Relive your childhood summer holidays at these 10 retro Victorian stays

Chasing those childhood summer feels? From reinvigorated motels to bush cabins laced with luxury, here are some of our favourite nostalgia-inducing spots across the state.

MOTEL MAGIC

Sunnymead Hotel, Aireys Inlet

Why If the bright-yellow Billy Buttons and kangaroo paw plantings swaying in the breeze don’t win you over, the sunshine-shaded rooms of this retro motel in Aireys Inlet, an hour-and-45-minute drive from Melbourne, will. This 20-room motel is also home to a boutique day spa (with an ochre-toned steam room, communal bathhouse and treatment menu); a restaurant, Santara, which serves up “sunny hour” $12 cocktails and chicken-salted crispy oyster mushrooms from Friday through Tuesday; and a pool that’s studded with loungers and yellow umbrellas. Plan in advance and order a continental “breakfast bag” featuring local sourdough, butter, jam and juices. In the cooler months, a fire pit blazes. Rooms from $150. See sunnymeadhotel.com.au

Nearby Pick up a new beach read at Great Escape Books. Sandy Gully Beach is a 10-minute walk away. A 30-minute drive up the road, farming social enterprise and cafe Common Ground Project offers pastries and scenic vistas; the hub of Lorne – with its beach and eateries – is 25 minutes in the other direction.

Holbrook Motel, Holbrook

Why The ideal stopover for Melbourne-Sydney road trips, the recently renovated Holbrook Motel is a small-town gem. Just 40 minutes north of the Victorian border, 18 meticulously refreshed (and generously sized) rooms are anchored by king beds, blue-tiled showers with shampoo scented with native botanicals, and a patio overlooking a central pool. Your undercover parking spot features a bucket with a squeegee: a thoughtful addition that makes clearing the bugs collected on the Hume that little bit easier. Rooms – including one accessible – from $130. See holbrookmotel.com.au

Nearby Famous for its 90-metre landbound submarine, HMAS Otway, Holbrook is also home to two ripper second-hand bookstores and the National Pottery Museum. Order locally reared steak at the Holbrook Hotel, just down the road. Soak in the view from the Yambla View “Wambariga” Lookout.

River Drive Motel, Tarwin Lower

Credit: Nicky Cawood

Why This five-room boutique motel in Tarwin Lower, on the way to Wilsons Prom, packs a punch for its size. The one-acre property enjoys gardens shaded by established trees, big hooded barbecues and the quintessential summer song of string tennis games. It’s all about the family here, so grab a cruiser (and helmet) or a game from the garden shed and head down to the beach, or settle in and cook up with the full kitchen and minibar. It’s all style in the rooms, with angular timber detailing, dark shades of blue and green (and bubblegum pink retro bathroom tiles), and eclectic modern art on the walls. Rooms from $320. See riverdrivemotel.com.au

Nearby Swim at Walkerville South Beach. Grab dinner at the Riverview Pub. Pick up produce at Flock, Stock & Basil’s Saturday farmgate shop. Cast a line from one of Tarwin’s many wooden fishing platforms along the Tarwin River Boardwalk. Pick up a one-of-a-kind handmade mug at Valley Plains Pottery.

PUB LIFE

The Victoria, Rutherglen

Credit: By George Photography

Why Transformed over two years by a Corowa local and her husband, this 1894 pub in Rutherglen – a three-hour drive from Melbourne – is now a decadent High Country hotel with a fire-inspired restaurant turning out venison tartare and flame-licked scotch fillet. Generous rooms (including eight more by mid-2025) sport king-size beds, brass fixtures, sitting areas and – in some – soaking tubs. History oozes from the original double-hung windows, bounces between walls covered with custom pony-patterned wallpaper, and echoes beneath the heritage-listed four-metre ceilings. Sit out on the guest-only verandah, wrapped with a replica of the original wrought iron balustrade, and you’ll be transported to yesteryear. Rooms from $245. See victoriahotelrutherglen.com.au

Nearby Experience Rutherglen’s wine bounty at female-owned Stanton & Killeen. Explore the heritage facades now home to a candle shop, eateries (including Grace.) and boutiques. Pick up an e-bike from Rutherglen Radler and cycle around to see them all.

