Why Aussie pubs are now the hottest places to spend a night, too

The sun is performing its encore as I step out onto the balcony of my room at the Portarlington Grand Hotel. The fading light bathes Port Phillip a silvery grey as the You Yangs range is backlit by an amber glow across the bay. I've arrived relatively fresh off a flight and a two-hour drive from Melbourne airport but below, seachange commuters step off the ferry even more relaxed after their 70-minute cruise from the city.

Portarlington may not be as well known as, say, Portsea or Lorne when it comes to seaside sojourns but the revival of this 1888 pub is changing that.

Once, this was where the "pretty grubby" pub rooms were found - with one communal bathroom instead of the palatial ensuite I find myself twirling in as I freshen up for dinner. The history lesson comes compliments of staffer Erika Hierson who accompanies me on a walk through the 135-year-old hotel. The front bar is warm and welcoming - a far cry from the intimidating, sticky-floored venue it's rumoured to have been. Hand-trowelled walls and handsome curved booths create a warm atmosphere while yellow recycled glass panels line a shelf above the wood-panelled bar, holding old bottles and trinkets recovered in the renovation. It's sophisticated, suave and locals are loving it.

"Everyone just wants the town to grow and get better so it's a nice vibe, everyone's really happy," Erika says.

Pub accommodation has historically been more about function than flourish. You'd be crazy to expect more than a bed for the night when you've enjoyed yourself a little too much to drive, let alone private amenities.

But in recent years, pubs across the country have been changing hands and shifting focus. Pokies are out and family-friendly dining is in. The rowdy, high-vis crowded front bars have been superseded by designer interiors, while onsite rooms have become more akin to boutique hotels.

The $10 million renovation of the Portarlington Grand Hotel, done in stages following the purchase by the Little Group in 2019, has seen the "grubby" pub metamorphosise inside while its grand facade has been restored back to its glory days. The balcony on the second storey was reinstated and the lace fretwork re-created to match historic photos. Inside, custom furniture handcrafted in Melbourne by Zuster and botanical carpets flown in from India lend a modern opulence against the original soaring ceilings and heritage tones. It's a striking symbol of grandeur in an otherwise humble town - a beacon on the hill that has welcomed tourists since the steamboats would deliver them from Melbourne for a dose of country coastal air.

There's barely a free table in the bistro on a Wednesday night as I tuck into steak and cool-climate pinot noir, selected from the hyper local wine list. Young couples, families, and travelling colleagues fill the booths and tables around me, while the bar hums with locals. Because I can, I order dessert to my room and climb the grand internal staircase, pausing to take in the black and white photographs of Portarlington history that line the walls.

Even better than my creme brulee, when I dive into the plush king bed, all I hear is my own thoughts - a stark contrast to a pub stay years ago in Newcastle where it felt like the dancefloor was next to my bed.

Pubs have been lifting their food game for a long time, but this sleepover revival is seeing them become not just a great place to stop for the night on a road trip, but destinations in themselves. With lavish rooms and access to elevated dining experiences and live gigs downstairs, they offer an attractive alternative to the standard motel or Airbnb. It's a trend sweeping city to country with first-time hoteliers and community consortiums banding together to revive forgotten watering holes. And the big hitters are in on it, too.

For Paul Little, founder of the Little Group, it was nostalgia for his childhood holidays in Portarlington - and presumably the fact his ferry company added the Docklands service to the town in 2016 - that led to the purchase and restoration of the all-but-forgotten pub. Alongside the historic restoration of the hotel, an expansive light-filled atrium was built to replace a grungy beer garden and drive-through bottle shop.

"It's really brought Portarlington to life, it's like the jewel of it now," says Operations Manager Paul Gundry.

What is a town without its pub, after all? They're the setting for weddings to wakes, footy wins to open mic nights and everything in between. In many regional towns they're the very thread of the social fabric, an idea that holds true in the artsy village of Eumundi in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, where the Imperial Hotel has held pride of place on the main street for more than 100 years.

When it comes to attractions, Eumundi's markets are an institution, but with the redevelopment of its pubs, that headliner status could be pushed down the line-up. From its nadir around 2015, when walking on the veranda could have proved perilous, The Imperial has become an art-filled hub to enjoy live music, nourishing food, beers served straight from vat to tap from the onsite Eumundi Brewery, its own brand of gin and, more recently, a sleepover.

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Accommodation differs slightly here in that it's not within the pub itself but rather serves as an extension, with its own name: HOLA. Newly built on spare land behind the pub and opened in February 2022, HOLA stands for House of Local Art and offers 15 luxurious guest suites filled with artworks and ceramics sourced from the artist studios hidden in the hills beyond the pub, linen bedding, and bathrooms stocked with refillable Leif body products. The hotel runs on solar power, utilises rainwater, and packs an impressive complimentary minibar.

Upon arrival I find a "goodie bag" filled with snacks to accompany the Eumundi Brewery beers and Folktale gin in my fridge, and an art guide that tells me all about my individually designed room. Being Eumundi, there's a crystal on my nightstand - agate, "for stabilisation and strength" - and my guide tells me I can purchase my own at Cinnabar Soul down the street. I can also order the coffee cups, glassware, cushions and throws from nearby CLO Studios, who had a hand in the design.

