The Trump Organization has entered into a hotel management and brand licensing agreement with Queensland developer Altus Property Group for a proposed 91-storey tower in Surfers Paradise – the brand’s first foray into Australia. Announced on 23 February, the project is positioned as a six-star mixed-use development that its developer claims will become Australia’s tallest building, though the path from agreement to completion is far from certain.
Altus CEO David Young signed the deal with Eric Trump, Executive Vice-President of the Trump Organization, at Mar-a-Lago on 14 February. Young confirmed the signing on the company’s website, framing it as the culmination of a pursuit that began with a cold call to Ivanka Trump in 2007.
What is proposed
The development, to be known as Trump International Hotel & Tower Gold Coast, is planned for 3 Trickett Street in Surfers Paradise. At a claimed height of 340 metres, the tower would surpass Australia 108 in Melbourne – the current holder of Australia’s tallest-by-roof-height title at approximately 317 metres – and also eclipse the Gold Coast’s own Q1 Tower at 322.5 metres total height.
The building is structured across three main uses. Roughly one-third will be a six-star resort-hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A second third will comprise 272 residential apartments, which Young says will likely start at A$5 million each. The remaining floors will house a retail plaza on the lower levels, with level five reserved for restaurants and bars.
Amenities include a private beach club, swimming pool, event facilities, Michelin-starred dining, and 24/7 butler, valet and concierge services. Construction cost is estimated at just under A$1.5 billion (approximately US$1.06 billion), according to the developer.
Young framed the ownership and decision-making structure carefully, noting that an Altus subsidiary – Altus Resorts Pty Ltd – will make all fit-out decisions within Trump design requirements. He emphasised the tower is “Australian-owned and Australian-built” and is not an American-directed project.
Significant regulatory barriers outstanding
Despite the headline deal, the project faces a material obstacle: no formal development application (DA) has yet been submitted to Gold Coast City Council. Acting Mayor Mark Hammel confirmed this in a statement, saying the council “welcomes investment in the city” but that a DA would be required and would be assessed once received.
This is not a procedural formality. The site at 3 Trickett Street currently holds council approval for an 89-storey tower. The proposed Trump Tower is 91 storeys, meaning a new application is required. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate reportedly met with the Trump Organization on 13 February, a day before the Mar-a-Lago signing, but no planning approval has been granted.
The “Australia’s tallest” claim is also contested by competing projects. A separate proposal in Surfers Paradise – One Park Lane – is planned to reach more than 390 metres, which would eclipse the Trump Tower if both proceed. In Melbourne, STH BNK by Beulah has approved plans for a 354-metre tower, which would also outstrip the proposed 340-metre Trump development. Young has acknowledged the claim is conditional, stating the tower will be complete “before the end of the decade.”
Jobs, tourism and the Brisbane Olympics angle
Young has linked the project directly to Queensland’s preparation for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, describing the completed tower as “a tourism adjunct to the Games themselves.” He also stated that construction would begin this year, though that timeline is contingent on planning approvals being secured.
On the employment side, the developer states the project will generate at least 500 construction jobs and a further 500 operational positions once the building is complete. These figures are the developer’s projections, not independently verified estimates.
Industry context
The announcement marks the Trump Organization’s first confirmed hotel agreement in Australia and aligns with a broader pattern of global brand licensing expansion under the current Trump family leadership. The Organisation also has a planned Trump plaza in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in development.
For the Australian luxury hotel market, the project adds to a pipeline of high-value tourism infrastructure developments targeting the ultra-high-net-worth traveller segment. The Gold Coast, already home to Q1, several five-star hotels and a well-established convention economy, is competing aggressively for prestige hotel flags as Queensland builds its international profile ahead of 2032.
Whether the Trump Tower proceeds as announced, proceeds with modifications, or stalls at the planning stage remains to be seen. What the signing agreement confirms is commercial intent – but in Australia’s development environment, intent and outcome can be separated by years of regulatory process.
