21 June 2024
11 mins Read
The storied surf breaks, pastel sunsets, and pristine waterfalls of Byron Bay and its verdant hinterland, in Bundjalung Country, have long attracted seekers, travellers, and iconoclasts. But as the region continues to evolve into a world-class destination, the run-down backpackers are giving way to eclectic boutique luxury accommodations and private estates that emphasise wellness, sustainability, design, and local food. Read on to explore our picks for Byron Bay’s most thoughtful and distinctive luxury accommodations.
Byron’s original boutique hotel has undergone a stunning renovation after being devastated by the region’s 2022 floods. Owner Kimberly Amos, a designer and creative who raised her three boys onsite, collaborated with local artists and makers to update and elevate her 18-year-old property (which now welcomes children 14+).
One of several charming private rooms available. (Image: Alicia Taylor Photography)
The result is just as free-spirited—and essential—as ever, catering to urbane solo travellers, writers in need of a retreat, couples on holiday, and Amos’s cadre of well-connected international friends.
The unique layout features three cottages with multiple private rooms and showstopping communal kitchens where guests can cook their own farmer’s market breakfasts and live like Byron locals.
The communal kitchen within The Atlantic. (Image: Alicia Taylor Photography)
Amos’s incredible eye is omnipresent in an impeccably curated IRL and online shop (many of the books were written by former guests), a brand-new magnesium pool, and art objects she made herself from fishermen’s buoys.
The Atlantic recently underwent an extensive renovation. (Image: Alicia Taylor Photography)
The hotel’s timber pathways wind through lush tropical vegetation and back up to a nature reserve, making it easy to forget you’re actually in the centre of town. Grab one of the hotel’s McTavish longboards and stroll to the beach just 200 metres away, then come back to sip cocktails by the pool with new friends who feel like family. The idea, says Amos, is to “come up and not rent a whole house but still feel like you’re at home.”
Address: 13 Marvell St, Byron Bay
The hottest new rooftop in town is located atop the sceney and sprawling Hotel Marvell, which bills itself as Byron’s first five-star accommodation. Positioned just off the main drag of Johnson Street, the hotel has upped the ante (and sophistication quotient) on Byron nightlife, with alluringly moody and consistently lively vibes.
The rooftop of Hotel Marvell is Byron’s hottest new hangout. (Image: David Chatfield)
Its imposingly Brutalist exterior, designed by local architect Harley Graham, is softened by earthy pink tiles and unruly vines spilling whimsically from concrete balconies. The tastefully minimalist rooms draw in Byron’s famous light and offer Leif toiletries, Bemboka & Eadie bedding, and access to a rooftop pool with panoramic views.
Rooms flow onto spacious balconies.(Image: David Chatfield)
Rooms are tastefully pared back. (Image: David Chatfield)
Downstairs at Bonito, the showstopping in-house restaurant, Vietnamese chef Minh Le cooks locally-sourced seafood and Asian-inspired plant-based cuisine. Outside in a three-story pedestrian laneway enveloped by jungle-like greenery, friends meet for drinks, making the hotel feel like a world in itself.
The onsite restaurant Bonita serves Asian-inspired plant-based cuisine and seafood.
Address: 4 Marvell Street, Byron Bay
Byron’s unlikeliest recent luxury upgrade occurred right in the middle of town, where an eyesore motel on the traffic circle connecting Byron’s CBD to Belongil Beach and the Industrial Estate metamorphized into a sultry adults-only hotel with lush, textured interiors.
Lush design details feature throughout the property. (Image: (Image: Andy Macpherson)
The Swell is the brainchild of California transplants Andrew Maltin and DayNa Decker, who paired their earthy, retro West Coast aesthetic with design objects made by local artisans. With the help of local designer Nyree MacKenzie, they created 16 individually-appointed rooms that feel like sumptuous cocoons for relaxation and intimacy, just steps from Main Beach.
The Swell features 16 adults-only rooms. (Image: Andy Macpherson)
The hotel’s wellness offerings include a state-of-the-art cedar sauna and cold plunge pool, not to mention healthy elixirs served poolside.
A sauna and cold plunge pool are available for hotel guests. (Image: Andy Macpherson)
Address: 11 Butler Street, Byron Bay
Few Byron luxury accommodations have attracted such instant international acclaim as the Sun Ranch, a one-of-a-kind destination property with impeccable old-West, seventies-inflected California ranch vibes set on 55 prime hinterland acres.
