Opening a beachside hotel on the cusp of winter might seem like a missed opportunity. But Jack Davis, co-owner of Torquay’s new Surf Hotel, doesn’t see it that way.

“It’s somewhere that can really hold you in the cooler months,” Davis says. “We’ve designed a place for winter, that we know could also work well in summer.”

The four-bedroom “penthouse” is like a ski chalet gone surfy, with ocean views through palm trees. Suites come with freestanding circular bathtubs, mirroring the shape of the skylights above them. And the onsite restaurant and bar, led by top chef Jo Barrett, has a loungey “Cosy Corner” with a wood-burning fireplace, named for the family-friendly beach a short walk away.

What was previously the rundown Surf City Motel on The Esplanade has been reborn with 16 new-look rooms and suites (plus that penthouse) that thoughtfully weave in surf culture.

In recent years there’s been a nationwide movement towards slick refurbishments of old motels. Not all are created equal, and the design heft behind the Surf Hotel certainly sets it apart. But another point of difference is its deeply rooted sense of place.

This is an area that’s home to the longest-running surf competition in the world and the legendary amphitheatre of Bells Beach. Rip Curl was founded just up the road in 1969. Instead of a redesign that superficially references the Surf Coast – one of the spiritual homes of Australian surfing – it’s leant on community connections to embed little parts of it into every corner. Even the welcome lobby’s “Drop Inn” neon signage, by Tric Studio, speaks surf lingo.

Surf Hotel is powered by Blackwood, a hotel and hospitality venture that Davis runs with fellow developer George Robinson. They’ll soon begin refurbing The Warby, a motel in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, after reopening The Roy at Queensland’s Rainbow Beach.

Preservation is integral to their renovations. At the Surf Hotel, “We still wanted the building to feel like Torquay: casual, coastal, tactile and generous,” says Davis. That meant honouring the more than 40-year-old bones by restoring – and, in some cases, rearranging – the motel’s original brickwork, but completely rethinking what lies within it. Leading the charge were architects Forum Studio and interior designers Pasquale Cook.

Across the convoy of king-sized rooms, low ceilings have been raised to add a sense of scale, and north-facing skylights. Custom honeycomb-look bedheads were designed to mimic how the wind disrupts the sand at iconic nearby Bells Beach. And cork flooring is soft and cooling underfoot.

“The interiors were designed to be casual and comfortable, but also quietly refined,” says interior designer Sophie Di Pasquale. “And custom commissions – sculptural lighting, handcrafted furniture – by Australian artists and local artisans add an individuality that grounds the hotel in its local context.”

“The palette draws directly from the character of the original building and its brick façade,” adds partner Sally Cook, referencing the earthy terracotta tiles that run throughout each room, rich timber joinery and hand-glazed Japanese tiles in the luxe bathrooms. “We wanted to balance rustic character with warmth and ease.”

Every room has a record player, with a vinyl collection curated by Torquay’s J Wray Records. Surf mags and zines live on bedside tables. Rip Curl co-founder Doug Warbrick has recreated a range of belly boards, used to surf in the 1920s, just for the hotel (there are a few boards for guests to borrow).

Welcoming both guests and locals is a vibey lobby that’s part reception area, part gallery and shop. Curator Andy Mac traces the region’s history and spirit through a collection that includes an oil painting of “one of Torquay’s most nostalgic and quintessential houses, just up The Esplanade”, Davis says, by artist Lucy O’Doherty, daughter of original Mambo artist Reg Mombassa. A blue and white Willow patterned pot by Gary Wedd, an ex-Mambo designer and six-time South Australian State Surfing Champion, tells the story of Warbrick’s life. Kodachrome photos by legendary Australian surf photographer Peter Crawford adorn most rooms.

The hotel’s light fixtures are their own works of art, from the restaurant’s glazed ceramic sconces with curvy cut-outs, to the sculptural vintage pendant over the penthouse dining table.

Perched above the lobby and restaurant, the penthouse will be a new go-to for group stays on the Surf Coast, with room for eight people. The centrepiece? An entertainer’s kitchen and living room with a killer vantage point over the foreshore.

Later this year, a wellness space will open where the motel’s pool used to be (“The best pool in Torquay is [the ocean] across the road,” says Davis). There’ll be a timber sauna and a cold plunge to bounce between, some sun loungers and a gym.

The Surf Hotel might have a relatively small footprint, but that hasn’t stopped Blackwood thinking big with a property that’s built as much for bunking down in winter as it for beach-going getaways in summer, in one of the Surf Coast’s most charming towns.

Surf Hotel
35 The Esplanade, Torquay

surfhotel.com.au

Rooms range from $310 to $380 during the opening period; the penthouse starts from $1100. Rates will vary seasonally.