Relaxed Luxury
Halcyon House
Once a former ‘surfing motel’, Halcyon House appeals to the desires of the discerning modern traveller while paying respect to the building’s history.
Queensland sisters Siobhan and Elisha Bickle purchased the rundown 1960s motel, The Hideaway - then popular with backpackers, road trippers and budget travellers - in 2011 and transformed it into one of Australia’s most exclusive and unique beachside properties.
The luxury travel destination – located between Byron Bay and the Gold Coast - combines top-tier service, hatted culinary experiences and acclaimed design, with the 19 bespoke rooms and two luxury suites individually designed by celebrated Brisbane interior designer, Anna Spiro.
Prior to the July 2 reopening, the multi-award-winning hideaway underwent a deep clean and implemented stringent new health and safety practices including a number of hand sanitising stations located throughout the hotel.
Halcyon House’s restaurant, Paper Daisy, will be open exclusively to in-house guests for breakfast and lunch, and only open to the public for dinner for the time being.
Urban cool meets barefoot luxe
The Bower Byron Bay
The brainchild of Taliah and Sein Lowry, this moody, sophisticated space brings urban luxe to the popular coastal bohemian playground of Byron Bay.
Inspired by Manhattan’s hip Bowery neighbourhood during a trip to New York in 2016, the Lowrys and their team, including interior designer Kate Sacks and architect John Burgess, repurposed an original 1970s roadside motel on Bangalow Road, giving it new life as a sleek boutique hotel.
Combining the barefoot, free-spirited ethos of Byron with considered urban design, The Bower offers beautifully appointed guest rooms, Deluxe King Rooms as well as a 100-year-old cottage and a self-contained barn on site.
The piece de resistance, though, is the circular, heated natural mineral swimming pool surrounded by lush tropical gardens and towering palms.
https://www.thebowerbyronbay.com.au/
Nostalgic Kitsch
Ventura Beach Motel
With its candy pink and powder blue exterior and hipster elements, this repurposed Gold Coast 1970s motel is a hit with social media-savvy millennial travellers.
The brainchild of three brothers, and property developers, this Mermaid Beach motel retains nostalgic kitsch but the nine rooms – one, two and three-bedroom apartments – have been completely renovated and styled to cater for modern travellers.
Contemporary coastal-inspired décor, brand new appliances and a communal pool area, put a modern and playful spin on the original drive-in motel concept.
https://www.venturabeachmotel.com.au/
