Hotels.com is on the hunt for someone who wants to spend the end of the summer traveling to retro beach motels across the country, including two accommodations right here on the East End.
The job description for “the Retro Beach Motelier” is someone Hotels.com describes as “chasing the nostalgia of a time when surf culture was at its peak.”
“The search for our Retro Beach Motelier started as a way to highlight highly-rated 2- and 3-star beach motels like the Sound View and Montauk Beach House that are just as amazing as the resorts travelers flock to on their beach trips,” says Mel Dohmen, a Hotels.com spokesperson, told Behind The Hedges. “And because we truly believe travelers can find their perfect somewhere through the many accommodations listed on Hotels.com, we know this gig will strike a chord with anyone who enjoys mid-century design and an old-fashioned beachside vacation.”
It’s not a bad gig if you have the time to commit and you like “kitschy poolside flair,” as the press release put it, though The Montauk Beach House and the Sound View have been undergone renovations and been modernized in recent years. The job comes with a $10,000 travel stipend and a $5,000 “salary” to spend on old-fashioned beachside food and accessories, like saltwater taffy and snow cones.
Retro Beach Motels on the List
Hotels.com selected the “10 best retro beach motels across America” based on the overall design, location, value and guest reviews, a statement said. These properties feature guest ratings of 7.5 or higher, water views and “plenty of vintage flair and décor,” it continues.
The two East End properties that made the list are The Montauk Beach House, a block away from the Atlantic Ocean with rates that start at $269 per night, and the Sound View Greenport, which is directly on the Sound just west of the village with rates beginning at $375 per night.
Other spots on the list are Waikiki Village Retro Hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the Parker Beach Lodge in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, the LOGE Westport in Westport, Washington, Lincolnville Motel in Lincolnville, Maine, as well as two California properties, The Pearl Hotel in San Diego and the Cambria Beach Lodge in Cambria, and in Florida, Casa Morada in Islamorada and the Vagabond Motel in Miami.
While many accommodations near the beach have been revamped, this campaign still celebrates the classic beach motel vibe, Dohmen says.
“The classic beach motel often reminds people of simpler times and some of these properties do a beautiful job preserving the retro aesthetics,” he says. “Beyond the basics you would find at a motel like a No Vacancy sign, parking lot, outdoor entrance to the room or two-story property, the featured retro beach motels were selected based on overall design, location, value and guest reviews, so you may see mid-century or even art deco elements.
How to Apply
“The job will transport you — literally and figuratively — to a time when beach vacations were simpler. Instead of spending days poolside scrolling on their smartphone, the Retro Beach Motelier will engage in analog activities,” it says.
They will be documenting their travels using a classic polaroid camera and “unwinding the old-school way, with high SPF zinc, striped umbrellas, vintage sunnies, a cooler for brewskies, and solar-powered AM/FM radio (c/o Hotels.com of course).” Instant film and the polaroid camera will be provided and the IRL photo album of the trip may appear on Hotels.com.
A guest of their choice is allowed to join them on the bicoastal journey.
Applications for the gig are open now through noon central standard time on August 5 at hotels.com/beachmotel. The winner will be selected and notified by August 12. Applicants must be 21 or older. The full contest rules can be found here.
People who are not a fan of vintage design and budget-friendly motels need not apply, of course, and there is no experience required.
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