A $50,000 makeover of Sofala's historic Royal Hotel has been completed as part of a nationwide campaign run by Airbnb.
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The Royal Hotel was one of just six winners to be awarded a makeover out of 9000 nominations in The Country Pub Project, launched by Airbnb in June.
Publicans Marty and Sandy Tomkinson have used the money to give the hotel's bathrooms and bedrooms a fresh new look.
Mr Tomkinson is confident his revamped pub will bring wider benefits to the local community.
"There are so many country pubs closing down, it's a rarity to find one," he said.
"We hope that this will not only help us but other country pubs too, and create a positive ripple effect for other small businesses in the area."
Airbnb spokesperson Brent Thomas said through the month-long renovations process entire communities chipped in to get the works completed, and he was delighted that Airbnb could now play a role in promoting these revamped pubs and the communities they're located in to guests from far and wide.
"From old gold mining towns, to pristine outback waterfalls, this is about getting more Aussies to discover the great hidden gems we have in our own backyard and to showcase the quintessential Aussie hospitality you get when you visit a country pub," he said.
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"Publicans are the ultimate hosts but like many people in country communities they've been doing it tough lately due to drought and economic hardship.
"Through this, we want to encourage more Aussies to not just visit these great establishments, but spend the night in them - enjoying one of our oldest forms of hospitality and in turn boosting the spirits of these towns by spending precious tourism dollars in areas where it really counts."
The Country Pub Project was developed after Airbnb research found that 70 per cent of Australians wanted to take a road trip to see more of the real Australia, yet only 14 per cent of Australians had spent a night in a regional pub during the past 12 months.
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