Luxury serviced apartment brand Oakwood has earmarked October 2021 for the Australian debut of its Oakwood Premier brand, which will be housed in a 40-storey mixed-use development on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne.
Unlike several developments which have been pushed back as a result of the pandemic, Oakwood Premier Melbourne is running ahead of its originally scheduled 2022 opening. The brand’s debut will be the 10th property in the Oakwood Premier stable and will feature 392 rooms and apartments. Of this, 132 have been designed as studios for short-stay guests with the remainder outlined as one and two-bedroom apartments for those looking for mid-term and extended stays.
Rooms and apartments will offer views across Melbourne to Albert Park, Port Phillip Bay and Williamstown, along with picturesque angles of the city itself. Nearby attractions and facilities will include the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Melbourne Market and Marvel Stadium, with the Yarra River at the doorstep.
Within the property, guests and visitors will be able to access a rooftop sky bar, which is due to open before the end of the year. Hotel facilities will also include an all-day restaurant, lobby bar, fitness centre, lounge and games centre, meeting, conference and function rooms, co-working spaces and two outdoor green zones on Levels 5 and 6.
The hotel will feature a variety of innovative and sustainable technology, including the company’s recently announced ‘Mobile Bar’ service. In addition, guests will be able to bypass the front desk with mobile key access. Owners of electric vehicles will be able to plug in to a number of car charging stations, while elevators will be fitted with an advanced destination control system to minimise energy levels required to move people between levels.
Oakwood CEO, Dean Schreiber, says the arrival of the Oakwood Premier brand builds on the burgeoning presence in Australia of the company as a whole, which also operates Oakwood Hotel and Apartments in Brisbane.
“This second foray comes at an opportune time where serviced apartments have increasingly been recognised not just as an alternative to hotels but as a preferred accommodation both for leisure and business travellers.
Oakwood Premier Melbourne will be led by Andrew Donadel as its General Manager, who said he was excited to welcome guests to Australia’s first Oakwood Premier this year.
“The features throughout the property are outstanding, catering to business travellers who will be in town for a while and require a well-appointed residence, as well as leisure guests who may be visiting for a local staycation or stopping by Melbourne briefly,” Donadel said.
“The property exudes luxury and has been developed to pamper guests from the moment they arrive.”
A third property for the group remains in development in the outer Melbourne suburb of Dandenong which will also sit under the Oakwood Hotel and Apartments label.