The Bonobo by Raes

Raes has well and truly cemented its status as a Byron Bay institution over the past four decades, so it's little surprise the group's latest venture has been met with plenty of excitement. Officially opening this week, The Bonobo is a new boutique hotel and lifestyle precinct bringing the signature Raes approach to hospitality into the heart of Byron Bay.

Located on Jonson Street, the 74-room property has been designed as a more accessible and contemporary expression of the Raes brand, combining accommodation, dining, wellness and retail under one roof. Designed by Richards & Spence with interiors by Studio Manifold, the three-level hotel centres around a light-filled courtyard, while a rooftop pool delivers sweeping views stretching from the Byron Bay lighthouse to the hinterland.

Accommodation ranges from hotel rooms overlooking tropical gardens and the central courtyard to spacious one, two and three-bedroom residences complete with full kitchens, living areas and, in some cases, private plunge pools. Throughout the property, warm timber finishes, custom furniture, vintage pieces and local artworks create a relaxed yet polished atmosphere that feels distinctly Byron.

Food is a major focus. Executive chef Jason Saxby, of the two-hatted Raes Dining Room, has teamed up with head chef Callum Gray to oversee the hotel's all-day dining offering. At the centre of it all is the Lobby Lounge, a neighbourhood-style venue designed to move seamlessly from morning coffee to long lunches and evening cocktails. Expect elevated takes on comfort food, including the Bonobo Club Sanga with fried chicken presse and bacon jam, pork cotoletta with brown butter dragoncello mayonnaise, and ricotta zeppole finished with burnt honey custard and Davidson plum jam.

The Bonobo is also home to a rooftop pool service menu, exclusive house-brewed lager and a range of ready-to-pour cocktails created in collaboration with Brookie's Gin, featuring native Australian ingredients like wattleseed, saltbush and lemon aspen.

Beyond the food and accommodation, the hotel is set to welcome wellness partner Reset in July. The space will feature traditional cedar saunas, ice baths, a eucalyptus steam room, magnesium baths, vitamin C showers and treatment rooms for facials and LED therapy. Byron-born menswear label Atlas Homme will also open a curated retail space on the ground floor.

Rooms start from $355 per night, with introductory rates available until the end of July. For travellers looking to experience Byron Bay from the centre of town, The Bonobo is shaping up to be one of the region's most anticipated openings of the year.

Image credit: Sean Fennessy | Supplied