This cool, retro 1960s Myrtle Beach motel is for sale. A look inside historic site
Maggie Mix regularly hears stories from people who have stayed at the Holiday Shores when they were kids.
Many of them are now in their 50s or older and are still coming to the Myrtle Beach motel, even bringing their kids so they can experience where their parents vacationed all those years ago.
“They come for the whole nostalgia” aspect, said Mix, who manages the 29-room motel located at 7501 N. Ocean Blvd.
Holiday Shores was renovated to become a boutique motel with retro furnishings and decor that reflects what the motel looked like when it was first built in the 1960s. Now, after six years since it reopened with its vintage but new look, the motel is up for sale.
It is listed for $2.4 million.
Motel listed on National Register of Historic Places
Interested buyers will not only be purchasing a piece of Myrtle Beach history, but the motel has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so “it will always be protected,” said attorney Robert Lewis of Roger Lewis law firm.
The law firm specializes in tax credit development projects and owns real estate properties across South Carolina that have been revitalized and renovated. Their goal is to buy property, do a historic renovation and get them listed on the National Register, Lewis said. The company is able to obtain historic incentives to assist in the rehabilitation and preservation of the property, eventually selling it after a five-year holding period and move on to its next preservation project.
“The hope is the next owner will fully appreciate and cherish the historic nature of this property so that future generations of guests can experience an era of Myrtle Beach tourism that is fast disappearing,” said Richard Singleton, the listing agent and director of commercial real estate at Re/Max Southern Shores. “The property is ideal for the ‘mom and pop’ operator who wishes to get into the hospitality business or for the experienced operator who would like to add this hotel property to their existing portfolio.”
The Holiday Shores is the second motel in Myrtle Beach that the law firm has helped revitalize. The Hawaiian-themed Waikiki Village on Ocean Boulevard reopened in 2018 as a boutique “retro motel.”
The rebirth of retro motels in Myrtle Beach, US
Retro motels are experiencing a tremendous rebirth in popularity all across the nation and Myrtle Beach is no exception, Singleton said. Holiday Shores reopened in 2020 and is an example of how these dying motels across the Grand Strand that have fallen into disrepair can be saved.
“The public has tired of cookie cutter hotel ‘boxes’ and are increasingly looking for a vacation stay that is different, fun, and unique,” he said.
The U-shaped motel was built in the “populuxe” style popular in that era with vibrant colors, funky design and cheap rent. The renovation of Holiday Shores leaned into this vintage look with updated rooms that has mid-century modern architecture, bright colors and geometric designs, as well as bistro tables, astroturf on the outside and balconies that overlook the popular swimming pool. The metal, spiral staircase was also kept as a nod to the 1960s look.
A beach cottage that once was used as the office for the hotel has been transformed as well, offering additional space for larger families.
Guests who return every year
Mix said the motel has a handful of guests who make a return to the motel every year. One couple just celebrated their anniversary at the hotel, she said.
The guests enjoy pointing out how things have changed and what they remember, including the diving board that was once available at the pool.
Mix enjoys hearing the stories and looks forward to welcoming those “faithful” customers who revel in the memories of their younger days.
