Veriu Group and Riverlee have partnered to bring 100 Punthill serviced apartments to the growing community at New Epping in Melbourne’s north, with the property set to open in mid-2026 as part of a strong first quarter of 2025 for the Veriu Group in the city’s expanding northern corridor. The announcement was made today by Director of Operations, Kyle Kaya, at the site of the future Punthill Epping where he was joined by developer Riverlee’s David Lee for a ground-breaking ceremony to commemorate the start of construction.
The new apartment hotel will enjoy a prime location along Cooper Street, in the heart of the rapidly developing New Epping precinct. With a well-established master plan to develop New Epping into a key medical and commercial hub of the north west, the hotel will sit near the newly built Northern Private Hospital, and adjacent to the Northern Hospital Epping, Pacific Epping Shopping Centre and the relocated Melbourne Markets.
The area is already experiencing significant growth in commercial development, employment, and investment which is only expected to increase further with the roll out of the New Epping and other major commercial and residential infrastructure proposed under the City of Whittlesea’s Epping Central Structure Plan – all of which makes the decision to open a Punthill property in Epping a logical one for Veriu Group CEO, Zed Sanjana.
While Sanjana predicts the hotel’s proximity to Pacific Epping, expanding healthcare infrastructure and key transportation links will prove popular with corporate clientele and medical professionals and visiting families, he also believes Punthill Epping will benefit from leisure travellers visiting the area.
Attending today’s event, Riverlee’s Development Director David Lee explains that the partnership marks a significant milestone in the development of New Epping, Riverlee’s regeneration project that is transforming a 51-hectare site into a vibrant, amenity-rich community in Melbourne’s north.
The 100-key apartment hotel will comprise 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 come with a fully equipped kitchen, in-room laundry facilities, desks and fast, high-quality internet. Alongside this, conference and meeting facilities, secure on-site parking, a gym and a guest pantry, will ensure Punthill Epping can cater to both the corporate and leisure market, with the new property expected to deliver the ease and accessibility of the office with all the comforts of home.
The development will also feature a proposed destination restaurant offering alfresco dining, extending the dynamic retreat of the urban plaza, complemented by a first floor terrace for guests to relax and take in the views.
The design features a striking façade and podium, with vertical green elements woven throughout the design that marry up with the greenery of the surrounding landscape. Guests will take advantage of scenic views of Edgars Creek and the precinct’s 12 hectares of regenerated natural wetlands framed by bike paths, walking trails, and a 2.7km nature loop, along with access to a conservation area, new parks, and playgrounds.
In line with New Epping’s 6 Star Green Star accreditation as a sustainably developed community, designs feature an electric-only building design powered by an electric heat pump hot water system and a high-efficiency solar PV system. To enhance thermal comfort, efficient variable refrigerant flow air conditioning, advanced glazing systems, passive shading devices, and smart building technologies have been incorporated to ensure optimal energy efficiency throughout the year.
Today’s announcement caps off a busy few months for the Victorian-based operator, following a raft of recent openings including Punthill Sunshine in Melbourne’s busy western corridor; its first regional NSW Punthill property – Punthill Maitland; its first ACT property – Punthill Tuggeranong; Veriu Macquarie Park in Sydney’s north; and the major refurbishment of Melbourne flagship property – Punthill South Yarra. Construction is also well underway on Punthill Ryde in Sydney’s north west, with the Group’s first South Australian property – Veriu King William Adelaide, expected to launch later this year.
More announcements about the opening of new Punthill apartment hotels at various sites in both metropolitan and regional NSW, are expected from the Veriu Group in the coming months.
Hotel website
Punthill Epping185 Cooper StEpping, 3076Australia
