10 Retro-Inspired Motels To Book For Your Next Weekend Away!

The Isla

In a fittingly charming backstory for a charming motel, The Isla was opened in April 2022 by a group of life-long friends who grew up holidaying on the New South Wales’ South Coast. Co-founder Yanna Dascarolis says they had been longing for a destination where they could all get together – so when they saw an old-school motel up for sale in Batehaven, they couldn’t pass up the chance to put a new spin on a timeless classic.

‘We wanted the motel to be a modern homage to the way we used to holiday on the iconic NSW South Coast, perfectly balanced by our love for European summers,’ Yanna adds.

Those Architects helped them bring the building back to life. Now, the 18-room motel is a breezy and relaxed getaway right across from the beach!

Book your stay at The Isla here

Motel Molly

Nestled in one of Australia’s most beautiful coastal towns, Motel Molly brings a Mediterranean seaside feel to New South Wales’ famous Mollymook beaches. The quintessential surfside motel features a mix of apartments in different coloured buildings, and several king suites – packed full of little luxuries from 50s-inspired Smeg appliances to Le Labo Santal 26 scented candles!

There’s also a poolside oasis where guests can retreat after a day on the beach, relax with a cocktail under tassel-trimmed umbrellas, cook their locally-caught fish and dine with friends under the bougainvillea. ‘It’s a really special place on the property,’ Motel Molly founder Rhys Broom says.

Book your stay at Motel Molly here

The Sunseeker

Thinking of heading to Byron Bay? The Sunseeker is a reimagined red-brick motel that will bring you back to the nostalgia of your childhood summer holidays. The warm, eclectic interiors hold nods to the past, with zebra crazy pave flooring in the lobby and a row of renovated bungalows ‘lined up like a little village’.

Co-owner and creative director Jess Frid says she and her husband Dave have also modernised the 80s motel from a sustainable point of view, which is why The Seeker is solar powered and carbon neutral!

Plus, the motel hides a kidney-shaped mineral pool below towering palm trees, luxuriously plush daybeds and a Tiki-Meets-Tropical-Brutalist-Bar serving cocktails, biodynamic wine, and craft beer. It embodies all the best bits of Byron Bay!

Book your stay at The Sunseeker here

Hillcrest Motel

Another hidden gem on New South Wales’ sparkling coastline is Hillcrest Motel, located in Merimbula. After owner and operator Caspar Tresidder fell in love with the motels ‘70’s allure’, he spent six weeks renovating the motel’s many rooms and built a new tennis court as a special nod to the ‘sunkissed holidays of yester-year’!

‘It’s a traditional Australian stay with charm and genuine service,’ he adds. You can visit all year round, making the most some of the country’s best surf breaks, beaches (and watch whales from your room!) or hop to the ski fields during the quieter months.

Book your stay at Hillcrest Motel here

The Berry View Hotel

Nothing says mid-century modern quite like Palm Springs, and you’ll find plenty of those retro vibes at this New South Wales hotel. Once a cosy but ‘dilapidated space’ in need of some serious TLC, the owners updated the entire property before opening the doors to guests at the end of 2021.

The Berry View motel stays true to its ‘drive-in motel’ roots with its playful orange doors set to a backdrop of creamy white breezeblocks and huge panel windows. Each one of the 13 rooms overlook some of the ‘most luscious’ farmland, topped it off high-tech features like remote controlled blinds and smart-lock technology to make the vintage-inspired stay a modern delight!

Book your stay at The Berry View Hotel here

River Drive Motel

River Drive Motel is a new boutique getaway nested alongside the Tarwin River, minutes from the sandy beaches of Venus Bay and just two hours from Melbourne. Having opened just earlier this year, the motel features all-new interiors with tones of eucalyptus greens, earthy rusts and wattle golds inspired by South Gippsland’s striking landscapes.

It sleeps 16 people across its five rooms, and each one showcases a collection of unique local art. But one of the best parts is, the owners have designed it with family in mind, making the most of the acre garden with plenty of spots to read, relax and watch kids play.

Book your stay at River Drive Motel here

The Blue Water Motel

Light, laid-back, and beachy are the best ways to describe The Blue Water Motel in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. The newly renovated motel captures the relaxed ‘coastal vibe’ of Kingscliff with retro hints in the dusty blue exterior and its overhead sign.

Highlights of a stay there include the saltwater swimming pool, the converted lemon-yellow retro caravan (dubbed Lulu’s), and featured pelicans – as a homage to the pelicans seen at Cudgen Creek! You can even leave the car at the motel and hire one of their bikes for a ride to Kingscliff and Dreamtime Beaches.

Book your stay at The Blue Water Motel here

Kyneton Springs Motel

Designed as a ‘salute to the classic motor-inn’, Kyneton Springs Motel honours the great Australian road trip in new, playful ways. Each one of the rooms varies in style, drawing inspiration from a range of different eras – with ‘70’s macho wallpaper’ in one room, 1960’s pastels in another!

Catering to everyone from weekend travellers, to trades and professionals looking for a convenient mid-week stay, the founders say the Victorian motel is ‘unashamedly an affordable country motel’ with fun and nostalgia dialled up to 100. Plus, you can’t go past that eye-catching sign!

Book your stay at Kyneton Springs Motel here

The Mysa Motel

The Mysa Motel – located just 11 minutes from the Gold Coast Airport – has everything you’d expect from a Gold Coast in its motel heyday! With its classic layout, kidney-shaped pool, single-level brick exterior in Palm Beach, The Mysa is all about taking guests for a thoughtful walk down memory lane.

Modernist furnishings with pops of colour have been married with the motel’s traditional character and clean lines. ‘Rather than demolish a rich slice of the Gold Coast’s history and build something brand new, we wanted to preserve the essence of the original motel as much as possible,’ owner and co-founder Eliza Raine says.

Book your stay at The Mysa Motel here

The Sails

There’s been an undeniable motel renaissance sweeping Australia post-Covid, but The Sails has been in business since December 2015!

‘We initially just repainted the entire place madly inside and out (a lot of white paint), as we only had a couple weeks before the xmas school holidays kicked in,’ owners Simon and Amanda say. Since then, they’ve been upgrading it at every opportunity, re-carpeting, upgrading their beds, and sourcing new soft furnishings that take you back in time to ‘when holidaying was easy’. The arches and the blue and white colour scheme also bring a taste of the Mediterranean to their Brunswick Heads location!

An old house now serves as their open-plan reception, retail space and pool bar, while they even have food and drink covered with Saint Maries Pizza Restaurant – their on-site restaurant and wine bar.

Book your stay at The Sails here