Refurbishing motels of the 60s & 70s – a realistic guide

Tourism forecasts indicate that regional areas will see much of Australia’s increase in tourism visitation where motels provide the vast majority of tourist accommodation. There are nearly 4,000 motels in Australia, according the Hotel, Motel & Accommodation Association, and most of them now require substantial upgrading.

Government grants have enabled the Sustainable Tourism CRC (Cooperative Research Centre) to consider building types, visitor expectations and the various constraints that face operators. They have developed a model that shows how moteliers can carry out refurbishment in line with what visitors need and according to available finance. In other words, the model lays out an ‘economically sustainable path for the redevelopment of better regional tourism accommodation’.

For more information, contact Dr Linda Roberts at Victoria University (Ph: 03 9248 1320).