Supplying holidaymakers with chic chills and dazzling pools, these are our top picks for stays in Byron Bay.

Any Byron Bay hotel is in hot competition with the wave-lapped sands and the town’s rhythmic energy that lures holidaymakers out of their accommodation. So hotels here have been ever-evolving to fringe stays with exceptional design and amenities that cocoon guests in laidback luxury.

From architecturally designed digs with magnetic rooftop bars to relaxed style at revamped retro hotels and a ranch experience in the hinterland, these are the best hotels in Byron Bay that offer more than just a place to rinse and rest between beach sessions.

1. Hotel Marvell

When this new-build, five-star hotel opened in 2023 it was confirmation that Byron Bay’s desirability as an escape route was firmly intact. Designed by award-winning Byron architect, Harley Graham, Marvell is an edifice of cool complete with a rooftop pool and bar, both of which oblige for sundowner drinks, as well as the downstairs Byron Bay Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant. Rooms are elegantly styled with natural and textural touches, and the chic, curated common spaces invite lingering amid earthy tones and lush greenery.

Address: 4 Marvell Street, Byron Bay

2. Basq House

A tranquil, riad-style sanctum in the heart of Byron. You’ll enter Basq House’s white-washed and open lobby through a discreet laneway entrance, finding yourself amid a deftly styled space with ’70s-era Californian bungalow vibes lifted with contemporary touches. A shimmering centrepiece pool entices with daybeds and rooms are vignettes of minimal cool with terracotta hues. There’s no restaurant onsite, but snacks and drinks are available by the pool for days spent lounging at its edge. When the mood strikes to venture out, Hotel Marvell’s rooftop bar and restaurant are right across the road and you’re just steps from the bongo beat of Byron’s heart.

Address: 4 Fletcher Lane, Byron Bay

3. Swell Hotel

This petite, 16-room boutique hotel is a laidback enclave of coastal style set just a gentle stroll down the street from Main Beach. It’s adults-only here, so you can be mostly assured Zen by the hotel pool or in the wellness space, which includes an infrared sauna and ice bath. To keep hitting those health highlights during your stay, Swell Hotel offers guests complimentary access to Byron’s Mahi Health Club. You can also sit and sink into the mineral pool onsite or recharge post-beach in your natural-toned, ’70s-leaning room.

Address: 11 Butler Street, Byron Bay

4. The Sunseeker

If you’re hunting those rays, then The Sunseeker welcomes you to catch them by its lushly hemmed pool. When it’s time to retreat to shadier spaces, enjoy a drink in the castaway-style pool bar. Accommodation in this ’80s-built revived surf motel takes the best elements of the era and finesses them with contemporary touches. Choose to stay in a beautifully hip room, a garden cabin or, if you’re a group, you might take over the residence. A coffee cart parked out-front supplies morning motivation, but otherwise, you’re a 10-minute walk into the south end of town.

Address: 100 Bangalow Road, Byron Bay

5. The Atlantic

The tropical, palm-fringed grounds of this white-hued escape are tricky to leave. A large, magnesium pool shaded by pandanus is part of the problem, but the neutral and natural rooms are also deeply captivating with their invitation to do hardly anything at all. Luckily the central location of The Atlantic makes flitting to the beach an easy thing, so you can be back quickly to lounge once more in these soothing surrounds.

Address: 13 Marvell Street, Byron Bay

6. Raes on Wategoes

While the brilliant-white facade is unmissable with its rambling, Spanish-style, mildly Moorish architecture, no doubt you’re already well aware of Raes on Wategos. That would be thanks to its preceding reputation as the go-to for the rich and famous in Byron’s most affluent enclave. With its Capri-style luxe, Raes makes a lot of bucket lists, as it should with its ultra-mod but timeless interiors and ocean-infused freshness. It’s all about confident luxury here, but if you can’t sprig for the digs, you can still enjoy the glow with dinner at Raes Dining room, a drink at the Cellar Bar or a treatment in the onsite spa.

