For more than 50 years, Hillcrest Merimbula has been part of coastal holidays, family traditions and special occasions. Now, with a new chapter unfolding, there's room for more stories to be made.
In 1968, when the Curry family first set out to build Hillcrest Merimbula, Val Curry had two non-negotiables. A swimming pool and a tennis court.
Her family was building a motel high above Merimbula, on the New South Wales Sapphire Coast, and Val had a clear idea of what a coastal holiday should look like. It would take until 1974 for both additions to arrive, but more than five decades later, the pool and tennis court remain at the heart of Hillcrest.
Since opening its doors in 1969, the motel has welcomed newlyweds, families, couples celebrating anniversaries and travellers passing through. Some stayed for a weekend, others returned year after year. For many locals, Hillcrest became a familiar part of the town’s landscape, somewhere connected to a particular holiday, celebration or chapter of their lives.
“Every local seems to have a Hillcrest story, from babymoons to anniversaries,” says owner Caspar Tresidder.
It’s a history Caspar was determined to preserve when he took on the property, although his own introduction to Merimbula began quite differently.
A new chapter for an old favourite
Before becoming a hotelier, Caspar worked in the property team at Woolworths, a role that regularly took him through regional Australian towns. Merimbula was somewhere he found himself returning to, drawn to its rugged coastline and the quieter pace of life. Despite the town’s natural beauty and longstanding popularity with holidaymakers, he felt there was an opportunity for something different in its accommodation offering.
“Every time I visited, I felt the one thing it was missing was a beautiful boutique place to stay.”
When COVID arrived, Caspar found himself with time to reconsider the direction of his career. The idea of owning a motel began to take shape, bringing him back to Merimbula to explore what might be possible. It was during one of those visits that he walked into Hillcrest’s original lounge and dining room.
“The moment I walked into the Hillcrest and saw its lounge and dining room, I knew this was my next adventure,” Caspar says.
What followed wasn’t an attempt to turn an ageing motel into something unrecognisable. Hillcrest already had much of what Caspar was looking for, from its position overlooking the Sapphire Coast to the unmistakable character of its original architecture. The challenge was finding a way to introduce contemporary comforts without losing the personality that had made the property special in the first place.
Keeping the name was an important starting point. So was retaining the exterior that generations of visitors had come to recognise. Rather than working against the building’s age, Caspar and his creative team began looking more closely at the details worth preserving.
The first stage of the renovation was led by architecture and interior design practice Atelier Chardon, with styling by Miranda O’Rourke and Harrison Balodis. Together, they developed an approach that embraced the motel’s 1970s character, allowing original exposed brick, rattan, cabinetry and walnut timber to sit alongside softer contemporary additions.
Curved lounges, archways and built-in concrete benches bring a new warmth to the rooms, while the materials and colours reflect the landscape beyond the windows. There’s a subtle nostalgia to the interiors, although nothing feels overly themed or tied to a particular decade.
“From day one, the brief was to let the view lead,” Caspar explains. “With Merimbula and the Sapphire Coast stretched out in front of every room, we never wanted the interiors to compete with the landscape.”
In the Deluxe Rooms, soft archways frame curved lounges and views towards the water, while floor-to-ceiling windows make the surrounding coastline a constant presence. It’s a design approach that allows the building and its setting to share the attention, with enough character inside to make the rooms memorable in their own right.
The property’s more recent evolution includes The Residence, a two-bedroom retreat designed by Caspar’s wife, Eilidh Tresidder. Her approach introduces a more residential atmosphere, with a sunken lounge paying tribute to the era in which Hillcrest was built. It’s become one of Caspar’s favourite spaces, bringing a playful element of nostalgia into an otherwise contemporary retreat.
Throughout the renovation, longevity was as important as appearance. Materials were selected to age well, with the idea that future updates could be as simple as introducing new textiles rather than redesigning entire rooms. For a property already entering its sixth decade, it seems a fitting philosophy.
The details that tell the story
One of the most meaningful reminders of Hillcrest’s past can be found at reception, although guests arriving for the first time might not immediately recognise it.
During construction, Caspar’s builder, Chris Briggs, developed a habit of taking a second look at anything destined to be removed. Among the pieces he saved was the motel’s original reception desk, which might otherwise have disappeared along with other remnants of the old interiors.
By then, concrete had become a signature material throughout the renovation, affectionately referred to by the team as “grey gold”. Caspar and Chris decided to preserve the original desk by encasing it in concrete, creating a new reception counter around a piece of the building’s history.
“The contrast between old and new tells the story of Hillcrest perfectly,” Caspar says.
It’s a small detail in the wider renovation, but one that captures the thinking behind the entire project. The original desk remains exactly where a reception desk belongs, welcoming a new generation of guests just as it welcomed those who came before them.
The same appreciation for the past can be found across the property, although Caspar is equally interested in how people experience Hillcrest today. His ambition was never simply to create beautiful accommodation. He wanted guests to feel comfortable enough to settle in, spend time outside their rooms and enjoy the property as though it were their own.
“I genuinely want it to feel like a home away from home.”
It’s a feeling that extends into the shared spaces, where the traditional motel experience has been given a little more room to breathe. Guests might spend the afternoon by the pool, take to the tennis court, curl up beside the fire or find themselves sharing a conversation around the outdoor fire pit as evening arrives.
Rather than encouraging a packed itinerary, Caspar hopes visitors will enjoy having fewer decisions to make. The rooms offer somewhere to retreat, while the communal spaces create opportunities to spend time together, whether travelling as a couple, with family or among friends.
“Our hope is that guests slow down and let the decisions take care of themselves,” he says.
There’s a familiarity to this kind of holiday, reminiscent of the coastal motel stays many Australians grew up with. Days shaped by the weather, swimming when the sun comes out, a little competition on the tennis court and evenings spent deciding where to eat. Hillcrest brings those simple pleasures into a setting that feels comfortable, personal and very much connected to its surroundings.
Getting to know Merimbula
Beyond the motel, the Sapphire Coast has become an important part of Caspar’s life. What began as a destination he visited for work is now somewhere he shares with his wife and family, with the region’s beaches, restaurants and outdoor lifestyle playing a large part in their days.
“It’s the rugged beauty of the coastline. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere else, and we’re so lucky to have a beach for almost any wind condition.”
When he’s not at Hillcrest, Caspar admits there’s a good chance he’ll be attempting to squeeze in nine holes of golf, having become what he describes as a “complete golf tragic”, much to Eilidh’s dismay. Family time usually involves a trip to Bar Beach or Mitchies Jetty, followed by a meal at one of Merimbula’s local favourites.
For visitors wanting to explore the town through a local’s eyes, Caspar recommends starting with coffee at Fleetwood, lunch at Bar Beach Kiosk and dinner at Metro Merimbula, Bar Superette, Bar Monti or Umi-Ko.
It’s a glimpse of the community that surrounds Hillcrest and the town Caspar saw so much potential in years ago. While the motel has undergone a significant transformation, its connection to Merimbula remains central to its identity.
More than 50 years after the Curry family first welcomed guests, Hillcrest continues to evolve. Val’s swimming pool and tennis court are still in use, the original reception desk has found its way into the next chapter, and the building’s familiar character remains visible beneath its contemporary interiors.
Caspar’s own story has become part of that history, alongside the families, couples and travellers who have spent time here over the decades. When asked what he hopes guests take away from their stay, his answer is simple: to leave feeling rested, looked after and already planning their next visit.
For a motel that has spent more than half a century welcoming people through its doors, there’s something particularly fitting about that wish. The holidays may look a little different these days, but the pleasure of finding somewhere you want to return to hasn’t changed.
