Nichole Karanfilovski outside Surfside 22. Photo: Kellie O’Brien.
Once a hotspot for honeymooners, Surfside 22 motel fell into disrepair over the years, but has been given a new lease of life by Wollongong couple Michael and Nichole Karanfilovski, now drawing strong interest from visitors to the region.
Originally built as beachside motel Surfside 22 in 1963, long before the WIN Entertainment Centre across the street existed, the property was later sold to the Norris Group, renamed City Beach Motel, and eventually converted into housing.
Six decades on, when you step inside the much-needed accommodation option for the city you’re greeted with retro Palm Springs styling in pinks and greens with clever high-tech features and luxury touches, turning it beyond simply a place to sleep and into an experience.
“When we took over the property, it was pretty run-down and hadn’t had much care,” Nichole said.
Since buying the property last April, the couple have spent 12 months meticulously renovating it to preserve its historic charm, paying attention to the tiniest of details.
“When it was Surfside 22 originally, it was the place to go for honeymoons because of the size of the rooms, and they had the kitchenettes back then too,” Michael said.
“So it really was a prestigious place, so we wanted to restore it back to that.”
Today, a peek inside the varying large-sized rooms reveals plush linen, Smeg appliances, coffee machines, retro-look fridges and keyless doors, along with guests enjoying a plunge pool and sauna.
In fact, while the whole system is contactless, guests still go out of their way to make contact and share how much they admire the attention to detail, like matching pink jugs and pots, and palm trees etched on glasses and coat hangers.
If they secure a liquor licence and approval from Wollongong City Council, they also plan to open a small bar and cafe in the reception area for both guests and the public, and stock their vending machine – next to the old-school ice machine – with alcohol so guests can craft their own cocktails at their in-room bar.
“That was the vision, just to have the old feel with all the new modern technology,” Michael said.
Although, he jokes that he was there primarily to lift heavy things, giving credit for the design to Nichole.
“We were planning on keeping it as is and working from what it was. Then when we got the keys and we saw the state of the rooms we were just like, ‘No,’” Nichole said.
While the project came with some delays due to council approvals, Michael said they were still happy they chose to renovate over a knockdown rebuild.
“It’s easier to knock things down and rebuild them than to preserve what’s already here, but this is such an iconic piece of Wollongong,” he said.
“There’s plenty of new buildings out there, but there’s not a lot of buildings that still preserve the look and feel of the older ones.”
That nostalgia behind the building has brought with it many stories from locals, often in their 80s, who either stayed or worked at Surfside 22.
“There was a lady who came in about three weeks ago, and she used to work the reception. Her and her kids lived in the apartments next door,” Nichole said.
“They would prepare all the breakfasts, then walk over with all the trays and serve breakfast to all the rooms in the morning.
“We’ve had quite a few people that have come back and been blown away by it and happy someone’s taken care of it.”
Admitting to always having appreciated good architecture, they saw the motel as a family project outside of the smash repairs business they’ve been involved in for the past 40 years.
That also meant extended family playing a part in its creation by leveraging each member’s unique expertise – from her brother’s gardening skills creating Palm Springs-style cactus around the pool, to her dad’s construction knowledge and even Michael having an IT background to incorporate the keyless entry system for a contactless service.
Nichole said all 19 members of her family were the first to test the accommodation before its August opening, giving her the opportunity to indulge in the spacious family room for five – a rare find in motels that typically only accommodate families of four.
“Everyone picked a room, and we were in that family room. Being a family of five, it’s so hard for us to find accommodation anywhere,” she said.
Opening of the 16-room motel is a welcome addition to Wollongong, which has struggled to cater to the growing visitor numbers in the region due to a lack of tourism accommodation options.
Bookings have grown steadily and so far catered to a mix of people visiting for weekend events like CrossFit through to midweek business clients.
Michael said he understood how important the beachside venue was to the tourism industry, and especially being across from the WIN Entertainment Centre.
“Even during the week, we really want to speak to that corporate travel network too, because considering the layout of the rooms and having cooking facilities, we can cater for people who are here for work,” Michael said.
He said they were looking to put in EV charging stations, which would complement their existing eco-friendly and environmental practices from biodegradable coffee pods, bamboo toilet paper, and refillable and PETA-approved soaps, shampoos and conditioners.
Learn more about Surfside 22 on Crown St, Wollongong.
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