Office to hotel conversion opens in Tuggeranong

The newest hotel to open in Canberra is not a grand high-rise in the heart of the city, but instead a converted innovation centre on Anketell Street in Greenway.

One of Australia’s fastest-growing apartment hotel operators, Veriu Group, officially opened Punthill Tuggeranong on Wednesday. The member for Brindabella, Caitlin Tough, was in attendance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The former Tuggeranong Innovation Centre Office Precinct underwent a major transformation into a 76-apartment hotel that offers a mix of studio and one, two and three-bedroom apartments. All have a fully equipped kitchen, smart TV and dedicated workspace.

Punthill Tuggeranong is the area’s first new hotel in more than 12 years and is expected to fill a void in accommodation options, including short and long-term stays, in Canberra’s south.

Veriu Group chief executive Zed Sanjana said the company was focused on adaptive reuse sites supported by corporate demand.

“Not only is the new property located in one of Canberra’s major commercial and government hubs, it’s also expected to cater to the Territory’s growing tourism market,” he said.

Punthill Tuggeranong is the group’s first office conversion project and the third property to open in the past four months.

The new hotel opened just two days before ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr kicked off the official launch of a new $3.1 million scale-up hub for the Canberra Innovation Network located on Moore Street in the city centre.

The facility is designed to encourage the co-location and collaboration of innovative SMEs that aim to deliver social and economic impact for the Canberra region.