It’s easy enough to be taken in by the Northern Rivers’ lifestyle. One mini break and you’ll find yourself looking at property listings and picturing a sea change. The Bower is the perfect gateway drug.

The Bower is on the main road into Byron. In a past life, it was Dolphins Motor Inn – a run-of-the-mill coastal motel, now it’s a swish boutique hotel. 

Each suite feels more like a private home than a room in a boutique hotel. Every accommodation type includes king-size beds, hand-crafted furniture from local artist Alexis Williams and lush garden surrounds.

Signature suites include The Cottage, a 100-year-old home with a classic country aesthetic complete with its own cedar mineral spa, which sleeps 10; The Bower Barn, with a pitched roof, restored windows and weatherboard cladding; and the two Bower Studios, which offer private entrances, four-poster beds, an outdoor shower and an egg-shaped bath.

A major renovation by Studio Plenty and Tanev Muir added a guest lounge and hotel bar in 2024.

A large circular magnesium pool is heated for year-round swimming and fringed by sun beds and foliage. The on-site spa – exclusively available to guests – provides facials and massages using Mukti products.

The Garden Bar serves Curatif cocktails, bar snacks and other drinks. There’s no on-site dining, but The Bower offers artisan hampers and the hotel is next door to The General Store, which is a breakfast go-to.

If you’re looking to get the blood pumping, there are Meraki yoga products in each room for practice and complimentary Lekker bikes available so you can ride down to the beach or into town.