Regional developer Altus signs $1.5 billion deal to bring Trump Tower to the Gold Coast

Australia is set to get its first Trump Tower, with a deal to build it on the beachfront on the Gold Coast being signed off.

Altus Property Group, headed by founder and CEO David Young, made the announcement on Monday on the deal, which has been years in the making.

"As with all significant achievements it's taken years to get us to this point," Mr Young said in a media release on the big announcement.

He said he had first approached Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump, by cold-calling her in 2007.

The Surfers Paradise-based developer, who was raised in regional Queensland and has a slew of developments across regional NSW and Queensland, said he wanted to bring a six-star development to Australia.

"I managed to get a phone number for [then] Miss Trump; 19 years ago I made the call and Donald Trump's daughter picked up," ,Mr Young said.

This month the final agreement with the Trump Organisation on the Trump International Hotel and Tower Gold Coast was signed at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Billion-dollar plus project

"We are now deeply into a process of design, engineering, construction and fitout that will cost a shade under $1.5 billion and bring the world's pre-eminent hotel-resort brand to our shores," he said.

The project will include both a hotel and residential apartments and is expected to employ 500 people during construction and the hotel a further 500 people when operational.

There will be 285 hotel rooms and 275 apartments in the beachside development.

The apartments are set to start at $5 million.

The company said the penthouse prices have not yet been determined.

Beach clubs and bars

There will also be five floors of retail, a beach club and swimming pool on the fifth level along with bars and restaurants.

Mr Young said the property was far from the image some had of Trump Tower developments.

"The file footage that Australians see, of Trump hotels and resorts with gaudy gold-plated bathroom fixtures, mirrors and heavy chandeliers, is old footage from the 1980s and 90s.

"The modern Trump package is high-end design and fitouts, with a premium feel. It's tasteful and expensive - when you walk into a modern Trump property, the impression is 'quality' and 'boutique'."

The Trump International Hotel and Tower Gold Coast will follow the same Trump design manual as the properties currently being built in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and about-to-be built in Doha, UAE.

"The design is impressive, bringing incredible quality into a package that also feels boutique."

Altus Property Group has developed in major regional areas including new community developments and house and land packages including current projects in Moree in NSW and Gracemere in Queensland.