But for all the fancy fit-out of the rooms, there's nothing pretentious about the pub here. I sit down in the beer garden with a gin tasting paddle and soak in the relaxed ambience. There's a roster of live music but tonight, five-time ARIA award-winning artist Katie Noonan breezes past - she's here teaching students from her not-for-profit Eumundi School of Music - while Functions Coordinator Jess Palling oversees the bustling courtyard.

Jess has seen a lot of change in the eight years since she joined the team as a chef, especially since the opening of HOLA. "People stop and relax and they can try some beers," she says. "Nobody is worried about taxis - there are no taxis and Ubers don't come to Eumundi."

The town's other pub, Joe's Waterhole - just 100 metres down the road - is also undergoing a reinvention, bringing the famed Matso's brewery to the Sunshine Coast (their much-anticipated first venture outside of Western Australia) complete with a family-friendly beer garden and upgraded onsite accommodation. Thirty minutes' drive north, the Kin Kin Hotel is another on the verge of reopening after an extensive renovation.

These pub passion projects not only revive the community they reside in, but can actually put it on the map.

In the lush hinterland of Byron Bay, a forgotten 120-year-old country pub on a disused rail line underwent a revival when next-gen hoteliers Matt Rabbidge and Luke Sullivan took over in 2019. The pokies disappeared, natural wine was added to the drinks list (they kept the Tooheys on tap) and the five upstairs rooms were given a bold bohemian makeover thanks to Rabbidge's partner, Julia Ashwood, to become a revamped iteration of the Eltham Hotel.

The rooms are designed around five strong females tied to the pub's past, so guests can bed down in a whimsical homage to Rhonda, Margaret, Patsy, Delilah or Estelle. I stayed in Margaret back in 2021, whose distressed walls and In Bed linens were inspired by the bold station master who dreamed of running away on one of the trains she commanded.

Besides the inspired decor, what impressed me most about the Eltham was the food. Now celebrated chef Anna Sapwell-Stone (ex-Arc Dining, Brisbane and Saint Peter, Sydney) has taken the helm of the kitchen after a three-month winter residency, serving up inspired twists on CWA-style recipes, like a butterfly profiterole with Davidson's plum jam and cream.

The whole experience was more than worthy of a detour - the perfect halfway sleepover spot on a road trip home from Coffs Harbour to the Sunshine Coast necessitated by travelling with a toddler. This is a pub that's all character and warmth - somewhere where you can bring the kids for a chilled-out eggplant parmy and a game of pool or get amongst the revelry of its live gigs. A place with its own distinct personality, as colourful as the band of Northern Rivers locals and travellers who seek it out.

"There's always an air of relevance with a pub, they've got a huge history," says Matt. "There's a bit of energy and stories in the walls that has taken time to create. You can't replicate it." Which might be the whole point - in an era where experiences are the new currency, these reimagined pubs offer more than just a pint; they offer memories steeped in heritage, comfort, and local flair.

And that's something worth raising a glass to.

Getting there: Portarlington is on the Bellarine Peninsula, a two-hour drive from Melbourne CBD or 70-minute ferry ride from Docklands. See portphillipferries.com.au. Eumundi is in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, 20 minutes' drive from Noosa or 30 minutes from Sunshine Coast Airport. Eltham is halfway between Bangalow and Lismore, a one-hour drive south of Gold Coast Airport or 30 minutes from Byron Bay.

Staying there: Rooms at the Portarlington Grand Hotel from $250 per night, see portarlingtongrandhotel.com.au. Rooms at HOLA from $260 per night, see imperialhoteleumundi.com.au. Rooms at the Eltham from $255 per night, see elthampub.com.au

The Sir George, Jugiong, NSW: Following a renovation and extension by mother-daughter duo Liz Prater and Kate Hufton back in 2016 (and later sold for a pretty sum), the Sir George redirected in-the-know foodies to the small town of Jugiong, 90 minutes from Canberra. Eight new black barn-style suites complement three luxe rooms in the original stone stables, while locavore meals are dished up in the 1852 pub and its designer gardens. sirgeorge.com.au

Bermagui Beach Hotel, NSW: With panoramic vistas over Horseshoe Bay and Gulaga mountain, the Bermagui Beach Hotel picked up the 2022 AHA National Award for best deluxe pub accommodation after a complete renovation, including the purchase of a neighbouring motel to double room numbers. bermaguibeachhotel.com.au

The Lorne Hotel, Victoria: Snapped up by Merivale pub baron, Justin Hemmes, for $38 million in 2021, the 103-year-old Lorne Hotel is now home to an outpost of Bondi's Totti's trattoria. A handful of rooms and apartments have been refreshed and are open for bookings while a full renovation of the 40 upstairs rooms is under way. merivale.com

The Imperial Hotel, Murwillumbah, NSW: This pink art deco beauty sits at the heart of one of the Tweed's hippest 'hoods, a stone's throw from Bistro LIVI and the M|Arts Precinct. Renovated over the past five years, 'The Impy', as it's affectionately known, offers 28 refreshed rooms upstairs (and one accessible room downstairs) from the modernised pub. impy.com.au

The Prairie Hotel, SA: Known to locals as the Outback Hilton this iconic country pub recently refreshed its 12 rooms and added a new microbrewery. Accommodation in the private Outback Lodge is packaged up with breakfast, dining experiences, beer tastings and curated tours to Flinders Ranges' fossil sites. prairiehotel.com.au

The writer travelled with assistance from Visit Victoria and Visit Sunshine Coast.