According to property developer Mirvac, Australians are spending more than 321 million nights on trips away from home annually1, a growing number that is influencing how people live and thereby the design of Australian apartments.
With hotels offering modern conveniences such as concierge services, chauffeur transfers, in-house gyms and spas, dry cleaning and room service, Mirvac says it’s understandable that with so many overnight trips, these conveniences are becoming routine expectations for living.
As such, property purchasers are looking more and more to lifestyle options offering the conveniences of a hotel and a lock and leave lifestyle that allows them to travel without worrying about their home whilst interstate and abroad.
Mirvac has seen the trend and is designing new styles of apartments for the shift toward hotelisation of the home.
Elysa Anderson, Mirvac’s General Manager of Residential, Victoria said apartments now needed to be five star experiences where everything a resident needs is at their fingertips.
“With over 40 years of experience, Mirvac has observed the changing needs of buyers and we understand the desire for a home life that offers the convenience of hotel living as part of everyday life,” she said.
“Resident amenity is often one of the first things people ask about when purchasing an apartment.
“In this world where everyone is time poor, they want convenience, and we are able to offer that without them having to leave the building.”
The Eastbourne, Mirvac’s East Melbourne apartment development overlooking the Fitzroy Gardens, has set new standards in bringing the perks of hotel-style living into the home.
A concierge arrival, porte cochere and double-height lobby offer the first impression of the lifestyle on offer. A residents’ lounge offers a cosy gathering space to invite friends or neighbours to relax by the fire. Entertaining spaces also include a terrace and dining room complete with kitchen for special gatherings.
A cinema and business centre are further examples of hotel conveniences available at home in hotel-like apartments at The Eastbourne. Understanding the shift in flexible work hours and people working from home, the ability to hold a meeting or set up a hot desk enables the flexibility of a home office without the need for a spare room on the floorplan.
Travellers accustomed to a gym in their building are also looking to purchase apartments with access to gym facilities. While the Grand Pavilion Penthouse at the Eastbourne comes with a rooftop pool, residents of prestige apartments have access to spa-like wellness space offering a 20-metre lap pool, gym, yoga and weight zones.
Eastbourne's Masters Club & Wine CellarMirvac’s 43-level Voyager tower at Wharf’s Entrance, standing tall at the gateway to Melbourne from the Bolte Bridge, also takes its design from the needs of travellers, in more than just its name.
Overlooking the city skyline, Voyager offers ‘The Societe’ – a rooftop residential zone the first of its kind in Melbourne. The open-air space offers private dining, a bar, lounge, sunken fire pit, theatre, karaoke. A yoga and work out zone also mean your trainer can now come to you.
Like The Eastbourne, Voyager also offers the concierge experience for residents who enjoy the entertaining and recreation facilities that a large home would afford, with the ‘lock and leave’ convenience of an apartment.
“The ability to lock up and leave their apartments for a few days and still come back and enjoy a tranquil, green, landscaped lounge area is something apartment buyers appreciate, and they’re looking for a work-out space in the building and entertaining areas they can book,” Ms Anderson said.
Mirvac has taken this concept of hotelisation of the home to a new level with its offering for the purchaser of its Grand Pavilion Penthouse.
The Living Collection will see the home-owner treated to a myriad of bespoke services equal to the most exclusive hotels in the world. It proposes a suite of services including butler service, celebrity chef custom dinners with a renown sommelier on hand for wine matching, even a regular dog grooming service.
“Living in a hotel is a luxury lifestyle and we are designing apartment residences that offer that experience daily,” said Ms Anderson.
Main image: Pool, yoga and gym facilities at Mirvac's Eastbourne
[1] Source: Australian Government, Austrade: Tourism Research Australia https://www.tra.gov.au/research/domestic-travel-by-australians.html
