Aussie tech boss launches retro-fantastic motel venture

Tech whiz Chris Strode has turned back to the future with an unexpected venture after the stunning $850m sale of his startup.

Tech entrepreneur Chris Strode has launched The Shores group of retro-inspired motels. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Tech entrepreneur Chris Strode has shifted his focus from the future to the past, investing in five dilapidated Queensland motels and restoring them to their retro glory.

The 50-year-old, who founded Invoice2go and sold it for $850m to a US company in 2021, has poured his capital into reviving classic holiday spots on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane.

These once-divey digs have been transformed into sleek ‘Millennial motels’, blending nostalgic charm with cutting-edge technology, with the first now open for business on the Glitter Strip.

Mr Strode acquired dilapidated sites on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Mr Strode acquired the sites in Surfers Paradise, Miami, Kangaroo Point and New Farm, for a combined $40m over two years, forming The Shores motel group alongside hotel industry dynamo Nick Ellis and creative designer Jason Grant. Mr Strode’s brother, Greg Strode of G Build, oversaw construction.

“I was thinking, ‘I’m going to buy an old caravan, and that’s how I’ll get my taste for all things retro, growing up in the ‘70s and ‘80s,” said Mr Strode, recalling childhood holidays on the Goldie.

“Well, I didn’t buy the caravan, but I bought five old motels — and I’m certain doing up a caravan would have been a hell of a lot easier!”

The Shores Surfers recently opened its doors

The Shores Surfers penthouse has a private rooftop pool

Refurbishing the notoriously rundown properties was a time-consuming and costly process. The Shores Surfers on Trickett St recently opened its doors to holiday-makers, two years after Mr Strode purchased the site for $7.5m.

“These properties were so old and dilapidated, but they have so much character between their walls,” said Mr Strode, a father of four who splits his time between Sydney and the Gold Coast with partner, Mia Cooper.

“When we first arrived, the property was being used as a drug den. The people who ran it would rent out the rooms to people who couldn’t sign a lease anywhere else, then they’d come and kick them out during holiday periods to charge tourists inflated prices for very average accommodation.

“This project has been all about lovingly restoring a building which had become a dive. Now, it’s got a vibe to it. I like the idea of not only preserving some of the character of that era, but also bringing it back to young people,” he said.

BEFORE: The original Shores Miami motel

Mr Strode wants to preserve the charm of Queensland’s 1970s and 80s-era highway motels

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The Shores Surfers’ reimagined retro style exudes a warm, understated elegance, with mid-century modern-inspired interiors and smart technology including keyless entry and high-speed Wi-Fi for a seamless guest experience

There are a total of 14 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments across seven floors, including a penthouse with rooftop pool and alfresco zone. Nightly rates start at $199, with the penthouse priced from $999.

One of the Brisbane sites to be revamped — Cirque Apartments at New Farm

The revamped Miami Shores, a classic highway motel with a vibrant peach-toned exterior, is expected to open by the end of the year.

Mr Strode, who previously worked as a software designer for Macquarie Bank, launched Invoice2go in 2002, providing an app to help contractors and small businesses manage invoicing.

The business was later acquired by US software giant Bill.com.

Mr Strode in 2016

Originally published as Aussie tech boss launches retro-fantastic motel venture