved. The practical advice is to open the limit before you need it, ideally when you are planning the spend rather than when the invoice is already due. Timeframes are indicative and subject to lender appetite and approval.

Yes. Many lenders assess established businesses on 6 to 12 months of bank statements and recent BAS rather than full year-end financials, which suits operators whose accounts lag the current run rate. It works best where the trading account shows regular receipts and the ATO position is current. If you have a payment plan in place, say so early, because several lenders will still proceed when it is disclosed and being met.

Yes, and it is a commercial property deal rather than a working capital one. Hotels are usually assessed as a going concern, so your trading performance and the freehold are read together rather than the bricks alone. That cuts both ways, and getting the trading presented properly is most of the work. Owner-occupiers can generally borrow a higher proportion than a passive investor would. Our commercial property team handles these end to end through our hotel property finance service.

Yes, and seasonality is normal rather than a problem, as long as the facility is built for it. The mistake is sizing a limit to an average month, which leaves you short in the trough and paying line fees on unused headroom in the peak. We size to the peak of the gap and structure repayments to fall when the money actually arrives. Lenders that fund accommodation expect the pattern and price it accordingly.

Most of the time, no. We are paid a commission by the lender once your facility settles. Where a deal requires significant preparation or involves unusual complexity, a small mandate fee may apply. We will always be upfront about this before any work begins.

Although we are based in Sydney, we service clients across all major Australian cities, including Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, along with their surrounding regional areas. Wherever your business is located, we can arrange your finance.

Although our main speciality is property loans for business owners, such as a property loan to buy your hotel, we also assist with laundry and housekeeping equipment finance for hotels and working capital. On asset finance, that covers laundry, kitchen, HVAC and commercial vehicles. On working capital, we arrange business overdrafts, lines of credit and cash-flow funding. We also arrange commercial mortgages if you are buying or refinancing a freehold.