Outrigger Bay
by the TopOfHotel team
Outrigger Bay trades resort polish for an easy beach-house feel, with a skin-friendly saltwater pool and a garden BBQ a few steps from the quiet end of Belongil Beach.
Outrigger Bay trades resort polish for an easy beach-house feel, with a skin-friendly saltwater pool and a garden BBQ a few steps from the quiet end of Belongil Beach.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Outrigger Bay is a 4-star heritage-style aparthotel on Shirley Street, and the look leans coastal-heritage rather than new-build resort — easy and unfussy, more like a family beach house than a polished hotel. There are 31 units, each fitted with free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen cable TV and an iron. The detail that earns its keep is the in-unit kitchen and washing machine, which turns a few nights of takeaway into proper self-catering and a mid-trip laundry run.
Food and amenities
There's no restaurant or bar on site, so the social heart is the garden. You get an outdoor saltwater pool — guests like that it's gentler on the skin than chlorine — a jacuzzi, and a sheltered BBQ area built for evenings. With kitchens in every unit, the usual rhythm here is cooking in or firing up the grill rather than eating out every night, and the free Wi-Fi covers the whole property.
Location and getting there
The pull of this address is the beach behind it. It's a 3-minute walk down the path to Belongil Beach, the quieter strip on the north side of town that draws far fewer people than the center. Main Beach is about 7 minutes through the gardens, and both the Cumbebin Swamp Nature Reserve and the Byron Community Market sit roughly 5 minutes away on foot. Parking is free, which is a real plus given most guests drive up from Sydney or Brisbane; Byron Bay has no airport, so flyers use Ballina Byron Gateway (BNK), about 30 km south. It scores 8.5/10 from real guests.
Things to know before booking
This is a heritage building, so the decor is older than the new resorts elsewhere on the list — fine for a relaxed beach stay, less so if you want sleek and modern. Main Beach is a 7-minute walk, not on the doorstep, so a town-center hotel suits anyone who wants the busy central beach right there. And there's no on-site restaurant or bar, which is exactly why the kitchens matter: plan to cook, BBQ, or walk into town for dinner.
Our take
Outrigger Bay is the pick for families and couples who want the calmer Belongil side, a kitchen of their own, and an easy heritage beach-house feel over resort gloss. If a quiet beach a few minutes from the door and a garden BBQ sound better than nightlife and polish, this one lands. It scores 8.5/10, with units from around $185 a night.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- A 4-star heritage-style aparthotel that sits right on the walking path down to Belongil Beach, the calmer strip on the north side of town. It's a 3-minute walk to sand that draws far fewer crowds than Main Beach.
- The garden has an outdoor saltwater pool, which guests find easier on the skin than a chlorine pool, plus a jacuzzi and a sheltered BBQ area you can actually use in the evening.
- Every one of the 31 units comes with a kitchen and a washing machine, so cooking your own meals and doing laundry mid-trip is genuinely practical for a multi-night stay.
- Parking is free, which matters here since most guests drive up from Sydney or Brisbane rather than fly, and you won't pay extra or hunt for a street spot.
- Free Wi-Fi runs throughout and the concierge will book local tours and activity tickets, and the Byron Community Market and Cumbebin Swamp Nature Reserve are both about a 5-minute walk away.
- It's a heritage-style building, so the look and finish are older and more dated than the new-build resorts elsewhere on this list. If you want sleek and contemporary, this isn't it.
- Main Beach is about a 7-minute walk through the gardens, so if you specifically want the busy central beach on your doorstep, a town-center hotel will suit you better.
- There's no on-site restaurant or bar, which is why the in-unit kitchen matters; plan to cook, BBQ, or walk into town for dinner.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Byron Bay
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Insider Tips
- Walk through the gardens to Belongil Beach early in the morning, when it's even quieter than the usual Main Beach scene.
- Use the sheltered garden BBQ for an evening cook-up instead of eating out every night, since there's no on-site restaurant.
- Time a stay around Friday and walk the 5 minutes to the Byron Community Market for the best street food.