Address: 6-8 Marine Parade, Byron Bay

7. Elements of Byron

Steps to the sand and with a lavish, lagoon-style pool strongly suggestive of day-long laziness, you can entirely cocoon away with a stay at Elements. With the unending soundtrack of waves, stylish tucked-away villas and an onsite restaurant and spa, the tug of town can quickly lose its appeal. Capitulate to utter relaxation and spend your stay treading a path from beach to pool to that deep bath.

Address: 144 Bayshore Drive, Byron Bay

8. Crystalbrook Byron

Shaded within 45 acres of verdant rainforest, you’ll find Crystalbrook Byron toward the Suffolk Park end of town and a short hop to renowned Tallow Beach. Wander to your suite along the boardwalk canopied by endemic trees and listen to the melodic sounds of your lush garden surrounds as you unwind by the pool. The Eleme Spa offers a further portal to relaxation or more indulgent pursuits, so linger over cocktails at the Blue Pool Bar or Verandah and book dinner at Forest.

Address: 77-97 Broken Head Road, Byron Bay

9. The Bower

With the recent addition of an in-house spa, the polished lustre of The Bower is even more appealing. Soothingly monochromatic and softened with luxe linens and textural elements, you can choose to stay in a room for two, a five-bedroom cottage, or a lovely barn, among other options. A heated magnesium pool is an alluring shade of crystal blue and the adjacent bar adds further ways to refresh from 11am to 5pm. While the town is a 15-minute walk away and beaches a further 5 minutes, you can swing your leg over one of the complimentary bikes and get there much faster.

Address: 28 Bangalow Road, Byron Bay

10. Sun Ranch

The hinterland sun rolls over the achingly cool, Californian-inspired Sun Ranch in Coopers Shoot, just a 15-minute drive to Byron. There’s a hefty recall of ’70s cowboy (and girl) design with heavy timbers, a sienna-rich colour palette, olive-green tiles and crazy paving, but somehow it comes together without evoking style clichés. Observe the undulations of the pastures beyond when you spend the day by the beautiful rock-walled pool, pull on your riding boots and go for a horse ride or gather friends together for a long, coal-cooked lunch at the Field House. There are six, two-bedroom barns, for adults-only pool suites and one private suite. Having a party? Book the entire ranch.

Address: 17 Byron Creek Road, Coopers Shoot

11. The Brunswick

For beachside escapes that are a little more low-key than the hubbub of peak-Byron, head to Brunswick Heads, just 15 minutes north. Smaller, but equally chill with a river, creek, beach and little bays, this sunny spot also has great eateries and the iconic Hotel Brunswick, where you can enjoy live bands in the expansive beer garden. A walkable distance to it all is The Brunswick, a renewed, stylish but simple stay. Soft tones and Byron luxe is the mood board for the rooms, while the pool is a perfect place to open that long-neglected book. A plus for pooch-loving travellers is that small dogs are welcome to stay.

Address: 2-6 Old Pacific Highway, Brunswick Heads

12. The Sails Motel

A fancied-up old-school motel, The Sails has 22 comfortable and chic, marine-blue rooms that manage to be both affordable and somewhere you actually want to stay. The pool brings back sun-bleached nostalgia and the onsite restaurant and bar, St Maries, has a genuine vibe with locals descending for cocktails and pizza on sunny evenings.

Address: 26-28 Tweed Street, Brunswick Heads

13. 28 Degrees

Here is a place where rest is not optional. A slow luxury retreat, 28 Degrees has seven rooms, no TV and no children. Its Marvell Street locale makes it close to all of Byron’s glittering assets, but here amid the quietly opulent guesthouse, there’s no cause to do anything but pause. Some villas have plunge pools, while rooms in the main house enjoy access to a lap pool. Before you arrive, you can organise a range of bookable experiences from in-room massages to champagne or cheese platters on arrival. There are also honeymoon, babymoon and aftermoon packages.
Address: 12 Marvell Street, Byron Bay

Discover the best luxury accommodation in Byron Bay.