Veriu commemorates the start of its newest build, Punthill apartment hotel at Sunshine, scheduled to open in late 2024.
Local State and Federal MPs, Sarah Connolly and Dr Daniel Mulino, and Brimbank City Councillors Sam David and Thomas O’Reilly, joined Veriu Group co-founder Alex Thorpe, CEO Zed Sanjana and developer Martin Strode of SMA Projects in a sod-turning ceremony.
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The property located adjacent to Sunshine Station, is currently undergoing a major redevelopment as part of the Sunshine Precinct Masterplan. Upon completion, the landmark project will transform the Station into a transport ‘superhub’ linking Melbourne Airport with both the CBD and regional Victoria, 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 locations supported by major sources of corporate room night demand,” says Sanjana.
“While Sunshine 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, are set to be strengthened even further once the Melbourne Airport Rail service is up and running.
“That’s going to put Sunshine right at the epicentre of the city’s thriving western region, offering enhanced prospects for employment, investment and overall liveability. At the same time, the state government’s significant investment in infrastructure and amenities in Melbourne’s west is also expected to deliver an increase in tourism.”
He added: “That means that the new hotel will be ideally positioned to fulfil the needs of both domestic and international travellers wanting quality, self-contained accommodation in what will ultimately become one of Melbourne’s busiest precincts outside the CBD.”
While Sanjana predicts the hotel’s proximity to both the CBD and the Western Business District will prove popular with corporate clientele, he also believes Punthill Sunshine will benefit from leisure travellers keen to explore Melbourne’s west, with its rich cultural diversity, natural attractions and sporting events.
Indeed, the new 90-apartment hotel represents an attractive accommodation option for both business and leisure travellers seeking the comforts of home, offering a mix of fully self-contained modern studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, designed to accommodate both solo and group travel. Each state-of-the-art apartment will also come with a fully equipped kitchen, desk and fast, high-quality internet, along with access to comprehensive conference and meeting facilities, secure on-site parking subject to availability, a gym and a guest laundry.
Joining Sanjana at the event on Wednesday, May 26, developer SMA Projects’ Martin Strode said he was confident Punthill Sunshine will attract further quality development into the Sunshine Precinct.
“The new hotel will be a welcome addition to Sunshine and pave the way for other brands and businesses to follow suit. We’re excited to be working on this project with the Veriu Group – and for the opportunity to bring our shared vision for the property to life.
High-calibre project partners are more important than ever, given the unprecedented property and construction challenges the sector is currently facing, which is why we’ve also partnered with Balmain and Co as the appointed builder, and we’re delivering the project with the benefit of IPEX to protect the stakeholders’ project funds.”
State member for Laverton, Sarah Connolly was also pleased to see the project build get underway. “With the Sunshine Precinct set to become a major transport superhub and employment centre, it’s great to see investments like this already begin to take shape.”
The announcement followed the recent opening of the Veriu Group’s 40-apartment Punthill Essendon North, caps off what has been a busy first quarter for the Victorian-based company.
The launch of the Group’s fourteenth Victorian property and second under its upscale Veriu Brand, the 95-room Veriu Collingwood is also scheduled for this May, which will bring the total number of hotels in the Group’s rapidly expanding portfolio to 21.
More announcements about the opening of new Veriu and Punthill apartment hotels at various sites are expected from the Veriu Group in the coming months.
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