Australia’s fastest growing apartment hotel operator, Veriu Group, has continued the ambitious roll out of its successful Punthill apartment hotel accommodation model with the opening of its latest Victorian property – Punthill Sunshine, on 8 September 2024.
The state-of-the-art 90-apartment hotel offers guests a mix of modern studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments, designed to accommodate solo and group travel, for both business and leisure. Each apartment features a fully equipped kitchen, desk and fast, high-quality internet, along with access to comprehensive conference and meeting facilities, communal working spaces, secure on-site parking including electric vehicle charging facilities, a gym and bike hire on request, all delivering guests with both the ease and accessibility of the office and the comforts of home.
The new hotel is located in the heart of Melbourne’s rapidly expanding western corridor adjacent to Sunshine Station, currently undergoing a major redevelopment as part of the Victorian Government’s Sunshine Precinct Masterplan. Upon completion, the landmark project will transform the Station into a transport ‘superhub’ linking the CBD with both regional Victoria and the Melbourne Airport, making the decision to open the hotel there a logical one for Veriu Group CEO, Zed Sanjana.
“Strategically we’ve always sought to grow the Punthill portfolio by opening in sites supported by major sources of corporate room night demand,” he says. “While the region has historically been undersupplied in terms of quality extended stay accommodation, its existing transportation links with Melbourne’s CBD, the Suburban Rail Loop and the regional rail network put it right at the epicentre of the city’s thriving western region, and we expect this appeal will only be further strengthened once the Melbourne Airport Rail service is up and running.”
He adds, “Sunshine’s population is projected to more than double over the next 30 years, creating enhanced prospects for employment, investment and overall liveability. The hotel’s prime location is going to make it a key player in the redevelopment of the precinct thanks to its ready accessibility to freeways and public transport, and we predict its proximity to both the CBD and the Western Business District including the Sunshine Health, Wellbeing and Education Precinct and the Sunshine Plaza Shopping Centre, will prove popular with corporate clientele. At the same time, the State Government’s significant investment in infrastructure and amenities in Melbourne’s west is expected to deliver an increase in tourism. So we’re also hoping to benefit from leisure travellers keen to explore the area’s rich cultural diversity, natural attractions like Organ Pipes Park and first class sporting venues and events including the Mt Derrimut Golf Club and Knights Stadium, Melbourne’s largest soccer only stadium.”
The property has been developed in partnership with SMA Projects, which has over 30 years’ experience delivering successful high-quality commercial and residential developments across Melbourne. CEO, Martin Strode is also delighted the hotel is now open. “We’ve really enjoyed working on this project with the Veriu Group – and it’s been fantastic to be able to bring our shared vision for the property to life. This hotel will definitely be a welcome addition to Sunshine and is already paving the way for other brands and businesses to follow suit.”
The launch of the new Punthill Sunshine comes hot on the heels of the recent opening of the Group’s first regional hotel, Punthill Maitland in NSW’ Hunter Valley, with a number of other projects also nearing completion including the Group’s first ACT property – Punthill Tuggeranong and its latest Veriu hotel – Veriu Macquarie Park in Sydney.
More announcements about the opening of new Punthill and Veriu hotels at various sites around Australia, are expected from the Veriu Group in the coming months.
