Maitland Mayor, Philip Penfold, joined Veriu Group officials including CEO Zed Sanjana, and developer Panthera Group, in a sod-turning ceremony to commemorate the start of the Veriu’s first Punthill property build in regional NSW.

The announcement was met with considerable excitement by Maitland residents, with the new Punthill Maitland the first hotel brand slated to open in the town in more than a decade.

The development also kicks off the Veriu Group’s ambitious expansion plan to roll out the successful Punthill apartment hotel accommodation model in regional NSW, with a number of other regional openings scheduled for the coming years. The arrival of the Victorian-based operator is expected to provide a much welcome boost to the Hunter Valley’s tourism industry, which is currently experiencing a significant resurgence in post-pandemic travellers.

For Sanjana the decision to build its first NSW Punthill property in the Hunter Valley was a logical one. “The upper Hunter Valley has long been a key destination for both corporate and leisure travellers. But we also know that in a post-pandemic world, both groups now want to travel differently.

He explains, “From a corporate travel perspective, the region has great diversity of industry, including Energy, Construction, Government and Health being key drivers of the economy. The demand from these industries has translated into increasing demand for premium extended stay self-contained accommodation where guests can combine the benefits of business facilities with all the comforts of home.

“For leisure travellers the situation is slightly different again. We know there’s an all-time high number of people holidaying domestically. People are more inclined to want to travel closer to home and explore their own country, which has seen a huge boom in regional accommodation over the last few years compared to international which has become way more expensive. Certainly, the Hunter’s popularity as a tourism destination is showing no signs of abating.”

Says Sanjana, “While the region is currently quite underserviced in terms of this type of accommodation offering, it a model we’ve already built a very successful business on via both our Veriu Hotels and Punthill Apartment Hotel brands. We know that Punthill Maitland will fulfil a real need for both audiences, and it’s been a key factor driving our decision to build here.”

Construction on Punthill Maitland is now underway, with the property expected to open in late 2023. Located in the heart of Maitland’s High Street commercial hub, the 76-key apartment hotel will feature conference facilities, a gymnasium and café, and will cater to both the corporate and leisure travel market.

A leading innovator in the boutique hotel and micro-apartment space, the Veriu Group last week also announced the opening of its first Sydney Punthill property, Punthill Norwest, in the bustling Norwest business precinct, following the takeover of an existing Adina hotel.

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 weeks.