Indulge in five-star luxury in Byron Bay

Sleep in style  

Only seven design-driven suites comprise Raes on Wategos, an exclusive beachfront oasis that has hosted the likes of the Rolling Stones and Elle Macpherson. This may well be the best hotel address in Byron, with rooms offering sweeping views over Wategos Beach, where dolphins regularly ride the waves. Unwind in the day spa, then enjoy mod-Australian-meets-Mediterranean fare in the applauded Raes Dining Room.  

Raes on Wategos, Byron Bay - Credit: Raes on Wategos

Absolute beach frontage also awaits at Elements of Byron Resort & Spa, where some 200 rooms and villas interweave native forest to the north of town. When you’re not sipping wine beside the firepit or reclining in an over-pool swing, book a treatment in Osprey spa, salute the sun in a yoga class, or join a guide for rainforest hikes.  

Aerial view of Elements of Byron Hotel, Byron Bay - Credit: Elements of Byron Hotel

If the setting of Crystalbrook Byron – amid swathes of rainforest – doesn’t immediately inspire calm, then the sound of the ocean from your room, or the spa, certainly will. Located steps from Tallow Beach, the retreat offers its guests complimentary yoga classes and nourishing paddock-to-plate fare in the restaurant, aptly named Forest.  

CrystalBrook Farm outdooor pool, Byron Bay - Credit: CrystalBrook Farm

Travel straight to Indonesia when you check in to one of the five Balinese-style lodgings at Villas of Byron, each replete with heated pools, spas and outdoor rain showers. Or head back to the 1970s – with a modern twist – at The Bower, a classic motel-turned-luxury-hotel with a Mediterranean vibe. Or The Atlantic, a grand palm-laced property, home to four original Byron Bay cottages given a designer makeover.  
 

Fine dining  

Beach Byron Bay’s setting, amid dunes overlooking Clarkes Beach, offers quintessential North Coast holiday vibes. Pull up a seat in this whitewashed, sun-kissed restaurant to enjoy ocean views, creative cocktails and a modern Italian-style menu that heroes local produce.   

Beach Byron Bay Restaurant, Byron Bay 

Also shining a spotlight on the surrounds is Three Blue Ducks at The Farm, set on a working estate you can tour before sitting down to the freshest (and arguably prettiest) meal you’ll ever eat. Nearby in Newrybar, Harvest celebrates foraged produce, much of it native and plucked from the estate’s kitchen gardens. Or head into Bangalow for a meal from seminal no-waste chef Matt Stone at his new bistro You Beauty.   
 

Exclusive experiences  

Being amid nature makes you feel good – we’ve known it for centuries, science now proves it, and Byron Bay delivers it. For an immediate dose of positive vibes and a great outlook, join Toast the Sun to soak up early-morning rays – the first in Australia, given this is the mainland’s most easterly point – over a three-course breakfast at Cape Byron Lighthouse. If you’re indulging from May through November, you might even spot a migrating whale.   

Byron Bay Ballooning, Byron Bay

For a bird’s-eye view of the rising sun before landlubbers’ daybreak, sign up for a dawn flight over the coast with Balloon Aloft Byron Bay, your sky-high adventure ending with a sumptuous paddock-to-plate breakfast served up at Three Blue Ducks.   

Indulgent spas  

Byron Bay’s sleek luxury resorts all boast on-site spas – the kind where you could lose yourself for hours. But for an extended dose of pampering, head into the hinterland to Gaia Retreat and Spa. Packages at this holistic haven range from two to seven nights, with everything bundled, from gourmet meals and treatments to morning yoga, wellness consultations and fitness classes.   

Outdoor massage at Cape Byron Retreat, Byron Bay - Credit: Cape Byron Retreat

If you can’t commit to such a lengthy stay, venture beyond your resort and find bliss at other standalone Byron Bay day spas, including Comma, Buddha Gardens and Kiva Spa, the latter just outside of Byron proper, in Mullumbimby.