Retro motels are making a comeback in road trip itineraries – and these charming motel stays are far from old-fashioned.
Motels were once a popular choice in Australia for road trip stopovers with their neon signs, bold colours and budget prices. But a shift in tastes saw these icons disappear, making way for beachside high-rise developments. Fast forward a few decades, and retro motels are enjoying a resurgence, with a growing collection reviving the quintessential Aussie beach holiday.
It’s a trend we don’t see waning, with Australian travellers looking to support local businesses with a focus on sustainable travel, upcycling and vintage. From the modest to the ultra-glamorous, these reimagined motels offer nostalgia, style and charm in spades.
1. The Monty, Anglesea, Vic
The Monty's breeze-block pool area channels serious Palm Springs energy.
The Monty’s bathrooms are bright and playful.
Nina is in the main reception building.
The Great Ocean Road’s motel scene has had its own glow-up with The Monty, a Palm Springs-inspired reinvention right on the Anglesea River. Vintage meets modern throughout the property’s 16 rooms, with playful, locally commissioned artwork, blackout drapes and minibars giving each space its own personality, while dedicated DDA-compliant rooms ensure the retro glow-up hasn’t left accessibility behind.
Outside, a breeze-block pool area surrounded by desert-inspired plants is the obvious drawcard on a warm Surf Coast afternoon, while onsite cantina Nina serves up coastal Californian-Mexican dishes and margaritas overlooking the river. It’s an easy walk to Anglesea’s Main Beach and boardwalk from the front door, making it one of the better-positioned retro stays for anyone road-tripping the Great Ocean Road.
2. Dolphins Motel, Mollymook, NSW
Step into the Retro King room.
Just moments from Mollymook Beach, Dolphins Hotel reopened in June. Previously a regular roadside stay, it’s been transformed into a retro-inspired coastal retreat with 10 boutique rooms, a three-bedroom apartment for larger groups, a pool, native gardens and on-site Dolly’s Cafe. Think mid-century-inspired design, paired with a tasty menu championing regional South Coast producers. All wrapped up with that surf-town flair.
3. Kyneton Springs Motel, Vic
The neon sign is hard to miss.
The Kyneton Springs Motel has debuted a new eye-catching retro aesthetic following a refurbishment. The motel is bold and adventurous, with its fizzy neon sign and individually curated kitschy-cool rooms. While its design leans towards Palm Springs’s classic design, the experience is a nod to the great Australian road trip.
Filled with nostalgic vibes, the motor inn offers 20 curated suites, each boasting luxurious comforts and an Insta-worthy décor. Outside their rooms, guests can enjoy a cocktail in the pastel-hued shade of The Patio, grab a bite from the diner-inspired menu at Cathie’s Kiosk or browse the gift shop.
4. Blue Water Motel, Kingscliff, NSW
Blue Water Motel sports fresh peach and lemon tones of the 60’s to complete the coastal vibe. (Credit: Blue Water Motel)
Just down the road from the iconic Halcyon House, you’ll find Blue Water Motel in Kingscliff. This modest motel has had a modern makeover by renowned designer Jason Grant, sporting fresh peach/lemon tones of the 60’s that will have you craving gelato to complete the coastal vibe.
“From the very start, it was clear what the Blue Water Motel should be – relaxed and a bit retro. We didn’t want to lose any of the original charm or nostalgia to the Aussie surf coast motel," Grant said.
“Painting the exterior soft pale blue was a given. We kept the best elements and added details that felt like they belonged, and also improved and streamlined the spaces. We stripped it back and opened it up, injecting colours and materials that made it feel relaxed but elevated, coastal but not too beachy. And in the process created a little bit of modern retro coastal cool in Kingscliff".
The result is luxe for less, an indulgent stay without the premium price tag.
