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Urban Rest Apartments offers premium serviced apartments and short-stay accommodation, blending the conveniences of a hotel with the comforts of a private residence. The company provides a technologically driven, effortless online experience for booking and managing stays, foregoing traditional front desks. Their portfolio includes over a thousand properties strategically located across ten major cities globally, catering to both corporate and leisure travelers seeking flexible, extended stays.
The company was founded in 2017 by David Whelan and Izabela Szumierz. They recognized a market need for elevated travel accommodations that combined the style and professional service of hotels with the space and flexibility of a home environment. Their vision centered on creating a seamless digital journey for guests, from initial booking through to departure, prioritizing guest rest and satisfaction.
Urban Rest serves a diverse clientele, including business professionals on extended assignments and individuals seeking boutique leisure stays. The company aims to redefine temporary accommodation by providing a consistent, high-quality experience across its global network. Its long-term vision focuses on continued expansion and refinement of its model, ensuring travelers always find a comfortable and connected "home away from home" wherever their journeys take them.
Urban Rest Apartments has raised $30.0M across 1 funding round.
Urban Rest Apartments has raised $30.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Urban Rest Apartments has raised $30.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $30.0M Series B in October 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2023 | $30M Series B | — | 3VC, Trivian Capital | Announced |
Urban Rest Apartments is a hospitality company specializing in premium, tech-enabled serviced apartments for short- to medium-term stays, offering stylish alternatives to hotels and short-term rentals with a focus on comfort, wellbeing, sustainability, and flexibility.[1][2][3] It serves business travelers, corporate relocations, remote workers, leisure guests, and pet owners, solving the problem of cramped, impersonal hotel rooms or unpredictable rentals by providing 30% more space, full kitchens, laundry, fast Wi-Fi, 24/7 support, and prime locations across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Ireland.[2][3][4] With over 1,000 apartments globally and rapid expansion—including recent acquisitions and new openings—the company demonstrates strong growth momentum, scaling from a Sydney startup to a multi-country operator supported by platforms like SiteMinder.[2][3][5]
Urban Rest was founded in 2017 in Sydney, Australia, by David Whelan, who drew from personal frustrations with inadequate accommodation options during extensive business travel and relocations.[2][4][5] Whelan aimed to revolutionize extended-stay lodging for corporate travelers by blending hotel luxury with rental flexibility, creating spacious, design-led apartments that promote wellbeing.[3][4][5] Early traction came from addressing gaps in personalized, modern stays; the company quickly expanded from a handful of properties to over 700 units globally, leveraging technology for a "digital reception desk" and 24/7 support to enter high-demand locations unviable for traditional hotels.[3] Pivotal moments include surpassing 1,000 stays, launching flagship properties like Melbourne CBD and Sylvia Park in Auckland, acquiring The Urban Butler in New Zealand in 2025, and entering Europe.[2][4][5][6]
Urban Rest rides the trend of tech-disrupted hospitality, blending proptech with flexible accommodations amid rising demand for hybrid work-travel, remote relocations, and "bleisure" stays post-pandemic.[2][3] Timing aligns with market forces like corporate travel rebound, sustainability mandates, and urban density favoring compact, high-end apart-hotels over bulky traditional hotels—allowing entry into premium spots via digital efficiency.[3][5] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering a "new category" of next-gen serviced apartments, inspiring competitors like Placemakr and Mint House while expanding globally through acquisitions and tech integrations.[1][5]
Urban Rest is poised for accelerated global scaling, targeting dominance as the most trusted provider in Australasia and Europe with plans for more properties, tech enhancements, and corporate-focused lines like Urban Rest Homes.[2][4] Trends like AI-driven personalization, ESG pressures, and prolonged business stays will fuel growth, potentially evolving it into a full-fledged global brand via further M&A and proptech partnerships. This positions Urban Rest to redefine modern travel comfort, directly fulfilling Whelan's vision from Sydney frustrations to worldwide wellbeing-focused stays.[2][5]
Urban Rest Apartments has raised $30.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Urban Rest Apartments's investors include 3VC, Trivian Capital.