Portarlington Grand Hotel, Portarlington

Why This 18-room beachside hotel an hour-and-45-minute drive from Melbourne has been a part of Portarlington since 1888, once a resting place for weary travellers – whether visiting by ship or horsedrawn buggy. Now a boutique hotel, it features sumptuous wood-toned interiors, custom Australian-made furniture and dramatic carpet fashioned with William Morris art. Grand Bay rooms enjoy harbour views from private balconies, but all have generous bathrooms and minibars stocked with Geelong-based Love Tea and Sideroads coffee. Indulge in bowls of Portarlington mussels and play giant Jenga on the lawn (which was once a drive-through bottleshop). Rooms – including two accessible – from $255. See portarlingtongrandhotel.com.au

Nearby Jump on a Portarlington Mussel Tours boat for a seafood journey or visit in January for the annual mussel festival. Grab potato and broccolini pizza at Staple Eatery. Visit the historic Portarlington flour mill.

Bunyip Hotel Cavendish, Cavendish

Why Currently hosting guests from Thursday through Sunday, this country hotel a 3½-hour drive west of Melbourne is a powerhouse of good food and regional hospitality. The head chef shears sheep on his days off and the hotel celebrates produce – from flowers to eggs to cured meats – from hyper-local suppliers. (The owners’ other business recycles plastic farm refuse, such as bale wraps and discarded drip lines, so they walk the regional talk.) Three rooms share communal bathrooms, which feature vintage meat safes as cabinetry, and an 11am checkout. Add an affordable five-course dinner onto your stay: it’s well worth it. Rooms from $120. bunyiphotelcavendish.com

Nearby Wander Settlers Walk to go (way) back in time, or skip rocks along the Wannon River. Buy stamps, fishing bait and a coffee at Bridge Cafe. Time your visit to co-ordinate with local festivals in April (Red Gum Festival) and November (Fleece & Flower Show).

CAMPING OUT

Bright Discovery Park, Bright

Why Wake up to birdsong and spot roaming wild deer at this family-run caravan park on the banks of the Ovens River in Bright, a 3½-hour drive north-east of Melbourne. Newly built cabins enjoy rain shower heads, four-burner gas cooking, gas fireplaces and personal patios (perfect for a game of Sequence). Kids bounce off the kanga pad in the gated playground or ride on bikes beneath snow gums, but you’ll feel like a kid with a game of tennis or a song around the brick-and-steel campfire. The owners planted garden beds stocked with rosemary, mint, oregano and lettuces; take what you need to elevate your dinner. Campsites from $34. Cabins – including one accessible – from $153. See discoveryholidayparks.com.au

Nearby Buy locally made cheese at The Peak Artisan Cheesemakers. Wander alongside baby emus at Red Stag Deer & Emu Farm. Pick up gems at the monthly Bright Farmers Market. Soak in the view from Sullivans Lookout.

Anywhere, Parks Victoria

Credit: Tourism Victoria

Why Grab the tent and pack the ute: from December 30 until June 30, 2025, travellers can enjoy free access to 131 normally paid campsites across the state with Parks Victoria.

That includes dog-friendly camping at designated sites at Banksia Bluff campground, beach-access camping at Blanket Bay, and camping closer to the inner city, including at picturesque Lake Eildon. Further afield, top spots to take advantage of include hike-camping in Alpine National Park (for experienced, self-sufficient campers – and even those with horses through the Bogong High Plains) and Tidal Bluff, a 484-site-strong campground at Wilsons Prom. Bookings are essential to manage demand and access. Some campsites have access to hot showers and shelters, but many do not; research and plan accordingly. See parks.vic.gov.au

The writer travelled as a guest of some properties; other travel was self-funded.