5. Mysa Motel, Palm Beach, Qld
The kidney-shaped swimming pool and retro sun loungers are the stars of the show. (Image: Soda Shades)
The Mysa Motel (pronounced mee-sa) ethos is a modern twist on retro Gold Coast. Husband and wife team Eliza and Jason Raine rescued the Palm Trees Motel from demolition and lovingly transformed the motel with great consideration and sustainability in mind. Many design elements have been upcycled to reduce the environmental impact, including the original hardwood ceiling trusses repurposed for the carport.
Dusty pink hues and dreamy tiles feature throughout, but the star of the show has to be the kidney-shaped magnesium swimming pool and retro sun loungers for a truly relaxing GC vacay.
6. The Beach Rooms, Nambucca Heads, NSW
The Beach Rooms overlook the Nambucca River and the ocean beyond.
Formerly The Blue Dolphin, locals Paul & Shannon Scott spotted potential in the old motel that had been lying dormant for years.
Perched on prime land overlooking the Nambucca River and ocean beyond, the intrepid couple have transformed the dilapidated digs into a welcoming oasis with a central pool, communal spaces and a choice of rooms to accommodate couples and families.
Shannon is a friendly host, escorting guests to their room and sharing local tips and recommendations, making The Beach Rooms the perfect stop on a North Coast road trip.
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7. The Sunseeker, Byron Bay, NSW
Sunseeker offers family-friendly facilities with all the adult trimmings.
The Sunseeker reimagines ‘80s brick motel nostalgia with breezy coastal vibes for slow holidays in Byron Bay.
Not just a hipster haven, Sunseeker offers family-friendly facilities with all the adult trimmings. Kids will love the nature-inspired playground and scoot around the complex on complimentary skateboards.
Adults may sip cocktails by the mineral pool (heated in winter), browse the library featuring a carefully curated collection of books on art, culture and architecture and snack from locally sourced minibar items.
Don’t leave without some Sunseeker merch, from mugs to totes and classic t-shirts emblazoned with Sunseeker’s mantra ‘Holiday Often’.
8. Loea Boutique Hotel, Maroochydore, Qld
The Loea is a revitalised 1980’s brick motel turned into a modern marvel.
The brainchild of Andrew and Lucy Pink, the couple revitalised a 1980’s brick motel into a modern marvel. And while ownership may have changed, the legacy of the Florida-inspired beach motel continues, complete with vintage food truck cafe, magnesium swimming pool, communal garden and classic cruiser bikes for hire.
9. The Bower, Byron Bay, NSW
Step into the quaint white-washed cottage.
With an unassuming façade, the true beauty of The Bower lies behind the palm tree-fringed fence, where you’ll find an oasis of cool with a stunning circular pool at its heart.
Presented with a tired, old 1970s-style motel as their canvas, the Bower design team retained the original shell while repurposing and re-imagining it into a contemporary and sophisticated Australian beach motel. The result is a collection of luxe rooms and suites, thoughtfully provisioned with the latest must-haves, a moody cool-colour palette and signature freestanding bathtubs.
The ethos of The Bower is to seek out places with character and history that have a story to tell that can be acknowledged, honoured and enhanced. Escape to paradise and create your own story at The Bower.
10. The Brunswick, Brunswick Heads, NSW
The Brunswick is all about calming natural tones and textures with a laid-back style.
The sign as you enter Brunswick Heads says “Simple Pleasures", and what could be more pleasurable than a simple, classic retro motel vacay? Brunswick is the epicentre of retro cool motels, with your choice of The Brunswick, The Chalet Motel and The Sails Motel all located on the Old Pacific Hwy.
The Brunswick is all about pared-back simplicity of calming natural tones and textures with laid-back style. Retaining the standard motel layout and convenience of being able to park directly outside your room, rooms also overlook the lagoon pool for resort-style vibes.
11. The Chalet Motel, Brunswick Heads, NSW
The Chalet is surrounded by some of Bruns’ best eateries for the perfect endless summer holiday.
