Urban Rest has opened its newly renovated co-living and short-term accommodation development in Melbourne, introducing what the company says is Australia’s first mixed-use residential scheme to combine the asset classes within a single building.
Located at 23-33 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne’s Theatre District, Urban Rest Melbourne has undergone a multi-million-dollar refurbishment and now comprises a 149-key apart-hotel alongside the debut of the operator’s new long-term co-living brand – Wunder Living by Urban Rest.
The development introduces a flexible living model designed to cater for short leisure stays, corporate accommodation and long-term residents from the same building, supported by Urban Rest’s technology platform and operational model.
The Wunder Living co-living brand targets residents seeking greater flexibility than a traditional residential lease while retaining access to managed services and furnished accommodation.
Eight floors of the building have been allocated to Wunder Living, providing fully furnished studio and one-bedroom apartments available on longer-term agreements. Monthly rental rates include utilities and Wi-Fi, creating an all-inclusive pricing model for residents living in Melbourne’s central business district.
Urban Rest stated that the launch of the brand represents both the company’s first dedicated long-term residential brand and the first mixed-use building in Australia to integrate co-living and short-term accommodation within a single operational platform.
The model enables the same development to accommodate multiple resident profiles, including business travellers, leisure guests and long-term occupiers, while allowing the building to operate under a single management and technology platform.
Alongside the co-living accommodation, the aparthotel offers oversized studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, each equipped with a private kitchen, laundry facilities and balconies. The apartments have been refurbished with new furnishings and are intended to accommodate both short-term visitors and guests staying for extended periods.
Residents and guests benefit from digital check-in and secure building access, while a new ground floor residents’ lounge provides areas for working, dining and socialising. The communal space also includes private meeting rooms for larger groups and self-service luggage storage.
As part of the redevelopment, Urban Rest has partnered with fitness operator Conditn to deliver an on-site gym and a group fitness studio. Guests staying at the scheme receive complimentary access to both the gym and scheduled fitness classes throughout their stay, which the operator says is the first offering of its kind within a Melbourne aparthotel.