Seventies-inflected California ranch vibes at Sun Ranch. (Image: Anson Smart)
Stay in one of six, two-bedroom, off-grid barns. (Image: Anson Smart)
Available for individual bookings, events, and buyouts, this imaginative property attracts creative types and foodies to its Cowboy Bar, Whiskey Lounge saloon, and Lair, which the hotel bills (accurately) as a “sexy as hell sunken lounge area” built around a sculptural fireplace.
The Lair is a vibrant sunken lounge located within The Rambler Long House on the property. (Image: Anson Smart)
Pool suites open directly onto a stone pool, while six off-grid barns accommodate families and dogs in rustic timber interiors souped up with luxe French linen. All guests receive hot muffins on their doorstep each morning, as well as a full ranch breakfast. The result is Byron’s most unforgettable weekend experience.
Book a pool suite for direct access from your room. (Image: Anson Smart)
A vibrant colour palette can be found throughout. (Image: Anson Smart)
Address: 17 Byron Creek Rd, Coopers Shoot
Set just off Byron’s bustling retail thoroughfare, the brand new 32-room Basq House offers walkability to Byron’s best shops and most exciting restaurants, plus a soothing sanctuary to which to retreat from the chaos.
The Pool Deck at Basq Hotel. (Image: Elise Hassey)
Serene, monochromatic rooms feature King beds, high ceilings, Mr. Smith toiletries, and juliette or full balconies. Some overlook the hotel’s private courtyard pool, where guests can relax in cabanas or lounge on sunbeds while enjoying the self-service bar.
Rooms feature a juliette or full balcony with pool or lane views. (Image: Elise Hassey)
The 32-room Basq Hotel is in the heart of Byron. (Image: Elise Hassey)
The hotel’s cosy, intimate vibe extends to its guests-only common spaces, which include a library, a lobby bar, and a rooftop perfect for yoga, meditation, or watching the sunset with a cocktail.
Guests make themselves at home in the Library with fully stocked bookshelves, cosy fireplace and a bar. (Image: Elise Hassey)
Address: 4 Fletcher Ln, Byron Bay
Unfolding over 48 acres just outside the achingly charming Byron hinterland town of Bangalow, Copperstone is the piece-de-resistance of Tom and Emma Lane, founders of The Farm, Byron’s iconic agriculture-meets-foodie destination. Their growing collection of Range Estates pairs thoughtful European design with expansive Australian acreage and a commitment to sustainability and localisation for a private and personalised luxury experience that is second to none.
Copperstone’s old-world, Tuscan-inspired design features understated rustic tones and textures and encompasses a five-bedroom homestead, state-of-the-art kitchen, pool house (with gymnasium, infrared sauna, and ice bath), games room, stables, dressage arena, tennis court, and walled garden, all set against a breathtaking vista of paddocks, walking trails, waterways, outdoor entertaining areas, and a private sandy beach on a small lake.
The Range’s extensive concierge services include babysitting, day-trip planning, and customised meals, wine tastings, and/or cooking classes created by a private chef. The result is the pinnacle of conscious, forward-thinking Byron luxury.
Address: 165 Lismore Rd, Bangalow NSW 2479
Possibly Byron’s most exclusive hideaway, the Mediterranean-inspired Raes is enviably positioned on Wategos Beach, just under Byron’s iconic lighthouse. Built in the 60s as a posh, eclectic home, it maintains the intimacy of your fancy aunt’s beachside European villa—where her fabulous friends sip Aperols and eat oysters at sunset (at the Cellar Bar downstairs) while stylish longboarders catch cruisey waves in the break just beyond the lawn.
Stay close to nature at Raes On Wategos. (Image: Madeleine Johnson / Sean Fennessy)
With five spacious suites, an intimate spa, a highly photogenic pool, and two expansive penthouses bedecked with marble and multiple balconies, Raes is a paean to old-world European luxury and a place to celebrate milestones or just treat yourself.
Inside the luxe rooms at Raes on Wategos. (Image: Madeleine Johnson / Sean Fennessy)
Address: 6 – 8 Marine Parade, Byron Bay
Immortalized in 2021 by the Nicole Kidman series Nine Perfect Strangers, Byron’s most famous retreat space doubles as a luxury accommodation for groups or large families, offering 10 king bedrooms with ensuites and rainforest showers, organic toiletries produced in partnership with cult local skincare brand Mukti, a geodesic dome for morning yoga, and a freshwater infinity pool overlooking twenty-two acres of rolling hills and rainforest.
