Riverlee, Veriu Break Ground on New Epping Hotel

Riverlee and Veriu Group have begun construction on their serviced apartments project in Melbourne’s north.

The project, to rise on a site at 215 Cooper Street in the heart of the New Epping precinct, 18km north of Melbourne, comprises 100 serviced apartments. 

The site is close to the Northern Private Hospital, the Northern Hospital Epping, Pacific Epping Shopping Centre and the Melbourne Markets.

The area is earmarked to become a key medical and commercial hub for the north-west suburbs. 

The block will be part of Riverlee’s $2-billion, 51ha New Epping precinct, itself part of the City of Whittlesea Council’s Epping Central Structure Plan. 

The developer received planning permission to redevelop the site for the precinct, a former quarry and landfill, in 2023.

Veriu chief executive Zed Sanjana said the location made sense.

“Strategically we’ve always sought to grow the Punthill portfolio by opening in locations supported by major sources of corporate room night demand,” Sanjana said.

“Riverlee’s $2-billion New Epping project, with all its new homes, health and commercial businesses and community spaces, is expected to transform Epping from a suburb into a major regional centre, which is clearly going to drive a significant increase in the number of residents, businesses, and shoppers into the area.”

The asset will comprise a mix of studio, one and two-bedroom serviced apartments, each with a kitchen and in-room laundry facilities.

The hotel will include conference and meeting rooms, onsite parking, gym and guest pantry.

A restaurant with alfresco dining and first-floor terrace is included. The site neighbours 12ha of natural wetlands with bike paths, walking tracks and a 2.7km nature loop and conservation area, parks and playgrounds, part of the larger precinct.

The hotel will be an all-electric building, including an electric heat pump hot water system as part of the precinct’s 6 Star Green Star accreditation. 

It is scheduled to open in mid-2026.

Veriu has most recently opened Punthill Sunshine in Victoria, Punthill Maitland in New South Wales, Punthill Tuggeranong in the Australian Capital Territory, and Veriu Macquarie Park in Sydney’s north.

The hotelier has also refurbished its first Melbourne property, Punthill South Yarra, in recent months.