The Chalet Motel is a boutique 60s-style motel revived by the owners, Louisa Bligh and Ryan Bowman, who were inspired by their travels in LA.
They wanted to recreate that simple, cool motel style in Australia. They achieved this with 12 comfortably stylish rooms, a saltwater swimming pool and a cabana. A bonus? The Chalet is surrounded by some of Bruns’ best eateries for the perfect endless summer holiday.
12. The Sails Motel & Pool Club, Brunswick Heads, NSW
Stocking a curated selection of local signature sips, the pool club is the place to be.
The Sails Motel & Pool Club features 22 classic-style motel rooms plus a Palm Springs-style pool and bar. Stocking a curated selection of local signature sips, the pool club is the place. Also enjoy relaxed nights at the onsite restaurant, Saint Maries Pizzeria and Wine Bar.
13. The Isla, Batemans Bay, NSW
Find 1970s coastal chic with tech-forward modern touches. (Credit: Destination NSW)
The Isla sits in the heart of Batemans Bay. This chic, 18-room boutique motel merges a 1970s coastal motor lodge with modern (if somewhat nostalgic) style and tech-forward amenities. Besides the restored outdoor pool, The Cantina is a fun standout. This reimagined minibar/vending machine room features sparkling water on tap, a selection of artisan snacks, local craft beer and pre-mixed cocktails
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14. The Hillcrest Merimbula, NSW
The vibe in the rooms is coastal elegance with design flourishes that wink back to the 60s and 70s. (Credit: David Rogers)
The modern two-storey Hillcrest Merimbula motel faces seaward and is everything you’d expect from a quintessential mid-century motel. Dating back to the late 1960s, the vibe in the rooms is coastal elegant with design flourishes that wink back to the sixties and seventies.
Stay for a long weekend, and you’ll meet a cast of characters: hipsters from Sydney, architecture enthusiasts and high-end holidaymakers who simply want to soak up the sun poolside for the duration of their stay. Inside, the rooms are like shrines to the 70s with contemporary touches such as concrete tables, delicate linens, and funky feature mirrors.
15. Berry View Hotel, NSW
The hotel captures the essence of Mid-Century design.
The lightness and brightness of the Berry View Hotel is one of the key elements that will make you feel contained and comfortable during your escape to the Shoalhaven. While white sets the tone at the refurbished motel, there are also pops of colour from the burnt orange doors that will brighten your day.
Enjoy the nostalgic experience of driving right up to that signature door, which screams of Palm Springs. Once inside, find flashes of charcoal and ochre that bring on more of the breezy vibes.
The boutique hotel has paid homage to the bones of the original 1950s motel with 13 individually styled rooms and a new pool, all of which have been given a vintage-style glow-up. The property is full of colourful and original décor and captures the essence of Mid-Century design. It’s a masterpiece.
16. Kyah Boutique Hotel, Blackheath, NSW
Step into the charm of the original 1970s-era motel, with an updated Palm Springs-esque design. (Credit: Steven Woodburn)
Hidden away in the Blue Mountains village of Blackheath, less than two hours from Sydney, you’ll find the luxe Kyah Boutique Hotel. The 1970s-era motel has been reimagined with a Palm Springs-inspired design by Sydney-based design firm, MKD Architects.
The final result is a 46-room mountain retreat with Art Deco-inspired furnishings, on-trend archways, curves and cosy nooks tucked away throughout the communal areas of the hotel. There are three separate buildings – each named after one of Katoomba’s famed Three Sisters – all connecting to the central lobby and Blaq restaurant and bar. Other hotel facilities include a pool, tennis court and vegetable garden to explore.
There are four types of guest rooms on offer, starting with the king suite that sleeps two, twin queen rooms that sleep up to four guests, two-bedroom suites sleeping up to five guests, and the family rooms sleeping up to six people. Each room features a luscious colour palette of blush and blue hues or more earthy tones of olive and rust.
