Brett Patman - Hotel Motel 101

Brett Patman is an Australian photographer with a soft spot for Motels. His project, Hotel Motel 101 is a compilation of photographs from one hundred and one different roadside motels within a 170 KM radius of Sydney, photographed late at night or very early in the morning, highlighting the variety of appearances from place to place.

The collection covers the whole spectrum of roadside motels from the beachy pastel coloured boutiques, to seedy, unkempt establishments with some shocking accounts in the TripAdvisor reviews.

How did you become a Motel connoisseur? What made you pick them as your subject matter?

I don't know if I'd go so far to call myself a motel connoisseur, I just thought there was a good idea in something to do with motels but wasn't really sure what it was at the time. It's an idea I've been sitting on for a while  but never really knew where to start, then one night I was watching Mindhunter, and there were these cool looking motel scenes and that was more or less the catalyst, I went out the next night and just started shooting and it all went from there.

Grandstand Motel, Warwick Farm | You should probably just read the google reviews before you decide to stay here. Ambiguous pricing found appears to offer long term, overnight, half day and hourly rates.

Sapphire Palms Motel, The Entrance | A 15-minute walk from Blue Bay beach, this low-key redbrick motel is also 9 km from Wyrrabalong National Park and 13 km from Terrigal Beach. Offering free Wi-Fi, the informal rooms also have flat-screen TVs, minifridges, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. Upgraded quarters add kitchenettes and patios/balconies. Room service is available. Breakfast is offered for a surcharge. There's also an outdoor pool with a waterslide, as well as a BBQ area, a furnished gazebo, gardens and a kids' play area. Parking is free. $92 - $110 per night.

Why did you feel it was important to document these places?

In all honesty, I didn't feel a sense of importance other than to create art, it was purely a creative outlet for me to do this, but looking back I guess the days of motels are numbered with the rise of things like Airbnb, so in that sense I think it is a record of a way of life that won't be around forever, and that does have some importance. 

How long did you spend on the road hunting for motels? How did you find the ones you wanted to photograph?

I think I spent about 3 or 4 weeks shooting motels every second night or so, sometimes consecutive nights too. Regarding finding them, it was just a matter of putting 'motel' into google maps and then making a list of every single one I could find heading in any given direction, I'd then compile that into a run for that night, and that's really all there was to it. I didn't care what they looked like, as long as they were a motel and no people were hanging around, I'd shoot it.

Flinders Motel, Wollongong | A 6-minute walk from North Wollongong train station, this low-key motel is also a 14-minute walk from North Wollongong Beach and 1.9 km from the WIN Entertainment Centre arena. Airy rooms feature flat-screen TVs, minifridges, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. Some add bunk beds. Amenities include complimentary parking, a Thai restaurant and a communal kitchenette, as well as a guest laundry and a BBQ area. $140 Per night.

What is it about motels that make them so enduring in our popular culture? Are they as ingrained in the public psyche in Australia as they are in North America? 

There's this specific element of mystery with motels, who has been there, who is there now, what are all these people doing here, where are they going, none of which you're likely ever to get an answer, but it's intriguing all the same. I don't really know how they are viewed in the American psyche compared to Australia, but from what I gather it is probably similar. Most Australians have a connection to motel stays in one way or another, everyone recalls summer holidays along the coast in a dank motel, but everyone still has fond memories even though the physical attributes of a motel are pretty tragic. 

The Entrance Reef Resort, The Entrance | The Entrance Reef Resort is perfectly located for both business and leisure guests in Central Coast. The hotel offers guests a range of services and amenities designed to provide comfort and convenience. Facilities like laundry service, Wi-Fi in public areas, car park are readily available for you to enjoy. Guestrooms are fitted with all the amenities you need for a good night's sleep. In some of the rooms, guests can find hair dryer, television LCD/plasma screen, air conditioning, seating area, ironing facilities. Enjoy the hotel's recreational facilities, including outdoor pool, before retiring to your room for a well-deserved rest. Friendly staff, great facilities and close proximity to all that Central Coast has to offer are three great reasons you should stay at The Entrance Reef Resort. Price unavailable.

The Fontainebleau Motor Inn, Liverpool | With a stay at The Fontaine Bleau Inn in Casula, you'll be convenient to Westfield Liverpool and Liverpool Hospital. This motel is within the vicinity of Bankstown Golf Club and Crest Sporting Complex. Make yourself at home in one of the 30 guestrooms. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite. $99 - $150 per night.

Did you run into any odd situations? Anything memorable from the visited places? 

I was probably the odd situation myself in most cases. There was one motel where I encountered someone who questioned what I was doing. It was late at night and was around the back taking a photo of the accommodation entrance. Almost straight away, a security guard emerged from the shadows and said: "You can't do that mate, this is private property" I responded, "Oh sorry I was just taking a photo of the sign, I'm going now anyway." He had this completely bewildered look on his face. He looked at the sign I'd just photographed, paused, looked back at me and said, "Yeah, but it's private property" almost like he was asking a question. I said, "Oh sorry I didn't realise it was private property, I just wanted a photo of the sign, I'll go now". With a furrowed brow and a totally perplexed look on his face, he shook his head and walked away.

Thirroul Beach Motel | A 3 minutes' walk from Thirroul Beach, this simple redbrick motel is also 1 km from Thirroul train station and 20 km from Symbio Wildlife Park. Featuring free Wi-Fi and contemporary artwork, the bright, relaxed rooms also have flat-screen TVs, kitchenettes with microwaves and tea and coffeemaking facilities, and tables and chairs. Some add sofas, and air-conditioning is not available. $165 per night.

Did you do some personal research and stayed in some of the pictured establishments? 

Other than looking up places to shoot and reading the reviews (sort by least stars every time) I didn't research a lot beyond that. I've only stayed in one of the motels I shot, but that was almost exactly thirty years ago to the day.

How accurate are the reviews on TripAdvisor? You must be an expert by now. 

I'd say they are pretty accurate. You get a pretty good feeling of how bad a motel might be just by looking at it, of course not all things present themselves in this way, but if it looks like hell on the outside, you can be sure it's not going to be better inside.

Richmond Inn, Richmond | Less than an hour from Katoomba, Blue Mountains and Sydney. Seconds away from public transport and restaurants. Features include Bar, Bottle Shop, Bistro, TAB, Beer Garden. Live Entertainment; Thursday Karaoke, Friday Live Bands, Saturday DJ. Bistro Boasts $10 Lunch Specials Monday - Friday. The motel offers clean, quiet and comfortable accommodation with convenient off-street parking. Fully equipped with Wi-Fi, Air-Con, T.V and tea coffee making facilities. Price unavailable.

To view Brett's project in its entirety visit Lost Collective. His Instagram feed is also well worth a follow!