Nicole Kidman series Nine Perfect Strangers put Soma in the spotlight. (Image: Romella Pereira)
There are plenty of sitting areas for a family or group getaway. (Image: Romello Pereira)
Address: 221 Kennedys Ln, Ewingsdale
Byron’s obvious choice for hip families and longer stays, the Sunseeker is a renovated 80s motel just outside the CBD with a communal vibe and cheerfully retro design aesthetic.
Find Sunseeker, a renovated eighties motel just outside the CBD.
Owners Jess and Dave Frid worked with local artists and community members to imagine a space full of bright colours, varied textures, tropical gardens, and cheeky, thoughtful touches (a tiki bar beside the pool, an in-ground trampoline). The result feels less like a hotel than like a happy, stylish commune that you’ll never want to leave.
Sunseeker is Byron’s only truly family-friendly luxury accommodation.
The Sunseeker is one of Byron’s only truly family-friendly luxury accommodations, with rooms cleverly configured for kids. Six freestanding bungalows feature fully-stocked kitchens with Smeg fridges, breakfast windows, children’s bunk nooks, and outdoor gardens with covered bathtubs.
Stay in one of six freestanding bungalows.
The hotel even partners with local food purveyor Bay Grocer to stock guests’ fridges with curated hampers before they arrive, if they choose. Meaning you can cook up dinner on your private Weber BBQ while the kids wheel around on complimentary scooters and climb the timber playground, before you all retire with friends old and new to the communal firepit for a drink.
Sink into the lounge area of the Sunseeker.
Address: 100 Bangalow Rd, Byron Bay
Halcyon House has become a popular weekend destination for travellers who want a luxury beachfront experience outside the bustle of Byron.
Laze poolside at Halycon House. (Image: Destination NSW)
Just forty minutes up the coast in the sleepy surf hamlet of Cabarita in the Tweed, the hotel’s little-Miami-meets-Palm-Beach design sensibility, white and blue colour palette, elegant spa, and vibey, stylish pool attract couples and girls-getaway groups.
The walls are adorned with eclectic artworks. (Image: Destination NSW)
There is no end to the thoughtful touches here, including complimentary bikes for morning beach rides, Mercedes SUVs for hire, and private beach picnics catered by Paper Daisy, the hotel’s acclaimed in-house restaurant.
Bikes for use at Halycon House. (Image: Destination NSW)
Address: 21 Cypress Crescent, Cabarita Beach
Thirty minutes from Byron in the hinterland near the beloved hippie enclave of Mullumbimby, tucked into the side of Mount Koonyum, you’ll find an old banana plantation that offers peace, privacy, and ocean views for days. You’ll also find Blackbird, a romantic and secluded luxury accommodation that is fully immersed in nature.
(Image: Property Shot Photography)
Named after the Beatles song—in homage to the native black cockatoos—Blackbird was envisioned by James Hudson, a Sydney hospitality veteran who opened the property in 2018.
Blackbird is near the beloved hippie enclave of Mullumbimby. (Image: Property Shot Photography)
Its three large industrial-chic pavilions incorporate reclaimed materials, many found onsite, for a look that’s original as it is sustainable. The suites offer binoculars for birdwatching, Egyptian cotton linens, and a full breakfast, while local chefs are available to prepare dinner by night.
The former banana plantation is now a luxe hideaway. (Image: Property Shot Photography)
Address: 210 Frasers Road, Mullumbimby Creek
Located walking distance to Byron’s CBD and just steps from its famed General Store, a sceney breakfast spot, the Bower’s black-and-white interiors and haute beach-shack vibes attract couples seeking accessibility and discreet, understated luxury.
Expect contemporary luxury at The Bower. (Image: Jessie Prince)
The pool and garden bar provide a quiet, palm-lined oasis for lounging in the sun, while the hotel’s new holistic spa offers wellness treatments onsite.
Book the Bower Barn, a spacious room with a kitchenette near the back of the property, to enjoy its decadent freestanding bathtub under a clear glass ceiling, allowing you to stargaze while soaking.
No luxe accommodation is complete without a stunning bathtub to call your own. (Image: Jessie Prince)
Address: 28 Bangalow Rd, Byron Bay
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