Luxury riverfront residences to restore Brisbane’s historic Shafston House ahead of 2032 Olympics Credits: Capella Hotel Group / Verso Projects
Real Estate News

Capella Brings Its First Branded Residences to Brisbane

The 2029 project with Verso Projects will restore the 174-year-old Shafston House into a riverfront address on the Brisbane River.

Author : Resident Staff

At a Glance

  • Capella Residences Brisbane debuts in 2029, the brand's third residential project worldwide after Seoul and Bangkok.

  • The development restores Shafston House, a private estate at Kangaroo Point that has stood for more than 174 years.

  • Verso Projects, developer of an $8.5 billion pipeline across Brisbane, is delivering the project with Capella.

  • Plans include two riverfront River Homes, a private marina, and six pools; a display suite opens in late 2026.

Shafston House has stood at Kangaroo Point for more than 174 years, long enough to have already been one of Brisbane's most prominent private residences once before, a defining symbol of prestige in its own era before it faded from that role. Capella Hotel Group and developer Verso Projects are now restoring the estate into Capella Residences Brisbane, the brand's first branded residential address in Australia and only its third worldwide, following Seoul and Bangkok.

A Historic Estate, Restored

The project sits directly on the Brisbane River, and its design leans on the site's own history rather than replacing it. Verso Projects, which holds an $8.5 billion development pipeline and more than 6,000 dwellings across apartments, townhouses, retail, and commercial projects, is handling delivery. Plans call for two standalone River Homes along the embankment, a private marina, a porte cochere with dedicated drop-off, and basement parking, alongside six pools across the property, three of which are shared among all residents.

Historic Photograph of Shafston House

Roland Fasel, President of Capella Hotel Group, in the announcement said:

"Brisbane is a city on the cusp of something remarkable, and Capella Residences is our commitment to being part of that story."

Verso Projects CEO Steve Laffey called the partnership a chance to restore Shafston Estate "to its former glory" while introducing what he described as Capella's service ethos to the Australian market.

Brisbane's Case for Global Attention

The timing is not incidental. Brisbane is preparing to host the 2032 Olympic Games, and its property market has drawn increasing international interest as infrastructure investment accelerates ahead of that deadline. Capella already operates in Australia through Capella Sydney and The Lands by Capella, but a residential product signals a different kind of commitment: not a hotel stay, but a permanent address carrying the brand's name.

A Brand Built on Restoration, Not Just Rooms

Capella has built its hospitality reputation on heritage properties rather than ground-up builds, a strategy that earned it Travel + Leisure's Best Hotel Brand recognition for three consecutive years. The brand's current footprint spans Asia Pacific, with announced openings planned for the Middle East and Europe, and its signature Auriga Spa concept, built around lunar-cycle-inspired wellness programming, appears across the portfolio. Each Capella property is positioned as a custodian of an existing site's history rather than a replacement for it, which is precisely the pitch at Shafston House: restoration first, branding second. The residential component leans on the same idea through the Capella Living Room, a shared communal space the brand describes as extending hotel-style service and cultural programming into daily residential life, set within gardens designed by award-winning landscape architects.

Private appointments for Capella Residences Brisbane are open now through the project's sales office, with a display suite planned for late 2026 ahead of the 2029 completion. That runway gives Capella nearly three years to build interest before a single resident moves in, time the brand is likely to spend leaning on the Shafston House name and its river frontage rather than renderings alone. For a market still building its international profile, having Capella attach its name, and its restoration budget, to a 174-year-old estate is as much a statement about Brisbane's trajectory as it is about the residences themselves.

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