A look inside Swell Hotel, Byron’s latest luxury boutique stay

When you arrive at Swell Hotel, you won’t find a typical reception desk lined with computers. Instead, follow the burning aroma of Dutchie incense to The Swell Bar (where all holidays should start). Fitted out with a golden velvet lounge and thriving greenery, the ’70s-inspired space is a mere taste of the cool, lived-in charm you’ll find inside your room. Here, a welcome spritz is encouraged, while one of the friendly staff checks you in.

Behind the look of Swell Hotel is Byron Bay-based interior designer Nyree Mackenzie, who took the bones of a small roadside lodge in the centre of town and transformed it into an elevated, surf-inspired oasis. “Originally we were going to do one room and just copy and paste each room, and it was a very quick turnover, six-week project,” Mackenzie explains. “But instead, it turned out to take a year – and it just kept building.”

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When you step inside any one of the 16 custom-designed suites, the first thing you’ll be wowed by is the laid-back luxury: a velvet Catherine Martin by Mokum bedhead arching across one wall, ornate light shades and your own cocktail station. (If Gatsby had a Cali-cool edge, this is where you’d find him.) Take note of how relaxed the space feels, with its warm, earthy tones – a wet day can’t ruin your holiday when it means retreating to a room like this. The brief was to blend nostalgia with contemporary living, “honouring the ’70s retro feel and look of a motel but then adding a more earthy, sculptured, natural touch,” Mackenzie says.

Each suite features a cosy reading nook, large accordion windows, and a minibar with a menu that reads like a list of the area’s best producers: Loco Love chocolates, Jiva tonics, Naked jerky and Bizzarro spritzes.

Mackenzie also collaborated with local creatives including Matt Woodfield of Marovo Island Traders to create bespoke fossilised coral and brass light fittings. A striking clustered centrepiece above the bar is a standout, channelling a warm quartz glow millions of years in the making. You’ll also find other fixtures made with onyx stone, Capiz shells, hand-shaped coconut shells and coral beads dotted throughout the interiors. “[We aimed for] everything to be [made of] as many natural materials as possible because it gives it an energy and contributes to the feeling of the space,” Mackenzie says.

Outside, a barren concrete car park and neglected pool area have been converted into a sprawling fairy-lit garden lined with bamboo umbrellas, plus an infrared sauna and ice bath that’s complimentary for guests. There’s also a teepee designed for yoga, sound bowl healing and wellness workshops.

“I have always dreamed of Byron having an outdoor garden space with curved outdoor seating and a space for a DJ to play but also have a wellness [section]. There just aren’t many places in Byron where you can hang out in a garden space.”

And the location couldn’t be better. Positioned on the corner of Butler and Lawson streets, the town’s best bars and restaurants, main beach and markets are – quite literally – at the back gate.