Urban Rest Apartments
Urban Rest Apartments operates a digital-first, no-front-desk serviced apartment platform offering premium short-stay accommodation across 10 major cities in Australia, the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand, serving business and leisure travelers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSurry Hills, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Urban Rest Apartments does
Urban Rest Apartments is a digital-first serviced apartment operator providing premium furnished short-stay accommodation for business and leisure travelers. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Surry Hills, Australia, the company operates a portfolio of 1,000+ boutique apartments across 10 major cities spanning Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra), the United Kingdom (London), Ireland (Dublin), and New Zealand (Auckland). Urban Rest's primary customer segments are business travelers requiring work-friendly accommodations with reliable WiFi and flexible terms, and leisure travelers seeking apartment-style space, kitchens, and living areas as an alternative to traditional hotels.
The company's core product is a single unified line of premium serviced apartments, marketed under the Urban Rest brand. The underlying platform is a digital-first booking and guest experience infrastructure that supports online reservation, contactless digital check-in, and 24/7 remote support, deliberately eliminating traditional front-desk operations. Differentiated proprietary features center on the end-to-end online guest journey (browse, book, check in, support, check out), positioning the company as a digitally native alternative within the furnished apartment category.
Urban Rest generates revenue through short-stay apartment rentals billed on a subscription-based, pay-as-you-go cadence, with nightly and weekly rates varying by city, apartment type, and length of stay. Distribution is direct-to-consumer only, via the company website (stayurbanrest.com), with no disclosed third-party travel agency (OTA) channels. The company is privately held, small (11-50 employees), and led by co-founders David Whelan (Founder and CEO) and Izabela Szumierz (Co-founder and Managing Director - Europe). A single early-stage funding event in 2017 with Sentor Investments is disclosed, with no subsequent capital raises or exits identified in the supplied data.
Urban Rest Apartments firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Urban Rest Apartments
- Website
- https://urbanrest.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Urban Rest Apartments operates a digital-first, no-front-desk serviced apartment platform offering premium short-stay accommodation across 10 major cities in Australia, the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand, serving business and leisure travelers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Urban Rest Apartments industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Serviced Apartments
- NAICS
- Accommodation (721), Other Traveler Accommodation (72119)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Hotels & Motels (7011)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Urban serviced apartments (city-centre) (THAMACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Temporary Housing & Extended-Stay Corporate Accommodation (THACALAC)
Keywords
Where Urban Rest Apartments is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Surry Hills
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices8 records
Markets served
Urban Rest Apartments business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Short Stay Accommodation Rental: Premium serviced apartment rentals for short-term stays, offering nightly and weekly rates for work and leisure travelers
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Standard apartment rentals |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Urban Rest Apartments product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Urban Rest provides premium serviced apartments and short-stay accommodation across 10 major cities in Australia, the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. The company blends hotel services with at-home comforts—equipped kitchens, living areas, and dedicated workspaces—delivered through a digital-first model with online booking, online check-in, and 24/7 remote support in place of a traditional front desk. The portfolio comprises 1,000+ boutique apartments targeting both business and leisure travelers seeking flexible stays.
Product overview
Urban Rest offers a single unified product line of premium serviced apartments and short-stay accommodation. The company's offering is centered on providing boutique apartments that blend the best of hotel and at-home comforts across the globe. Key features include seamless online booking, online check-in, and 24/7 support access. The service operates without a traditional front desk, emphasizing a digital-first, effortless online experience. With 1000+ Urban Rest stays in 10 major cities worldwide, the portfolio includes properties across Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra), the UK (London), Ireland (Dublin), and New Zealand (Auckland).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Urban Rest Premium Serviced Apartments Premium serviced apartments and short-stay accommodation that blend hotel and at-home comforts for business and leisure travelers. The product spans 1,000+ boutique apartments across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, London, Dublin, and Auckland, with fully equipped kitchens, living areas, dedicated workspaces, online booking, contactless check-in, and 24/7 remote support in place of a traditional front desk.
