The New Luxury: Apartment Living With Hotel-Style Ease

Melbourne’s apartment market is entering a new era, as hotel-inspired living expands the possibilities of what a home can be.

The appeal is both practical and aspirational: think wellness and dining built in, help on hand for everyday tasks, and more freedom to travel, entertain and enjoy the city.

At Richmond Square by Fortis, that vision is being realised across an entire inner-city precinct.

Set in the heart of Richmond, the design-led development brings together Wiltshire House, Carmine House, an active retail and laneway hub, and a forthcoming independent 57-room hotel designed to weave hotel-style living into the rhythms of daily life.

For Avalon Nethery, Associate Director at Fortis, the distinction is important.

“It’s about bringing a genuine hotel experience into everyday home life, not just borrowing the aesthetic,” Ms Nethery says.

“Where a conventional luxury development stops at finishes and a concierge desk, Richmond Square gives residents real access to hotel services – housekeeping, dining, wellness – through the boutique hotel built into the precinct.”

Located in one of Melbourne’s most connected inner suburbs, Richmond Square is also positioned in a market that has outpaced the city overall: PropTrack’s June 2026 Home Price Index shows Richmond’s median unit price grew 5.4% over the past 12 months, compared with 1.5% across Melbourne.

Hotel-integrated living

For buyers who want the ease of hotel living without giving up the privacy and permanence of home, Richmond Square brings the two together.

Targeting a 2027 opening, the hotel will occupy levels one and two of Carmine House as an integrated part of the precinct’s residential life.

The service framework includes hotel-operated reception and security services, access to shared lounges and social spaces, wellness facilities, and dining and bar charge-back privileges.

Optional pay-per-use services range from housekeeping and linen refreshes to laundry and dry-cleaning, concierge support, delivered dining, grocery stocking, pet services and courier coordination.

“Buyers today are weighing up their time and what else is offered in a precinct as much as their square metreage,” Ms Nethery says. “They want a home that works for them day-to-day, not one more thing to manage.”

While the Penthouse Collection remains Richmond Square’s most elevated residential expression across Wiltshire House and Carmine House, the service model extends beyond it.

Shared social spaces are just one part of the amenities that Richmond Square residents will have access to.

Wellness, rooftops and views designed for modern city dwellers

At Richmond Square, wellness has been treated as a core part of daily life rather than an afterthought.

Shared health spaces include a sauna, cold plunge and fitness facilities, available to Carmine House residents via an opt-in fee or membership.

Exclusive rooftop areas bring indoor and outdoor cooking, entertaining and wellness together with sweeping views west to the city, north to Richmond Hill, east to Hawthorn and south to South Yarra.

“The rooftop spaces have been designed to capitalise on the uninterrupted city views, offering a combination of large entertaining spaces or quiet nooks for more private settings depending on the resident’s mood,” Ms Nethery says.

At Wiltshire House, the rooftop includes a bookable dining room, multipurpose room, large outdoor island bench with bar seating, sauna, showers and an outdoor yoga area.

“It’s designed as a genuine retreat above the city,” Ms Nethery says. “It’s built for residents to unwind quietly or host properly, without leaving home.”

The rooftop areas at Richmond Square make the most of the project’s incredible city views.

A bustling laneway at the door

Beyond the residences, Richmond Square unfolds as a broader lifestyle destination, delivered in collaboration with Hacer Group and shaped by Melbourne’s laneway culture.

“Richmond Square isn’t apartments with a hotel bolted on,” Ms Nethery says. “It’s a $330 million precinct built around how people actually want to live, work and socialise.”

At ground level, restaurants, cafés and specialty retailers will sit at residents’ doorsteps, creating a lively laneway that connects directly with Swan Street and Richmond’s wider dining, shopping, sporting and cultural life.

Together, the mix of residential, hospitality and public life reflects Fortis’ approach to placemaking.

Residential completion is slated towards the end of this year. Two-bedroom apartments at Richmond Square start from $1,249,000, with three-bedroom apartments from $1,879,000.

The Fortis Gallery at 440 Toorak Road is now open between 2-4pm Thursday, and 10-12pm Saturday, or by private appointment. To find out more, visit the Richmond Square website and book a private tour of the onsite display apartment.