17. Surfside 22, Wollongong, NSW
Step into the perfect amount of nostalgia.
Surfside 22 presents a strong case for the comeback of Australia’s roadside motels. This coastal-chic stay embraces its retro bones – think white breezeblock walls, pastel hues and a palm-fringed garden. But the Wollongong motel also repackages the original formula with the sort of comforts modern road-trippers actually want.
There’s a plunge pool and sauna for post-surf recovery, North Beach and City Beach are both an easy stroll away, and rooms range from king studios with kitchenettes to interconnecting options for families. It’s nostalgic without being naff.
18. The Whale, Narooma, NSW
Mix retro-chic with incredible views.
Having just opened in June, Merivale’s The Whale offers a boutique hotel overlooking Wagonga Inlet in NSW’s Narooma. Walk into decor drawing inspiration from the spirit of 1970s Ibiza. Here, natural and earthy decor nod to the building’s motel origins and supply a gentle retro twist.
With 18 rooms total, find a two-bedroom Oceanview Penthouse and nine Premium Suites. Elsewhere, dive into a heated magnesium pool, have a hit on the pickleball court, warm up in the traditional sauna, brave the ice bath and relax by the sunset-facing firepit.
Dining is covered with breakfast and all-day dining menus served poolside, in the extensive gardens, or by the sunset-facing firepit, with in-room dining also available. Think fried prawn sandwich and a katsu chicken burger, using local suppliers like Narooma bakery Honorbread.
Restaurant Queen Chow has also reopened inside The Whale, with refreshed interiors and a menu of fresh seafood, dumplings and signature dishes – like its iconic barbecued duck.
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Sally Scott is a seasoned travel writer based on Bundjalung County (Northern Rivers) who knows a thing or two about luxe holidays. Whether it's road tripping regional Australia or jetting off on an overseas sojourn, Sally seeks out unique...
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology...
From rainforest walks and scenic drives to historic gold-rush towns and standout regional dining experiences, you can find it all in West Gippsland.
Hover over West Gippsland on Google Earth and you’ll see vast tracts of land spread out like green velveteen around the Toorongo Falls Reserve. It’s a landscape that feels almost impossibly lush for a region sitting little more than an hour from Melbourne.
Track southeast in late autumn and early winter and you’ll see pockets of the Mt Baw Baw Plateau dusted in snow. In addition to the forests of mountain ash veined with creeks and rivers, there are pastures and farmland cross-stitched together to form pretty patchworks.
But West Gippsland isn’t defined by scenery alone: in addition to its awe-inspiring nature, a Venn diagram of the region includes gold-rush history and great culinary experiences. Spend a long weekend here and it quickly becomes clear how often these three overlap.
Getting there
Spend the weekend eating and exploring in West Gippsland. (Credit: Messmates Dining)
Getting to West Gippsland involves as easy drive – it’s just over an hour out of Melbourne along the Monash Freeway.
Not driving? Catch the train from Melbourne on the Gippsland line, terminating at either Traralgon or Bairnsdale, and hop off at Warragul or Drouin.
Visit historic villages
Wander into Australia’s Gold Rush history at Walhalla. (Credit: Rob Blackburn)
The West Gippsland region is on the Traditional Lands of the Kulin and Kurnai nations, specifically linked to the Bunurong, Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Peoples, whose connection to Country stretches back thousands of years.
European settlement occurred in the 19th century as timber cutters, farmers and gold seekers pushed into the region’s dense forests. Small towns grew around sawmills and railway lines, and many of those gold rush settlements, timber towns and railway villages still shape the character of the region today.
The most evocative of these is Walhalla Historic Township, a remarkably preserved gold-rush township tucked deep in the mountains. In the late 1800s, it was one of Victoria’s richest goldfields. Today visitors can step inside that history at the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, where underground tours reveal the scale of the mining operation that once powered the town’s prosperity. Nearby, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway retraces part of the original narrow-gauge line through the valley, offering a slow journey past forest and river scenery.
