Rescued from decay, motel is now a prime Melbourne beach escape

The hotel

The Keith Motel, Rye, Mornington Peninsula

Check-in

Retro vibes at The Keith.

The Keith is one of the many motels that line the beaches of the Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne’s favourite summer playground. Thankfully, it’s been rescued from the ignominy of decay with a recent refurbishment that catapults it back to its halcyon days as an old-school beach holiday destination. There is no reception, simply park the car out the front of your room, and key in the PIN that was texted to you ahead of your stay, and you’re in. The Keith is set on the corner of the busy Point Nepean Road and Keith Street (hence the name).

The look

Board games and books … The Keith ushers in new era as old-school beach holiday destination.

Going hard on the retro motel vibes, this is no knock-down-rebuild scenario – the owners, who also own the nearby Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, kept the single-storey structure intact, dosing its brick walls with fresh whitewash and coastal scenes by local painter Catherine de Boise. Soft sage and mustard add gentle colour, pale oak floorboards are practical and beachy. The design is simple and stylish, with great beds. The old reception is now better used as a communal games room, with a little library and comfy chairs for rainy days.

The room

Fresh, bright and back in time.

The 16 rooms include kings, queens and three family rooms, the largest sleeping up to five. For self-caterers, each room has its own little kitchenette, with a kettle, microwave and toaster, a small fridge and coffee machine, and coffee from local roaster Little Rebel, which has a cafe in Dromana. Outside, The Cabana has barbecues, sheltered picnic tables and Adirondack chairs; a cocktail caravan will be making an appearance over holiday periods.

Food + drink

Outdoor cool.

The Mornington Peninsula’s food scene is embarrassingly good, with hatted restaurants, wineries, general stores, gourmet supermarkets and farmers’ markets all lining up to fill your belly. Otherwise, it could just be as simple as fish and chips while sitting on the beach.

A two-minute walk from the motel, The Kitchen serves fresh, garlicky local mussels best paired with a Mr Bond pinot grigio. The Rye shops are a five minute-drive or 13 minutes’ cycle time away, and include an excellent wine shop (The Independent), the Rye Health Store and a brace of good cafes.

Out + about

Earning its stripes… The Lounge.

You’re here for the beach, and one of the best is just across the road from the motel. This calm section of Capel Sound Beach is quiet outside the busy summer months; grab the buckets and spades, the umbrella or – if you’re here to watch the sun set over the bay – a couple of cans of lemon myrtle and Kakadu plum-infused vodka from nearby Rye distiller Penni Ave.

Earmark a night at the Dromana drive-in, one of the few remaining in Victoria. It runs themed movie marathons over the summer months, and the 1950s Shel’s Diner, with its life-sized Blues Brothers, Elvis and Marilyn, is in keeping with the old-school theme. The nearby Sound Bar in Capel Sound has regular open-mic nights and battles of the bands.

The Keith is at the halfway point of the 30-kilometre Mornington Peninsula Bay Trail, which runs along the foreshore from Safety Beach to Portsea. You can hire bikes through the motel, which also has kayaks on offer.

The verdict

“Time to Relax”… a prime location for beach, winery or activity-packed getaways.

Roll back the clock for a stay that you can customise to be as family friendly or as couple-tastic as you’d like – The Keith accommodates all comers, with a prime location for beach, winery or activity-packed getaways.

Essentials

From $169 a night (queen). The Keith, 1929 Point Nepean Rd, Tootgarook. See thekeith.com.au

Our rating out of five

★★★★

Highlight

A swim, no matter the season, in Capel Sound Beach, just across the road from the motel.

Lowlight

The Point Nepean Road, on which the motel is set, is busy in winter, gridlocked in summer.

The writer stayed as a guest of The Keith.