The Bower reveals luxury makeover

THE Bower Byron Bay has completed a two-year luxury transformation, unveiling a chic guest lounge, new hotel bar, upgraded reception area and four new rooms designed to offer a more affordable stay without compromising on quality.

General manager Cath Leonard said that before the renovation, the only communal area available for guests to unwind was the pool area and garden bar.

“We wanted to enhance our guests’ stay by providing them with a beautiful indoor space to be able to relax and indulge,” she said.

“Given Byron’s sub-tropical climate, it’s not unusual to get an afternoon storm. We wanted a luxury indoor space where guests could sit in the lounge pavilion to enjoy a welcome drink, have a cocktail before heading out to dinner, where they could work on their laptop or wait for their Uber; or simply kick back and play a game of Scrabble together.”

This is the most significant renovation the Bangalow Road hotel — originally an old-school motel — has undertaken since opening in 2017.

At its inception, the owners set out to create a stay that combined the privacy and tranquillity of a private home with the refined interiors of a luxury hotel.

The design draws inspiration from Byron Bay’s laid-back, eclectic vibe, paired with the industrial elegance of New York’s Bowery district.

The transformation was led by award-winning Byron Bay-based architects Studio Plenty, recent recipients of the Emerging Interior Design Practice award at the Australian Interior Design Awards, along with Tanev Muir.

All rooms have been upgraded with king-sized beds and custom-made furniture by local artist Alexis Williams. The walls now showcase underwater artworks captured on-site by photographer Francesca Owen.

The hotel has also added an on-site spa centre, offering wellness treatments exclusively for guests, using products from award-winning Mullumbimby skincare company Mukti Organics.

“I absolutely love the whole transformation,” Leonard said. “I found it difficult to really imagine what it would look like completed and how it would work operationally, but it’s even better than what I had thought. I’m so excited for our guests to use the new lounge space, and also so proud of our new reception. First impressions are so important and I now feel like our reception is in line with the level of quality to the rest of the hotel.

“Working with local businesses made the transformation so special, from the interior architects to furniture designer Alexis Williams as well as local photographers. I also love that we have four new rooms upstairs offering a different style of room with balconies and at an entry-level price point.”

Two of the newly added rooms can be booked together, allowing The Bower to accommodate a family of four for the first time..

Other accommodation options include The Bower Barn, which has a pitched roof with reclaimed wooden beams and an ensuite with an egg-shaped bath and glass ceiling, and the Bower Cottage, which is a refurbished 100-year-old house with five bedrooms and a private cedar mineral spa.