LiveStay Launches as Veriu Group’s New Identity Across Australia’s Living Sector

Veriu Group has today unveiled its new brand identity, LiveStay, marking the next phase in the evolution of one of Australia’s leading living sector platforms.

LiveStay brings together the organisation’s established portfolio of Living Sector brands—Veriu Hotels & Suites, Punthill Apartment Hotels and UKO a third-party operator of Co-living & Build-to-Rent Properties —under a unified identity that reflects its expanded capabilities across short, medium and long-term living.

With more than 30 years of experience in the Australian market, LiveStay has grown into a diversified platform operating across apartment hotels, serviced apartments and multifamily living, with a national footprint spanning key metropolitan markets.

CEO Zed Sanjana said that the formation of LiveStay reflects both the scale the business has reached and the way the living sector itself is evolving. “This isn’t a new business – it’s the natural evolution of what we’ve been building over many years,” Sanjana said. “LiveStay better reflects who we are today: a fully integrated platform operating across the entire living spectrum.”

From apartment hotels catering to corporate and leisure travellers, through to co-living and residential communities, LiveStay offers a diversified and scalable model designed to suit a wide range of development and asset needs. “The lines between hotels, serviced apartments and residential living have been blurring for some time,” Sanjana said. “What LiveStay represents is our ability to operate seamlessly across those categories and deliver the right solution for each asset.”

The LiveStay platform has been developed to respond to growing demand for more flexible, tailored accommodation and living solutions across hotels, co-living, apartment living and build-to-rent. By partnering with owners and developers from the earliest stages, the business identifies the optimal operating model for each property – maximising long-term performance while enhancing both guest and resident experience.

LiveStay brings proven capability across planning, operations, revenue management and asset optimisation. Its established systems, national scale and deep market expertise enable it to successfully operate complex and non-standard assets – always with a focus on long-term value rather than short-term yield.

The platform is also underpinned by long-standing partnerships with leading Australian developers and asset owners, alongside contracted accommodation relationships with more than 2,500 businesses nationwide – many built over years of repeat engagement. “

“We’ve built strong, long-term relationships across the market, and that’s a big part of our success,” Sanjana said. “Our partners know we can deliver consistent performance and adapt to different asset types and market conditions.”

Australia’s first dual brand development combining co-living with an apartment hotel; signals next phase of growth

As part of this next phase of growth, LiveStay has announced its first dual-brand development, Veriu Adelaide on Wakefield – Australia’s first integrated tower combining an apartment hotel with co-living – bringing together short- medium- and long-term living within a single asset.

The project’s official sod-turning ceremony was attended by Dr Jane Lomax-Smith AM, Adelaide’s Lord Mayor, The Hon. Nick Champion MP, South Australian Minister for Planning, Housing and Urban Development and Housing Infrastructure, Group Founder Rhys Williams, Group CEO Zed Sanjana, local developer Rob Colangelo, and other VIP guests.

Scheduled to open in 2028, the development will feature 120 Veriu apartment hotel keys and 120 UKO co-living residences, representing the first fully integrated expression of the LiveStay model. Located at 124 Wakefield Street in the Adelaide CBD, the project has been designed to cater to a broad mix of demand, from overnight corporate travellers through to extended-stay guests and long-term residents.

Wakefield Street is a strong example of where the market is heading,” Sanjana said. “By combining different living models within one asset, we can create more resilient, higher-performing developments that respond to multiple demand streams.

The Veriu component will offer a mix of studio, studio interconnecting & accessible options suited to families, colleagues and group stays, while UKO will deliver community-focused living for longer-term residents. The development will have two conference spaces, resident communal spaces, a gym, lobby, guest pantry and car parking spaces.

The Adelaide location was selected based on strong underlying fundamentals, including sustained corporate travel demand, a growing visitor economy and major activity across events, education and health sectors.

Adelaide continues to see consistent demand across multiple segments, and there’s a clear opportunity for more flexible, apartment-style accommodation,” Sanjana said. “This development allows us to meet that demand in a way that’s both operationally efficient and customer focused.

A platform built for scale, LiveStay launches with a strong and growing national footprint, with 90 sites currently operating or under construction comprising over 5950 keys, with a further 6 sites to begin construction in 2026 and 2027.

Recent activity includes the opening of Punthill Narrabundah in Canberra, alongside a pipeline of new developments across Adelaide, Ryde, Epping, Shepparton, South Yarra and Albury.

In the living sector, UKO has continued to scale rapidly, delivering six new properties last year, with a further eight developments currently under construction across key metropolitan locations in Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and a number of locations in Sydney including Randwick, Botany & Mascot.

We’ve already built significant scale, but we see a lot of opportunity ahead,” Sanjana said. “Importantly, our growth is focused on the right opportunities – where we can add value and deliver strong long-term outcomes for our development partners.

As the Australian living sector continues to evolve, LiveStay is positioned to bridge the gap between hospitality and residential living – offering a more integrated, flexible approach to how people stay, live and connect. “LiveStay is about bringing everything we do together under one clear identity,” Sanjana said. “It reflects where we’ve come from, but more importantly, where we’re going.”