Now Open: Raes Expands Beyond Wategos with a Stylish New Byron Stay Complete with Rooftop Swims and Luxe Spa Sessions
Luxury hotelier Raes is expanding its Byron footprint with a sophisticated new property designed for longer stays and laidback indulgence.
While the Cape Byron Lighthouse attracts plenty of attention, cast your eyes a little lower and it won't take long to realise the surrounding streets of Wategos are lined with some of Australia's most luxurious coastal homes and hotels. Securing its dreamy beachfront vista back in 1994, one of the most standout stays is Raes on Wategos — home to an original hotel and adjacent guesthouses that carefully balance Mediterranean influences and Australian coastal bliss.
Now, Raes is ready to reveal a sister property, The Bonobo, a 74-room stay complete with all-day dining and drinks, a rooftop pool, a holistic wellness studio and a curated menswear retail space. While it won't offer the beachfront perspective of the OG Raes, it does present a larger, more accessible alternative, pairing architecture by Richards & Spence with interior furnishings by Studio Manifold.
Spanning three extensive levels, the building is defined by its modernist brick facade, which gives way to an open central courtyard rich in natural light and greenery. Meanwhile, The Bonobo's attention-grabbing rooftop pool offers sweeping views from the nearby lighthouse to the lush hinterland. Flanked by comfy outdoor lounge seating and daybeds, there's hardly a better spot in all of Byron for a relaxed afternoon and a sunset aperitivo.
When it's time to retire to your private quarters, The Bonobo doesn't disappoint. Overlooking the courtyard, tropical gardens or the streetscape, each one- to three-bedroom space features a fully equipped kitchen, in-room laundry facilities, spacious living areas and, for some, private plunge pools. Meanwhile, layered textures, custom furniture by the likes of Jardan, and a collection of vintage pieces elevate each room's personalised look and feel.
"Opening The Bonobo marks a significant new chapter for Raes," says Raes Group Manager, Marty McCaig. "We've brought the same attention to detail, hospitality and guest experience that sits at the heart of the Raes brand, and applied it to a larger, more accessible setting in the centre of town."
The Bonobo's food and beverage program is suitably luxe, too. Guided by Jason Saxby, executive chef of two-hatted Raes Dining Room, alongside The Bonobo head chef Callum Gray, the experience centres on the Lobby Lounge. Featuring seating for up to 110 guests, this all-day destination unfolds across the main lounge, terrace and courtyard, bringing a playful yet thoughtful approach to familiar classics.
Championing quality producers from Byron Bay and beyond, highlights include the Bonobo Club Sanga — featuring fried chicken presse, bacon jam and dijonnaise — and pork cotoletta with a brown butter dragoncello mayonnaise. For dessert, Italian-style zeppole combines ricotta fritters with burnt honey custard and Davidson plum jam. Then, to drink, expect exclusively brewed lagers and ready-to-pour cocktails developed in collaboration with Brookie's gin.
Wellness is also a major focus at The Bonobo, with boutique brand Reset bringing its Double Bay studio to Byron for the first time, featuring traditional cedar saunas, ice baths, a eucalyptus steam room, a magnesium bath, vitamin C-infused showers, and numerous treatments. Designed as a sequence of connected spaces, this hotel bathhouse draws on traditional rituals while delivering a contemporary wellbeing experience.
During your stay, you can also engage in a little retail therapy, with Byron-born menswear brand Atlas Homme taking up residence, offering a curated edit of upmarket clothing, accessories, home décor, fragrance, travel and eyewear. What's more, as you roam the property, you'll be immersed in the hotel's signature scent — Le Labo Santal 33 — making your stay that much more sensorial thanks to its calming, floral notes that scream summertime.
"The Bonobo has been designed as a place where people can stay, meet, dine and unwind, whether they are visiting Byron for a weekend, an extended stay, or simply dropping in for a drink," says McCaig. "It's a natural extension of what we've built over the past three decades, while offering something entirely its own. We can't wait to welcome both guests and locals to experience this new expression of Raes hospitality."
The Bonobo is now open at 116-118 Jonson Street, Byron Bay. Head to the website for more information.
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Images: Sean Fennessy.
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