Inside the bitter family feud over a $6million Gold Coast unit which is ripping apart a superwealthy hotel empire dynasty
Two generations of pub barons are pitted against each other in a raging feud which has split a hotel empire family down the middle over a $6milllion Gold Coast penthouse.
The civil war tearing apart the De Angelis hotelier family for more than a year has erupted again, this time over sewage and water levies and unpaid rates at the luxury high-rise apartment used as a holiday home for decades.
The 1100sqm penthouse, made from two adjoining apartments opposite Main Beach Surf Club, has an outdoor heated pool, sauna, tennis court and uninterrupted coastline views south to Coolangatta and north to Stradbroke Island.
It is owned in equal shares by the four children of pub magnates Alcide ‘Arch’ De Angelis and his wife Robyn De Angelis – Phillip, Peter and Marc De Angelis, and Nicole De Angelis-Hood.
The wealthy warring siblings, who all live in luxury Sydney properties, are in a spat partly over a few thousand dollars.
The simmering hostilities are just the latest in a feud which appears to have split the parents, at least legally, with matriarch Robyn siding with Marc and Peter, who once dated Golden Bachelor host Samantha Armytage.
They are pitted against Arch in concert with Phillip, Nicole and her husband, Brendan Hood.
Nicole and Phillip have launched a suit in the Supreme Court of Queensland against Peter and Marc in an attempt to have trustees appointed to sell the property, the Australian Financial Review reported.
Court documents allege the apartment complex’s body corporate has issued two statements for unpaid levies for $7128 and $6344, with the Gold Coast City Council allegedly issuing final notices over the outstanding rates, water and sewage bills.
Family feud: Arch De Angelis and his wife of almost 60 years Robyn De Angelis, above with daughter Nicole De Angelis-Hood, are on opposing sides of a massive family split
Phillip De Angelis, above with ex-girlfriend Nellie Tilley who split after an explosive row in 2016, has teamed up in the dispute with his father
Peter De Angelis, above with his former date TV star Samantha Armytage, is in his mother’s camp, along with brother Marc
The once close brothers and their older sister appeared in court in December, and are said to be trying to settle out of court ahead of their next appearance in February.
Aged between 48 and 53, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin, they live in even more luxurious digs than the Main Beach flat, with the oldest, Nicole, in a $15million waterfront home with private beach and pontoon in elite Woolwich, in Sydney’s lower north shore.
Phillip lives at his parents’ $20million six-bedroom home on the Lane Cove River, in nearby Hunters Hill where Marc also lives in a waterfront home. Peter lives in the exclusive eastern Sydney enclave of Darling Point.
The Main Beach apartment was first purchased by Arch De Angelis’ company Arga Pty Ltd in 2006 for $1.05million, and sold it to his four children in 2010 for $2.45million, with its worth more than doublings since.
The Main Beach Parade row is just one of several family disputes tearing apart the De Angelis clan, whose wealth was built on the portfolio of hotels established by Arch and Robyn.
These include southwestern Sydney’s Edmondson Tavern, the Hume Highway Hotel in Yagoona, the Moorebank Hotel, the Raby Rose Hotel, as well as the Picton Hotel, plus the Burwood’s Bath Arms Hotel and the Ancient Briton Hotel, Glebe, in the inner west.
Phillip De Angelis is a familiar figure to some in the Sydney court scene, having been charged with reckless wounding and common assault as well as counts of domestic violence against his interior designer ex, Nellie Tilley.
Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court heard that Phillip hurled a lighter at Ms Tilley, leaving a deep cut on her forehead during an argument at his Bondi apartment in September 2016.
The latest episode in the De Angelis family civil war centres on this $6million luxury Gold Coast penthouse which has an outdoor heated pool, sauna and a tennis court and uninterrupted coastline views
Phillip De Angelis is no stranger to a courtroom, having been sentenced after hurling a lighter at designer Nellie Tilley, leaving a deep cut on her forehead during an argument at his Bondi apartment in 2016.
He also damaged the door to the bathroom with his feet and fists in February 2016 after Ms Tilley took his phone and ran to the bathroom where she ‘found footage of the offender having sex with another person’.
His sentence of 300 hours of community service and home detention was later downgraded to seeking treatment from his GP and an alcohol ban.
In 2018, Arch and Robyn De Angelis became embroiled in a neighbour dispute over a 20m-high gum tree on their waterfront property in Sea Street, Hunters Hill.
Michael Leech, who lived next door, took his claims that it was dropping branches which risked toppling onto his house to the Land and Environment Court.
He said the De Angelis couple had ignored his complaints. In 2019, the court’s acting commissioner John Douglas ordered the massive eucalyptus to be cut to ground level, the stump poisoned and the base of the tree removed within 45 days.
Next month in the Federal Court, Robyn De Angelis is due to feature in a suit she has taken out against her billionaire brother and legendary publican Arthur Laundy.
Ms De Angelis is suing Mr Laundy over poker machine licences she alleges he moved out of a family holding company.
Last year, Arch De Angelis filed a claim in the Supreme Court of NSW against his wife, and son, Peter, regarding control of the associated family companies.
The De Angelis pub dynasty owns multiple hotels, including the Bath Arms (above) in Burwood, near the court where Brendan Hood was granted an AVO out against his mother-in-law Robyn De Angelis
Robyn De Angelis has taken out a separate court action against her biollionaire brother and legendary pub magnate, Arthur Laundy (above)
He asked the court to halt Robyn and Peter’s involvement in the running of some family pubs, alleging they breached their directors’ duties to the family companies, and that Peter held ‘certain cash’ from pub revenue.
The suit also asked an assurance that Arch and another family member, David De Angelis, continue as directors of the De Angelis corporate entities.
In a separate matter, NSW Police lodged an Apprehended Violence Order on behalf of Brendan Hood against his mother-in-law Robyn at Burwood Local Court, near the family’s hotel.
The contested Gold Coast apartment finances include Peter’s submission he has paid most of the bills for more than two years, forking out $226,087, with Marc paying $30,000, Nicole $19,552 and Phillip $26,552.
Peter De Angelis is also no stranger to courthouses, having pleaded guilty to high-range drink-driving with a reading of 0.171 when he was pulled over in inner-city Darlinghurst on April 1 , 2025.
It was his fourth drink-driving offence, two of them occurring while he was in charge of a boat.
His high-profile relationship with TV presenter Samantha Armytage ended around 2012.
