Celebrate the Revival of the Great Aussie Road Trip With These Retro Motels on the Gold Coast

Earlier this month (on 3 March 2021), the Gold Coast's newest retro motel -The Mysa Motel - flicked the switch to light up its pink neon sign on the highway, bringing 60s Palm Springs vibes to Palm Beach.

Complete with salmon-pink fibreglass sun loungers, breeze blocks and a kidney-shaped pool, it is the latest Gold Coast motel that is roaring back to life thanks to a mid-century makeover.

The hallmark of any great Aussie road trip, these lodgings celebrate the coast's colourful past and coastal lifestyle, but don't lack in modern comforts.

So, pack the car and roll up to the front door of these revamped Gold Coast motels:

The Mysa Motel, Palm Beach

With a lot of TLC, upcycled materials from local building sites and carefully restored vintage design pieces, the old Palm Trees Motel was transformed into a boutique luxury retro motel with a genuine dedication to sustainability.

Guests of the seven pastel-coloured rooms (and one two-storey suite) can refill their water bottles thanks to self-filtering taps found in every room, float in the magnesium mineral pool and rest their heads easy knowing the motel is powered by solar and uses rainwater for toilets and gardens.

www.themysamotel.com

The Pink Hotel, Coolangatta

Paying homage to the candy-coloured fun of the Gold Coast's famous pyjama parties in the 50s is Coolangatta's Pink Hotel.

Rooms come with plush velvet couches that pop from polished concrete floors, neon signs that light up the bathroom walls, and in some rooms, a record player with a vinyl library available at reception.

Making the most of its beachfront location, there is also a rooftop and piano bar, as well as pink beach cruisers available for hire.

www.thepinkhotelcoolangatta.com

Blue Heron Motel, Mermaid Beach

Perched on a corner block just 200m from the beach, Blue Heron Motel has been lovingly modernised with pockets of nostalgia celebrating the motel's 70s childhood.

In the rooms, crisp white paint and modern minimalist furnishings are offset by plush velvet couches and royal blue throws.

Outside, a sparkling turquoise pool, sun loungers and retro beach umbrellas invite guests to lounge in the garden, before hopping on one of the vintage bikes to explore Mermaid Beach.

www.blueheronmotel.com.au

La Costa Motel, Bilinga

This quirky, renovated retro motel allows you to step back in time to the weatherboard-clad surf shacks and motels that dominated the Gold Coast's coastline in the 1950s.

Nominated as one of the Gold Coast's original 'Highway Heritage' motels, La Costa Motel kept its original, sky-blue façade and beachside chic. Adding to the charm are mint green beach cruisers casually leaned against the white picket fence, rainbow-coloured umbrellas and pink flamingos.

With the motel situated opposite Gold Coast Airport at Bilinga Beach, it's the perfect beachside getaway just minutes from the baggage carousel.

www.lacostamotel.com.au

The Island, Surfers Paradise

Out with the old! Gold Coast 80s icon, 'The Islander Resort', was revamped, rebuilt and redesigned to within an inch of its laidback life back in 2017.

Newly dubbed 'The Island', this classic located in the heart of Surfers Paradise now boasts 98 rooms with seaside chic interiors, an extended tropical rooftop bar, pool deck and bistro.

Here, breeze blocks, blonde timber furnishings, rattan lamps and cherry pop umbrellas mingle, lending the hotel its relaxed, yet sassy and modern charm.

www.theislandgoldcoast.com.au

For more information on the Gold Coast, visit queensland.com.

Website: www.theholidayandtravelmagazine.blogspot.com.au

Tags: Gold Coast, Queensland, Motels, accommodation, Road trip, Road Trips