There are some resorts that could be picked up and plonked nearly anywhere in the world without changing their fundamental appeal. Not so Raes. From the breezy staff uniforms in hues of bone and moss greens by beachy-luxe designer Lucy Folk to the constant shift of light through a canopy of palms and frangipanis on every curved white wall, Raes is impossible to imagine anywhere else but Wategos.

New Raes meets old Raes

For 30 years, the boutique hotel of just seven rooms has held pride of place in one of the most desirable beachside enclaves in Australia, even as mansions mushroomed all around and Porsches replaced surf wagons on Byron’s backroads. The new Raes Guesthouses, in the sight-line of the original’s driveway, more than doubles the property’s footprint with 10 new suites, set around two long pools and a series of communal spaces designed to foster mingling. But down on its foreshore patch, separated from the sands of Wategos only by a stretch of lawn and row of pandanus, the flagship Raes and its signature restaurant Raes Dining Room sail on undisturbed by this sudden expansion.

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Why Raes is still Byron’s best luxury hotel

While so much large-scale luxury shouts, the Raes experience is delivered with a whispered ease. A fleet of hybrid Lexus XRs are on hand to whisk guests to and from the airport, and into Byron Bay town itself (otherwise reached along a coastal path skirting the clifftops, past the famous Pass surf break). The five suites and two penthouse rooms are all unique, individually styled by Sydney interior designer Tamsin Johnson so that each feels less like a hotel room and more like a private beach house.

Cool terrazzo tiles underfoot add geometric interest to bedrooms decked out with airy white linens, and open terraces adorned with rattan furniture and rough-hewn travertine tables. A series of collaborations with like-minded creatives mean you can take a piece of the Raes style home from the gift shop, be it the custom-designed Lucy Folk beach towels, Rationale skincare from the hushed spa or the handmade Italian ceramics occupying the many nooks and pockets of the eccentric 1960s build.

The building is so much a part of the charm – a trove of intimate corridors and rounded white-washed walls created as a private home and restaurant for a big local personality (completely unsubstantiated legend claims that the tropical stylings of the pool and gardens are the work of Salvador Dalí himself).

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Dining at Raes on Wategos

Sandy feet and locals after a sundowner are welcomed at Rae’s Cellar Bar on the open terrace, where white scalloped cafe chairs are invariably shifted to face the waves and the breaching whales that migrate past the headland. Small plates like handmade spaghetti stirred through with raw tuna, pesto and fresh tomato, and bay lobster rolls with a creamy sauce zinging with native spices, lend themselves to lazy, slow afternoons of post-swim snacks. Special occasions should be reserved for upstairs at Raes Dining Room, Executive Chef Jason Saxby’s destination fine diner.

The ocean-hued neutrals and organically curved seating mimic the feel of the guest spaces; all the better not to distract from the expansive windows overlooking the lawn and beach beyond (thrown open on sunny afternoons to let the sea breeze wash over diners). Nostalgia and humour are threaded through a menu by Saxby full of premium Northern Rivers produce, native Australian ingredients and technical skill.

Bite-sized ‘Cornettos’ are piped with a citrusy dashi cream, topped with pops of salmon caviar. Half a plump Australian bay lobster is curled around a bed of buttery corn and fregola pasta. The ‘Iced Vovo’ is presented in vintage biscuit tins, the vanilla bean semifreddo striped with a sweet-bitter Davidson plum jam. After working our way through all 10 courses of the Raes Tasting Menu, we’re grateful it’s only a short meander to our two-storey suite, to sink into soft linens and cottons as the rainforest leans in towards us over the white encircling walls.

Raes on Wategos is at 6-8 Marine Parade, Byron Bay, and new Raes Guesthouses at 1 Marine Parade. Raes Dining Room and Cellar Bar are open to the public, the new Guesthouse spaces are only available for guests of either property.