Further west, Noojee is a classic mountain village. It’s surrounded by dense forest and waterfalls and has become a natural base for exploring the Baw Baw region. Just outside town, Noojee Trestle Bridge stands as one of West Gippsland’s most striking relics of the rail era. The towering wooden structure is the tallest surviving trestle bridge in Victoria and today forms the centrepiece of an easy scenic walk with wide views across the valley.
Catch your own lunch at Alpine Trout Farm. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)
At Alpine Trout Farm near Noojee, visitors can fish for trout in mountain-fed ponds before enjoying the catch prepared fresh onsite. It’s a simple experience that reflects the area’s long connection to the surrounding waterways.
Back in Warragul, the region’s main service town, the story shifts from heritage to modern regional life. With galleries, restaurants and sweeping views across the rolling farmland of Gippsland, the town has become a lively hub linking the district’s past with its evolving food and cultural scene. Drive through the town and you’ll find heritage buildings, old pubs and weatherboard cottages that hint at the area’s early days as a frontier landscape.
In other towns the past survives in quieter ways – a historic hall here, a century-old bakery there.
Even simple roadside stops can feel cinematic in West Gippsland. The region also delivers plenty of opportunities to lace up your walking shoes.
One of the region’s most rewarding nature escapes lies just outside Noojee at Toorongo Falls Reserve. A network of walking tracks winds through the cool-temperate rainforest where towering mountain ash trees filter the light and the air smells of rich, damp earth. The 2.2-kilometre trail to the viewing platform overlooking Toorongo Falls is short, but spectacular, as the water cascades down over moss-covered rock faces into a cool, green gully in Little Toorongo River.
Further north, the Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort offers year-round adventures. In winter, the mountain attracts skiers and snowboarders. The warmer months are just as compelling, with scenic drives to see alpine wildflowers, mountain bike trails and panoramic hiking routes that open across the plateau.
Cyclists and walkers looking for a more relaxed pace can follow the Rokeby Neerim Rail Trail, which traces a former railway line through farmland and small Gippsland villages. The mostly flat trail passes rolling paddocks, creeks and historic bridges, making it an easy way to drop it down a gear when exploring the countryside.
Taste the best eats of West Gippsland
Taste the best of the region at Hogget Kitchen.
For many travellers, the real drawcards of West Gippsland are the food and wine. The region sits in the heart of Victoria’s fertile dairy country, and that agricultural backdrop has helped shape a dining scene where seasonal produce and local provenance take centre stage.
Hogget Kitchen has helped put Warragul firmly on the radar for serious regional dining in West Gippsland. Here, head chef and owner Trevor Perkins runs the kitchen alongside well-known winemakers William (Bill) Downie and Pat Sullivan. Hogget Kitchen lives up to its promise of exceptional destination dining; what lands on the table depends largely on what nearby farms have harvested that week as well as a wine list from Wild Dog Winery and other Gippsland producers.
Warragul is also where you’ll find Messmates Dining where the kitchen team is led by Michelin-trained chefs. The Euro-leaning bistro and wine bar brings a polished edge to the local dining scene using produce sourced from across West Gippsland.
For something more casual, the century-old Noojee Hotel is the kind of hub that every traveller dreams of finding after a long drive. Expect generous pub classics served on the sunny deck in summer or beside the crackle of a log fire in winter. Nearby, rustic Toolshed Bar, Bistro & Cabins is the place to go for a wood-fired pizza topped with smoked local trout paired with Gippsland wine, making it a rewarding stop for lunch or an overnight stay.
Time your visit with the Truffle Festival
Food lovers visiting in winter should consider timing their trip to coincide with Noojee Truffle Festival, running from 10 July to 2 August 2026. The inaugural event celebrates the region’s emerging truffle industry with tastings, special menus and events built around one of winter’s most prized ingredients.