Companies that use Urban Rest Apartments
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Urban Rest Apartments technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Urban Rest Apartments partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Urban Rest Apartments competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Quest Apartment Hotels: Australia's largest serviced apartment operator with 170+ properties focused on corporate and leisure stays. Directly comparable to Urban Rest in product category, customer base (corporate/SME travelers), and extended-stay model, though Quest runs a traditional front-desk model versus Urban Rest's digital-first approach.
- Sonder Holdings: Tech-enabled serviced apartment operator offering short and long stays in boutique apartments across multiple cities, with app-based booking and check-in. Closely aligned with Urban Rest's digital-first, no-front-desk model and premium-boutique positioning; key difference is Sonder's heavier US/European footprint.
- Adina Apartment Hotels: Operates upscale serviced apartments across Australia and Europe, primarily targeting corporate travelers on extended stays. Directly overlaps with Urban Rest's product, target customer, and Australian geographic footprint.
- Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites: Operates a large portfolio of serviced apartments and hotels across Australia, New Zealand, and select international cities. Comparable to Urban Rest in serviced apartment product and business/leisure customer mix, though larger and more legacy/hotel-conventional.
- Veriu Hotels & Suites: Australian boutique hotel and apartment-style accommodation operator focused on design-led properties. Comparable to Urban Rest in boutique positioning, business/leisure customer base, and Australian footprint.
- Corporate Housing by Owner (CHBO): Online marketplace specializing in 30+ day furnished rentals for corporate relocations and extended business stays in the US. Comparable to Urban Rest's extended-stay/corporate accommodation value proposition.
- Blueground: Tech-enabled serviced apartment operator offering fully furnished apartments with flexible leases across global cities, targeting business travelers and relocations. Closely comparable to Urban Rest's digital-first, premium-serviced-apartment model across multiple geographies.
Broad incumbents
- Airbnb: Global short-stay rental platform with the largest inventory of apartments and homes for business and leisure travelers. Overlaps with Urban Rest's serviced-apartment product and corporate-traveller segment, but operates as a marketplace rather than a curated operator.
- Vrbo: Global vacation rental platform specializing in whole-home short stays. Comparable to Urban Rest in leisure short-stay use cases; competing overlap exists in cities where Urban Rest lists apartments, though Vrbo focuses on traditional vacation homes versus curated boutique apartments.
- Staybridge Suites: Extended-stay hotel brand within IHG focused on business and relocation travelers seeking apartment-style amenities (kitchens, living areas). Direct overlap with Urban Rest's extended-stay use case and corporate customer base, though asset-heavy versus Urban Rest's asset-light model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Urban Rest Apartments financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Urban Rest Apartments leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Urban Rest Apartments funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Urban Rest Apartments M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Urban Rest Apartments
What does Urban Rest Apartments do?
Urban Rest provides premium serviced apartments and short-stay accommodation across 10 major cities in Australia, the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. The company blends hotel services with at-home comforts—equipped kitchens, living areas, and dedicated workspaces—delivered through a digital-first model with online booking, online check-in, and 24/7 remote support in place of a traditional front desk. The portfolio comprises 1,000+ boutique apartments targeting both business and leisure travelers seeking flexible stays.
Is Urban Rest Apartments a public or private company?
Urban Rest Apartments is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Urban Rest Apartments founded?
Urban Rest Apartments was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Urban Rest Apartments based?
Urban Rest Apartments is headquartered in Surry Hills, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Urban Rest Apartments make money?
One revenue line is on record: short Stay Accommodation Rental.
Who are Urban Rest Apartments's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Quest Apartment Hotels, Sonder Holdings, Adina Apartment Hotels, Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites, Veriu Hotels & Suites, Corporate Housing by Owner (CHBO) and Blueground. Broad incumbents are Airbnb, Vrbo and Staybridge Suites.
Does Urban Rest Apartments have an API?
No public API is recorded for Urban Rest Apartments.
What industry is Urban Rest Apartments in?
Urban Rest Apartments's product category is Serviced Apartments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAMACAA, Urban serviced apartments (city-centre), with a secondary code of THACALAC, Temporary Housing & Extended-Stay Corporate Accommodation. Its NAICS code is 721 and its SIC code is 7000.