Raes have opened the doors to their new The Bonobo hotel on Jonson Street, Byron Bay. The Bonobo by Raes offers 74 beautifully appointed hotel rooms alongside a Lobby Lounge for all-day dining and drinks, a rooftop pool, a holistic wellness studio by Reset, and a curated menswear retail space from Byron-born brand Atlas Homme, all underpinned by Raes’ signature service and hospitality.
“Opening The Bonobo marks a significant new chapter for Raes,” says Marty McCaig, group general manager. “We’ve brought the same attention to detail, hospitality and guest experience that sits at the heart of the Raes brand, and applied it to a larger, more accessible setting in the centre of town.
“The Bonobo has been designed as a place where people can stay, meet, dine and unwind, whether they are visiting Byron for a weekend, an extended stay, or simply dropping in for a drink. It’s a natural extension of what we’ve built over the past three decades, while offering something entirely its own. We can’t wait to welcome both guests and locals to experience this new expression of Raes hospitality.”
The Bonobo is designed by architecture firm Richards & Spence with interior furnishings by designers Studio Manifold, in collaboration with Birdy Catalano. The three-level building is defined by its modernist brick facade, while an open central courtyard draws light, air and greenery into the heart of the hotel. The rooftop pool is framed by panoramic views from the Byron Bay lighthouse to the hinterland, with lounge seating and daybeds designed for relaxed afternoons and sunset aperitivo.
Accommodation
The Bonobo offers 74 hotel rooms and hotel residences set across three levels, overlooking the courtyard, tropical gardens or Jonson Street. The one, two and three-bedroom residences offer generous layouts with the option to connect adjoining rooms for four-bed configurations, ideal for families and groups seeking spacious stays with the ease of a private home, and the service of a luxury hotel.
Each residence features a fully equipped kitchen, as well as in-room laundry facilities, spacious living and dining areas, and in select residences, private outdoor spaces and plunge pools. Throughout the property, guests are immersed in the hotel’s signature scent of Le Labo Santal 33, featured in room amenities, candles and incense, and worn by staff.
The interiors are grounded in a warm, layered material palette defined by texture, tone and subtle colour. Custom furniture designed in collaboration with Jardan sits alongside a curated collection of vintage furniture, lighting and decorative pieces, sourced locally and internationally, creating a sense of quiet cohesion throughout the property. The residences feature original works by Doris Bush in collaboration with 8 Hele Gallery, alongside prints by Traianos Pakioufakis. On the balconies, custom outdoor furniture by MCM House in warm timber and sun-washed upholstery reinforces the coastal setting, creating an effortless indoor-outdoor connection attuned to Byron Bay’s natural surrounds.
Food and beverage
The hotel’s food and beverage offering is curated by Jason Saxby, executive chef of two-hatted Raes Dining Room, alongside The Bonobo head chef Callum Gray. At its centre is the Lobby Lounge – a relaxed, all-day space with seating for up to 110 guests across the main lounge, terrace and courtyard. The space is designed to evolve seamlessly throughout the day, from morning coffee through to long lunches and late-night cocktails.
More than a hotel lobby or restaurant, the Lobby Lounge has been conceived as a neighbourhood gathering place and the social heart of The Bonobo. Drawing inspiration from the world’s great hotel bars, diners and late-night institutions, the menu takes a playful yet thoughtful approach to familiar classics, reimagined through a distinctly Bonobo lens.
Championing quality producers from Byron Bay and beyond, menu highlights include the Bonobo Club Sanga (fried chicken presse, bacon jam and dijonnaise); pork cotoletta (crumbled pork cutlet with a brown butter dragoncello mayonnaise); and for dessert, zeppole (ricotta fritters, burnt honey custard and Davidson plum jam). Food and beverage will also be available in-room and by the rooftop pool, available daily from 7am until late.
Guests will also find a curated in-room drinks selection stocked with The Bonobo Lager, brewed exclusively for the property, alongside a collection of ready-to-pour cocktails created in collaboration with Brookie’s gin. Inspired by native Australian ingredients, the range includes a Saltbush Gin Martini, Wattleseed Negroni and Lemon Aspen Vodka Martini.
Reset: Wellness at The Bonobo
Reset joins The Bonobo as its exclusive wellness partner, extending its offering beyond its Double Bay Sydney studio to Byron Bay for the first time. Conceived with intimacy at its core, Reset at The Bonobo is designed for both small-group and private experiences. It features traditional cedar saunas, ice baths, a eucalyptus steam room, magnesium bath and vitamin C-infused showers, alongside a private treatment room dedicated to LED light therapy, facials and restorative body treatments. The studio will also include The Circuit, a communal space for up to five clients per session, and two private Contrast Therapy rooms for individual sessions. Treatments are available to both hotel guests and the wider Byron Bay community.
Designed as a sequence of connected spaces rather than a single room, the wellness offering draws on traditional bathhouse ritual, with natural timbers, detailed tiling, and controlled acoustics creating an environment built for stillness. Reset will open in The Bonobo later this month.
Atlas Homme: Retail at The Bonobo
Retail at The Bonobo is anchored by Byron-born menswear brand Atlas Homme, bringing a considered approach to modern dressing to the hotel’s ground floor. Defined by relaxed tailoring, natural materials and an emphasis on ease and wearability, Atlas Homme presents a tightly curated edit of international and local boutique brands across clothing, accessories, home décor, fragrance, travel and eyewear. Brands represented include Tom Ford, Zegna, CAZAL, House of Creed, and more. Atlas Homme will also open later this month.
Raes’ next evolution
The Bonobo marks the next evolution of the Raes portfolio – a more urban expression of the brand that sits alongside Raes Hotel, Raes Guesthouses, Raes Dining Room and Cellar Bar, Raes Spa, and superyacht M.Y Sea Raes. Designed for a new generation of travellers, The Bonobo brings together the warm hospitality, considered design and sense of place that have become synonymous with the Raes experience.
“We’re thrilled to expand our footprint in Byron Bay with the opening of The Bonobo,” says Jordy Catalano, managing director, Raes. “We’ve created a hotel that caters to a wide range of travellers, from couples to families and large groups, across a range of different hotel rooms and apartments. The Bonobo brings together considered amenities, design-led accommodation, generous hospitality and a central location right in the heart of Byron Bay. This project has been a long time in the making, and we’re incredibly proud to finally introduce The Bonobo to Byron Bay.”
Hotel rooms at The Bonobo start from $355 per night, with introductory rates available for all stays until 31 July 2026.
