Rae's On Watego's, Byron Bay

It’s the epitome of romantic getaways and this iconic property in the holiday destination of Byron Bay in northern NSW is a luxury hotel with sprawling rooms adorned with funky artwork and set on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. There are just seven rooms at Rae’s and each of them has been designed individually and all have their own unique personality. It’s something of a throwback to the golden era of fabulous luxury boutique hotels and this is definitely an eccentric property with privacy and seclusion as its main attributes. It’s no wonder the likes of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddi Prinze Jr and Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski have celebrated their romantic getaways at Rae’s.

The Rooms

Each of the seven rooms is individually styled but they share a common theme of classic Mediterranean and Moroccan stylings with sumptuous furnishings and art deco touches throughout. David Bromley is the resident artist and his work adorns most of the rooms and he lists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Glen Baxter as his main inspirations, and this comes across in his fabulous work. We were in The Mirabella Penthouse which is a beautifully appointed top floor penthouse spread over a massive 138 square metres. The highlight of the Mirabella is the king size four poster bed with a massive sunken bath off to the side and the two large balconies, one of which has a day bed where you can lounge back and catch a sea breeze.

Dining

The Fish Cafe is Rae’s pride and joy having won the Australian Good Food Guide 2012 Award for Best Restaurant. It’s a 60 seat alfresco dining room overlooking the ocean and there’s no secret behind its success: The Fish Cafe sources the freshest local produce for its stylish menu which is serviced by the best chefs in the region. The menu can also be served in the privacy of your room if you’re staying here and the wok-fried snapper with tamarind, coriander, fried shallot, chilli, ginger and fresh lime is one of those dishes that burns into your memory.

Other Facilities

There’s a lovely tree covered pool at the back of the property, while Rae’s Spa provides a totally serene atmosphere for treatments that are out of this world. It’s been listed in Conde Nast’s top 100 spas and Luxury Travel’s top 50 spas and this is a spa retreat that promises opulence an seclusion and delivers on that promise.

The Verdict

Quite simply this is one of the best hotels in the world and that’s backed up with personalised service of the highest quality this is the place for a romantic getaway which you’ll never forget.