Firm in ‘ winding- up’ bid

THE company that owns Quest Townsville on Eyre has lodged an application for the winding- up of the former franchisee that ran the hotel.

Rest Assured ( QLD) Pty Ltd started legal proceedings against Quest North Ward Townsville Tenancy Pty Ltd on August 28. A hearing on the application will be held in the Supreme Court in Townsville from 9am on September 26.

Quest North Ward Townsville Tenancy Pty Ltd, believed to be Melbourne- based, had run the hotel after construction finished until last December when Quest Apartment Hotels took over operations.

The 85- room hotel at 19 Leichhardt St in North Ward has views of Rowes Bay and Magnetic Island and is described as a serviced apartment- style hotel.

Quest developer Robert Zammit said the business was running “extremely well” at close to 70 per cent occupancy.

Winding up is a process in which a company’s outstanding matters are finalised, its assets liquidated and it ceases to exist as a company.

Rest Assured has also been involved in legal action with Townsville City Council in re- cent months. On July 7, Rest Assured lodged proceedings in the Planning and Environment Court regarding the type of units in the hotel.

The case was adjourned after commencement.

On August 22, the council lodged proceedings against Rest Assured for a “money owing claim”.

The council did not respond to the Bulletin’s questions.

Mr Zammit declined to comment on the cases as they were ongoing but said the legal action stemmed from a dispute over discretionary rates.

Quest runs a second hotel in Townsville, located in Palmer St, which is not connected to the legal action.