Butter Factory Apartments

The accommodation itself was okay, though a little rundown and less impressive than the photos. We booked a three-bedroom apartment for three nights with friends, mostly used it to sleep and get ready, and had dinner there just once. But the trouble started after checkout, and it’s still going on. Honestly, I’d avoid booking here. As we were leaving, the cleaner arrived and seemed like a nice enough guy, though he appeared to be under the influence of a few things. He asked whether all the beds had been slept in or just laid on, which made us wonder if all the sheets are washed after every stay. That wasn’t the worst part, though. After we left, we were sent a photo of a red stain on a bedroom table and an empty bottle of sugar-free creaming soda. We were genuinely baffled. The bottle was supposedly in the room where only one person stayed for one night, and that person notoriously hates fizzy drinks. I remember checking before we left and can swear I didn’t see the stain. We wouldn’t just spill a drink and leave it there, either. I know how odd all this sounds. Then we were told the tiny wooden table cost $2,000 and asked to pay for it. It was ugly, looked like something left out for council pickup, and we told them again we hadn’t caused the damage and thought that price was ridiculous. They replied that my friend had left her brand-new expensive prescription glasses, AirPods and some clothes behind, and they wouldn’t return them unless we paid. With travel coming up and not wanting to affect our Airbnb rating, we paid $704 between us, even though we didn’t believe we caused the damage. We checked out on February 27, and it’s now basically June. We’re still trying to get our belongings back. They also left us a review saying we hadn’t unpacked the dishwasher, taken out the rubbish, or cleared the fridge. There would barely have been any rubbish. We’d loaded and run the dishwasher and tidied up generally, so we were baffled that we’d paid a cleaning fee and were still expected to clean. It’s really disappointing. It feels like they’ve taken advantage of other people. Being away for a little getaway and feeling that hardworking people are being ripped off, with their belongings held hostage, is awful.

We’re a large family, and these apartments worked really well for a beach holiday. There are three good-sized bedrooms, two bathrooms and indoor-outdoor living spaces. The beach is across the road, and you can walk to the pass, lighthouse, Beach Hotel and shops. This was our second time at Seabreeze on Lawson St, and we’d stay again. We love the east and comfortable apartment, and the location is the best in Byron bay. Fiona and Jacob were gracious and lovely to deal with. They even let us check in super early, which helped a lot after arriving in town early.

Fiona and Jacob were fantastic to communicate with, and even gave us complimentary wine and a late checkout. The apartment was lovely, clean, and close to the town centre, restaurants and other amenities. It made for a perfect weekend for our hens do. Can’t wait to come back.

It was only a short walk to the shops and beach, and I had everything I needed for my six-day trip, including a coffee machine. I loved the studio apartment on Shirley st. Fiona & Jacob were lovely hosts, and the apartment was super clean and nicely decorated. The dot painting in the bathroom was a favourite. I highly recommend staying at the echo beach apartments and will definitely return.