Wollongong CBD Motel Re-opens After Retro Revival

by Matt Davidson 18th of September, 2024

Wollongong CBD Motel Re-opens After Retro Revival

A stunning new boutique motel has emerged in beachside Wollongong. After an 18 month renovation, “Surfside 22” is turning heads.

Officially welcoming the first guests on 19th August 2024, owner Nichole Karanfilovski explained their plan to deliver the Palm Springs inspired boutique motel.

“As soon as we learned the motel was on the market, we dropped everything and moved quickly to secure the property. It was in pretty rough shape, but also just an iconic motel and an amazing location. We had looked at quite a few motels in

Wollongong over recent years, but they all get snapped up by residential developers and will be knocked down. This motel has a Tourism zoning, so it needs to stay as a motel – and that’s exactly what we were chasing”.

“The building had great bones and just an iconic 1970’s holiday motel vibe. We’ve left no stone unturned in the renovations and every inch of the motel is brand new. While the retro vibes were important, we’ve covered all the modern comforts too – all the suites have, big Smart TV’s with Chromecast, wireless charging, high speed Wi-Fi, keyless entry”.

The luxurious suites are all self-contained, featuring a full kitchenette with breakfast bar and even a cocktail mixing station. The retro style SMEG appliances look just right, while the brand new bathrooms feature rain showers and some even have luxurious tubs.

Downstairs is a brand new plunge pool and sauna and a soon-to-open small bar.

“We’re already seeing huge interest from business travellers, couples and families” said Nichole. “With WIN Stadium and the Entertainment Centre directly opposite, we’ve already sold out many event nights for the next 12 months”.

Wollongong based hotel broker Matt Davidson of Tourism Property put the deal together in early 2023 and returned to see the finished product this week.

“Surfside 22 is extremely well executed. It’s fun and a little bit bold, but classic and genuinely luxurious”.

The City Beach precinct on the eastern edge of the Wollongong CBD has emerged into an entertainment hub, mixed with an ever-increasing list of premium residential apartment buildings.

Matt Davidson added: “There’s a very strong trend for renovating older motels currently. We’ve been promoting the idea for close to 10 years now, as the difficulty of developing new hotels in regional cities is really significant. Quite simply, it’s far more cost effective to “buy and renovate”, than it is to build a new hotel. There’s examples right across the country, particularly in coastal locations, where the revival is in full swing.

He points to recent examples of properties his agency has sold, where the incoming owner has invested heavily in repositioning old motels into glamorous boutique hotels.

“The Kyah”, (formerly Redleaf Resort) in the Blue Mountains has been absolutely transformed and “The Lodge” (previously Jamberoo Valley Lodge) is now unrecognizable. Both have been hugely successful.I have no doubt Surfside 22 will be a huge success – they’re soon going to wish they had a lot more rooms”.

TLDR:
- “Surfside 22” boutique motel opens in beachside Wollongong after 18 month retro revival.
- Stylish and luxurious suites, each with kitchenette, breakfast bar and cocktail station.
- Sold by Tourism Property and bought by a local Wollongong family who have searched for a local motel for many years.
- Strong trend currently for motel renovations, examples include The Kyah Boutique Hotel Blue Mountains and The Lodge Jamberoo

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