Everything old is new again
Celeste Mitchell finds the retro revival of old motels across Australia shows no sign of slowing down “These makeovers have shifted perception of what a motel is to a generation of travellers who once saw them as dingy.”
Some customers hanker for the roadside motels of their childhood holidays. Others want to experience the vintage cool of what those motels have become. Regardless, it’s clear nostalgia is driving the retro resurgence up and down Australia’s east coast.
You could put it down to the economy – motels are generally more affordable than hotels. Or perhaps our enduring love of roadtrips is what has created the demand. Whatever the driver, the results are undeniably fun, and I’m a sucker for them.
I first stayed at a refreshed retro motel on the Gold Coast around 10 years ago – the complimentary cruiser bikes and cute umbrellas outside the baby-blue weatherboard shack had me by the heartstrings. But while original quirks like the mini cereal boxes for breakfast were fun, it didn’t quite meet the style and comfort expectations that drive my holiday bookings.
Since then, new moteliers have really stepped up. Rundown motels are rediscovering their halcyon days, attracting a new generation of travellers who count looks, location and sustainability as accommodation must-haves.
They’ve got the location thing sorted. Most motels built between the ’50s and ’70s are on major arteries in prime holiday spots – think the Gold Coast Highway and Great Ocean Road. They still had their retro sign-writing and most had the all-important pool, only now they’ve been given a magnesium upgrade. They were just crying out for some love.
Motels like The Sails (thesailsmotel.com.au) in Brunswick Heads, which was refurbed in 2015, have helped to breathe new life into sleepy beachside towns. Adding a great restaurant and wine bar helps. Here it’s Saint Maries. And elsewhere, the catering and minibar game is strong.
River Drive Motel (riverdrivemotel.com.au) in Victoria’s Tarwin Lower showcases local ARC Wines, Really Good liquorice and Ultra Culture hot sauce for your BYO oysters, while I love The Isla (theisla.com.au) in Batehaven and Motel Molly (motelmolly.com.au) in Mollymook for its variations of gourmet vending machines.
More recent openings have seen reception swapped for self-check-in – Mysa Motel (themysamotel.com) on the Gold Coast was the first place I experienced this in 2021, and The Isla embraced tech in order to transform the redundant manager’s residence into two suites, one with its own plunge pool. Now you can arrive anytime and not speak to anyone if you don’t want to.
Calling on interior designers has seen clear motel personalities emerge, too. The low-fi surf town style of Blue Water Motel in Kingscliff (thebluewatermotel.com.au) is a favourite for my family and was designer Jason Grant’s first motel project – one many locals have thanked him for. “We don’t have wild budgets but it’s knowing where to spend and where to splurge,” he says.
He’s now working with the new owners of The Shores in Miami on the Gold Coast and has joked that it will have a Melrose Place vibe. The owners of Motel Molly called on interior design and architecture practice Richards Stanisich, while The Sunseeker (thesunseeker.com.au) in Byron Bay was jointly curated by creative consultant Julia Ashwood.
Walls are being used as revolving art galleries – River Drive Motel is filled with rotating artworks from 25 Australian artists – while wellness is also on the menu. The new Sunnymead Motel (sunnymeadhotel.com.au) at Aireys Inlet has an onsite spa with a rasul (mud steam room), vichy shower and bathhouse. Others are reinstating nostalgic touches. A new grass tennis court was added during the renovation of Hillcrest Motel (hillcrestmerimbula.com) in Merimbula.
The makeovers are intrinsically sustainable but some motels, like The Sunseeker and Mysa, have also switched to solar, while many offer eco-friendly options like refillable amenities, compostable slippers and complimentary bike hire. There’s no slowing the trend either, only room for expansion.
The owners of Blue Water Motel and Chalet Motel (chaletmotel.com.au) in Brunswick
Heads snapped up neighbouring beach houses at both properties to add to their inventory and the Palm Springs-esque Kyneton Springs Motel (kynetonspringsmotel.com) expanded from eight to 20 rooms in its refurbishment.
All these makeovers have shifted perception of what a motel is to a generation of travellers who once saw them as dingy, and, as result, are changing the culture of the Aussie beach holiday. Why stay in a holiday park or average house when you can check into a motel with luxe amenities, locally sourced bites and maybe even a day spa for the same price?