28 Degrees Byron Bay
Gorgeous guesthouse
Byron’s beating heart
Prepare to fall hook, line and sinker for adults-only 28 Degrees Byron Bay, a family-run guesthouse with Australian beach charm in (buckets and) spades. This eco-conscious charmer counts a prime location, impeccable styling, pot plants galore and romantic rooms – some surveying the local lighthouse – among its charms. (There’s even a small plunge pool in the main house, fit for pre- and post-beach bathing sessions.) Begin the day with one of 28 Degrees’ DIY breakfasts, starring local granola, compote and yoghurt; end them in one of Byron’s ravishing restaurants, or back at boutique basecamp, starfished on your blissfully comfortable bed.
Facilities
Rooms
Seven.
Checkout
Before 10am. Check-in is available between 2pm and 5pm (guests planning to arrive after 5pm should contact the hotel for instructions).
More Details
Rates usually include breakfast (paleo granola with organic yoghurt, house-made fruit compote and milk) and a free minibar – topped up daily – to dip into. Rates exclude a credit card surcharge (2 per cent for MasterCard and Visa, 3 per cent for AmEx).
Also
The hotel offers in-room massages and private yoga or surfing lessons; it often runs workshops – miso-making, for example – and hosts artist residencies.
Free Internet Access
At the Hotel
Free WiFi throughout. In rooms: iPod dock, beeswax candles, Bose bluetooth speaker, free minibar (with chocolate, nuts, local beer and soft drinks), tea- and coffee-making kit, linens by Hale Mercantile and Hunter Lab bath products. The Main Master and Main Classic Rooms share the lap pool, gourmet kitchen and living and dining area; they also benefit from free bar items in the main fridge, along with tea- and coffee-making kit in the main kitchen.
Our Favourite Rooms
The Main Master room is knee-weakeningly lovely, on account of its lashings of space and winsome views; the claw-foot bath tub is another highlight. The Plunge Pool Rooms are also a good choice for obvious reasons; each has an outdoor shower and its own deck and garden area. The beds used throughout are super comfy; bonus points for all the memorable in-room extras: pot plants, beeswax candles, organic Cultiver linen, Biology Skin bath products and so on.
Poolside
The small plunge pool within the main house uses a special, low-chlorine water system from Austria, called Grander Water Revitalisation. Water-babies can also get a liquid fix via one of the three Private Plunge Pool rooms.
Packing Tips
No need to bring a beach bag or hairdryer: they’re provided.
Children
To keep things relaxed and romantic, the hotel's only open to over-21s.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Your own, if you’re in a Private room; make friends at the communal table if you’re in the main house.
Dress Code
Anything goes – this is your Australian home-from-home. (We’d honour Byron Bay’s hippy feel with bright white linen, coral or turquoise jewellery and beach-tousled hair.)
Hotel Restaurant
28 Degrees focuses on DIY breakfast (try the excellent local restaurants for lunch and dinner). If you’re bedding down in the main house, you’ll have access to the communal kitchen and its fridge, stocked with breakfast supplies; Private rooms have their own morning provisions, to be enjoyed independently. Minibar treats shine a spotlight on local heroes: Moonshine Coffee, Earth beer and homemade granola with fresh berries, for example.
Room Service
None – but make the most of your minibar.
Planes
Ballina Byron airport is a half-hour drive away; you could also fly into Gold Coast airport, a 45-minute drive from Byron Bay. Private door-to-door transfers in a snack-packed Mercedes-Benz V-Class can be arranged for up to seven guests from Ballina Airport (AU$120 each way), Gold Coast Airport ($220 each way) and Brisbane Airport ($420 each way).
Automobiles
The hotel is a two-hour drive from Brisbane. Guests can park in the driveway on Middleton Street, at the back of the property.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
28 Degrees’ enviable location puts all of Byron’s best bits on your doorstep. The beach, bars, spas, shops, brunch spots and restaurants are all an easy walk away. It would be bonkers not to hit the beach – grab your on-loan sun umbrella and towels from your room first. Visit the quaint, under-the-radar town of Newrybar – and don’t miss Newrybar Merchants, a local collective of creative artisans and producers, housed in a 1890’s building (http://www.newrybarmerchants.com/about). Conquer the Cape Byron Walking track or go surfing, perhaps with help from a local instructor (staff can arrange private lessons). Request a yoga class or a massage (relaxing, therapeutic, remedial, pregnancy or Ayurvedic) at the hotel: owner Lindon is a chiropractor, after all.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
