River Drive Motel — Hotel in Gippsland

My stay at River Drive Motel was fantastic! My partner and I spent 4 days there in June while exploring South Gippsland with a group of friends, and this hidden gem surpassed all expectations.

The rooms have this cool retro vibe with stylish decor and local artworks from Melbourne and Victoria. You can tell the owner had put a lot of thought into the details of the rooms. They have also stocked some really great items in the minibar. My partner really enjoyed the Loch Beer while I savored the sourdough dark chocolate from Wawa—it was a perfect combo!

Every day we would start with morning coffee (complimentary coffee from Dukes), and I even saw a few bunnies hopping around, which was cute. They've got a shed with an ice machine and BBQ setup, and we had some amazing BBQ nights and even made s'mores by the outdoor fireplace. They even have a veggie and herb garden for guests to enjoy. What a lovely addition to our self cooked meals.

One of the highlights was spotting a big bunch of kangaroos just a short walk away (turn left from the motel and follow the main road). As someone not from Melbourne, seeing that much wildlife up close was a real treat.

If you're looking for a place, I highly recommend River Drive Motel for couples and families. They've got plenty to keep kids entertained in their shed, too. I am definitely staying again next time, especially for exploring Wilson's Prom. It's such a good location, and there are also a lot of beautiful hikes nearby. Can't beat the value for such a...

Our recent stay at River Drive was such a treat; we broke up the drive from Melbourne by stopping for a coffee and to explore Loch which is such a pretty town in the early Autumn.

Upon arrival, the spaces were even more special than we expected and even more beautiful in real life. We enjoyed exploring the room, shed and garden along with our 5 year old. This place has everything and it's all so thoughtfully considered and very welcoming.

A short drive away we picked up fish and chips and caught one of the stunning sunsets at Venus Bay beach. We even spotted Wombats and kangaroos grazing.

Breakfast was a full delicious spread thanks to Acacia Edibles and we enjoyed relaxing in the sun with a cup of tea outside our room. We wandered up the river to the jetty and spotted white herons before driving around the bay to explore the fascinating Flat Rocks - Dinosaur Dreaming Fossil Site. From there we headed inland for 10min to Harman Winery for lunch which was so friendly, relaxing and picturesque. Back at the Motel we enjoyed lawn games and books in the garden followed by a BBQ and star gazing.

On our drive home we stopped to wander Meeniyan and have lunch before visiting Coal Creek Historical Village. Each time we visit South Gippsland we find something different to do and River Drive is a great location to base yourself. The Motel itself is such a treat, full of personality, comforts and a next...

My family and I recently stayed at the River Drive Motel and we cannot recommend it highly enough. The love and attention to detail that’s gone into this place is extraordinary. We’ve stayed in houses that were not as well set up as our room at the River drive (we stayed in room 1). The rooms have comfy beds and are beautifully decorated and well supplied.

The shed is a treasure trove of extra things to borrow for the perfect holiday from games and books to bbq tools and helmets for the bikes. Not to mention an ice machine and a full sized fridge with a shelf for each room if you have more than you could fit in the standard sized bar fridge. Anyone who has self catered in a motel before will know this is genius! Room 1 doesn’t have a cooktop so we made use of the BBQs provided and enjoyed dinner in the garden on one of the tables provided. Such a pretty set up to relax in.

It’s a 5 minute walk to the Wolf and the bird cafe for coffee and the IGA which is very well stocked (the fresh baked sour dough in every day is AMAZING) and 1 minute to the pub for a decent meal. It’s worth noting we stayed on a Friday night and the patrons leaving the pub didn’t disturb us at all.

If you’re wanting to explore South Gippsland the River Drive Motel is the perfect base or if you just want a quiet break in beautiful surrounds it’s...