Byron Bathers

The location is terrific, but our four night stay at Byron Baythers in early January didn’t match the listing. We booked it as a luxury adults only property, and were surprised to find children there, running back and forth upstairs. We love kids, but had planned a rare kid free holiday. Management replied that children were allowed in the upstairs unit, but didn’t address our concern that the property was advertised incorrectly. They maintained it could still be adults only while allowing children upstairs. We disagreed and didn’t get a response to our later messages. Next door construction was another issue. We were only told about it after booking and paying, and workers in cherry pickers overlooked the “private” pool, so we didn’t feel comfortable using it. The work started early most mornings and kept us from sleeping. The free muesli breakfast was a nice touch, but cleaners came at 7am and noisily unpacked the dishwasher in the shared kitchenette right outside our room. I wouldn’t recommend it for a peaceful getaway.

Byron Bay is beautiful, but in my opinion Byron Bathers fell well short of what I expected from a “luxury escape.” I rented The Residence for two weeks at $8,000.00 per week, and unfortunately can’t recommend it. A steady 50hrtz hum carried through the apartment and made peaceful sleep difficult. It felt like camping on a generator. I believe the noise came from the three apartments below, where ceiling fans run 24/7, with the wooden floors carrying the vibrations throughout the apartment. You could also hear the toilets in the apartments below whenever they were flushed, at any hour. The sound came up through the ensuite just two feet from your head on the pillow. If you want peace and quiet while sleeping, this isn’t the apartment for you. Several things that weren’t working have since been fixed: the leaking, flat batteries in the TV remote were replaced, the dishwasher sensor was realigned, the hallway bathroom drain was cleared, and the kitchen blind was adjusted so it could be used. To everyone who rented the place after 4th January 2025, you’re welcome! And to the gardener who thought it was okay to use a leaf blower and mechanical hedge trimmer at 7:40am at an expensive holiday spot, I have no apologies to give. Think of me as a lesson learned. You're welcome 😊

My stay at Byron Baythers was not at all satisfactory. I travel often and don’t usually have major accommodation problems, but several things went wrong. We’d booked and paid for the Wategos Suite, which I had specifically requested, but were put in the Lennox Suite without notice or explanation. Management later claimed by email that I hadn’t booked Wategos. I have written confirmation from Booking.com and email records showing that I did. On the morning we were due to check in, I was asked for my credit card details and told the arrival instructions would come later that day. Nothing arrived by evening. After my flight, I had to call to get the details, which delayed us. When we got there, the lockbox was broken and the keys were missing. We waited outside with our luggage while calling management for a replacement. When the manager arrived, there was no apology or explanation, and the problem disrupted our evening plans. The lockbox was supposed to be repaired before checkout, but it was still broken and returning the keys was delayed. Management later said maintenance had fixed it immediately, which wasn’t true. There was a dead cockroach in the bathroom, and the room hadn’t been cleaned properly. Despite paying a cleaning fee, we were told we had to clean the room and leave it as we found it, although no cleaning products were provided. We were also expected to wash our own towels, and weren’t given fresh sheets during our stay. That wasn’t satisfactory with a cleaning fee. The property was advertised as adults only, but there was a child in the pool and common areas. We chose not to use the pool, even though it was a major reason we selected the property. I emailed my concerns and requested compensation on December 9th, 2024. I got a reply on December 11th saying management was reviewing it, then heard nothing after five follow up emails until January 23rd, 2025. The response didn’t acknowledge the delay and was unsatisfactory.

Waking up to berries, muesli and green tea in the shared kitchenette was such a nice touch. My room was spotless and beautifully styled, and the whole place felt like a little retreat right in the middle of things. Claire was warm, practical and really helpful. I loved staying here.