A Motel Worth A Look!
- Posted By Jenny Chellew
Who has watched the new show on Netflix called Motel Makeover? It is just six, half hour episodes and I admit to binging them over the weekend. The premise is the purchase of a dated, 1970’s (some might say derelict) motel on a beach in Canada, and yes, with deep snow in winter.
Admittedly, you need to overlook the drawn-out vowels of the millennial hosts (& owners) voices and manufactured drama but I could not help but be drawn in by their fun retro style; a vintage 1970’s motel re-imagined with a modern 1960’s aesthetic.
The creation of a retro destination motel is not a new concept and a bit of googling will suggest that America has been transforming old motels for the past 20 years or so with Australia catching on in recent years with many examples of vintage motels and caravan parks re-imagined & modernised.
I reflected on my childhood where my sister and I would pile into the back of our white, Holden EK station wagon with the back seats down & mattresses laid out (a time before mandatory seat belts) and hit the interstate road to visit family. Our trip was broken by a stay in one of the many roadside motels with flickering motel vacancy signs, welcoming hosts and if we were lucky, there was a couple of plain biscuits in crinkly plastic wrap. The motel pool was a real treat and served its purpose when there was regularly insufficient hot water for us all to shower.
But back to the show… with just a budget of $10k per room, an abundance of imagination, strong branding and a lot of hard yakka, what was achieved in Motel Makeover was impressive. The girls maximised the visual storytelling power of Instagram creating many curated opportunities for guests to take selfies and post about the idyllic, fairy-tale experience they were having. I had absolutely no idea about the importance of strategically placed mirrors, or the colour chosen for each rooms front door in creating that perfect insta moment!
The past 18 months of COVID lockdowns has amplified our desire for travel and with international borders closed and expected to remain so for some time, you can understand the longing to hit the road and experience holidays where making memories is key and you can experience a simpler time.
With the competition of Airbnb and growing dominance of exclusive, luxury holiday homes, motels and caravan parks can still be affordable for family holidays and those seeking a getaway weekend. But, affordable does not have to mean lacking in personality, good times and those genius Instagram moments.
Grab a glass wine, Netflix and chill!
Better Business Brokers is located in the beautiful township of Bright and are specialists in buying and selling accommodation, tourism and country-based businesses across North East Victoria. We’ve had years of experience helping both companies and individuals sell their businesses and we look forward to helping you to.
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Jenny Chellew is an accredited Business Broker who loves helping business owners realise their dreams.