It’s easy to see why retro motels are all the rage. They’re a slice of Australian history, wrapped up in the gold-tinged nostalgia of childhood – and they make the perfect excuse for a roadtrip.
Which brings us to the River Drive Motel. In Tarwin Lower, part of the wild Gippsland South Coast a two-hour drive from Melbourne, this classic five-room motel, has been lovingly restored with a modern design sensibility and a nod to Australian nostalgia. A wonderful collection of more than 25 artworks by Australian artists, including First Nations and young and upcoming artists, adorn the walls.
We here at KDPO have had a great time working with Kate Hannaford and Dic Coates of Moth Design (and owners of River Drive Motel) over several years and multiple projects so it was an absolute pleasure to team up again to promote their excellent new venture.
To get the word out, we organised stays for key media and influencers including Julia Busuttil Nishimura, Rachel Donath and Jessica Nguyen, which resulted in a surge of followers on River Drive’s Instagram feed. We also secured coverage of River Drive in a range of design, travel and food publications, including The Design Files, Urban List, Delicious and Gourmet Traveller.
