[category]
[title]
There’s a very tangible magic to seeing a personal vision come to life – a magic that ignites the air in a space that’s so much more than an architect’s render in 3D form. That energy strikes you the moment you pull into the curling driveway at Sun Ranch, under the Cali-coded archway and along the gravel path to the wildly well-designed masterpiece that is the hotel’s main building.
The 11-room boutique hotel – set on a tree-studded 55-acre estate in the hinterland around Byron Bay – was the passion project of a group of friends from various creative industries who wanted to open a hotel that reflects the energy of the area. With its effortlessly cool aesthetic and nourishingly high-end offering, Sun Ranch does exactly that and more.
In late 2025, the project was taken on by James and Sophie Rapper, and though the DNA is evolving, the vision is very much the same. Sun Ranch is a hotel with a sense of self – a genuine gem of a property in a surreal corner of NSW.
What is Sun Ranch?
Sun Ranch is a boutique hotel with a uniquely community-focused ethos. Designed by a team of visionary creatives, the hotel takes a confidently casual approach to hospitality, and the result is something seriously special: a hotel that feels like a welcoming, impossibly beautiful designer home.
“The founders set the tone, and it’s still the same energy – it’s a luxury hotel, but it’s also a place where locals come for vinyl nights or intimate gigs or open-air cinema screenings on the lawn,” Charlie Creer, the hotel’s manager, tells me.
We arrived around 6pm on a Tuesday evening, and the team welcomed us like friends, made us a round of fresh Margaritas and invited us to put a record on in the ‘Whiskey Lounge’ – a tastefully eclectic space with immaculately curated interiors and walls lined with statement art pieces, illuminated by warm designer lamps.
What are the rooms like at Sun Ranch?
Ranging in size from two-bedroom barns to king-sized ‘pool rooms’, rooms can be chosen based on your group size, and as with the rest of the hotel, the design balances moody and playful to create intimate, sexy-as-hell spaces. Our pool room was a dimly lit, upscale rustic room opening up onto a spacious poolside terrace – the linen-draped bed illuminated on one side by a light suspended from the ceiling and on the other by a globe-like wall light. The bathroom is home to a seriously good shower and stocked with O&M products, and cotton robes embroidered with the hotel’s catchphrase – The Hotel of Good Times – wait on pegs by the door, along with perfectly on-brand cowboy hats.
If you’re visiting with kids, you can book one of the six hilltop barns that overlook the property – each home to two beds, open-plan living rooms and wraparound decks.
There’s also a private one-bedroom suite, which is home to a full kitchen, designer sitting room and a bathtub beneath a huge picture box window – a good option for a couple settling in for a longer stay.
Is there a restaurant at Sun Ranch?
The in-house dining experience is more akin to sitting down for dinner at the dream home of your (rich, stylish, chef-trained) friend – intimate and unfussy and gorgeously inspiring.
A small but perfectly formed menu (zucchini-stuffed ravioli, lasagne or butterflied chicken with chimichurri) is served at terracotta tables that wait beneath the vines, set with gingham napkins and chunky candles setting the tone – easy, almost accidental luxury indulgence.
Breakfast is a similarly informal affair – a delightfully Aussie selection of brekkie food (good sourdough, house-made pickles and expertly cooked bacon) waits on the coral-coloured bench in the ‘Lair’, and guests come and go, carrying bowls of fruit and granola to the sunken lounge and settling in with a book.
With snacks available to order all day, it’s easy to lose a few days in the embrace of the hotel, but if you’re staying for a few days, it’s worth heading into Byron, Bangalow or Brunswick Heads for a taste of the local food scene. Our top picks would be You Beauty for playful Australian dishes, Saint Maries for woodfired pizza and buzzy neighbourhood vibes, Bar Heather for excellent wine and on-point share plates, or Raes Dining Room for a special-occasion lunch overlooking the ocean.
What is the service like at Sun Ranch?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – staying at Sun Ranch feels like staying with your coolest, kindest friends. It’s luxury, yes, but easygoing – first-rate coffee served in mismatched mugs and a kind of warm familiarity that doesn’t feel like service at all.
Charlie refers to the vibe as “Australian luxury: familiar, personalised and unpretentious,” and I can’t put it better.
Is there a gym at Sun Ranch?
There’s no gym on site, but the brand of wellness that Sun Ranch offers is so much more soul-enriching than what a high-spec fitness centre could offer. Palo santo–scented yoga classes run every morning, lawn games wait in front of the entrance, and the team is on hand to give you tips on the best hikes and surfing spots in the area.
Is there a pool at Sun Ranch?
The hotel’s 25-metre pool is one of its key calling cards – a spectacular magnesium-spiked oasis on the hill above the main building, flanked by orange umbrellas and day beds overlooking the rolling hills. Running along the side of the four pool rooms, a smaller lap pool waits beneath the trees for a more shaded swim
Is there a spa at Sun Ranch?
There’s no spa per se, but a magical hand-built sauna sits on a wooden jetty over the dam, and everything from facials and massages to sound healing sessions and cacao ceremonies can be booked through the team. Holistic wellness is pretty core to the ethos here, and it feels like a natural tone for the whole experience – you walk barefoot to the magnesium pool and watch the sun drop over the hills, and your cells feel infinitely more at ease than they would if you were sitting back in an artificially lit wellness centre or pounding away on a treadmill.
What’s the area like around Sun Ranch?
Known as the Rainbow Region, the Northern Rivers area is a uniquely enchanting pocket of Australia – a network of well-connected towns lining the coast and hiding in the hinterland, each offering their own brand of Byron-coded cool. The closest town to Coopers Shoot (the hinterland idyll that Sun Ranch calls home) is Bangalow, a charming market town that’s experiencing something of a foodie renaissance, in large part thanks to some of the original founders of the ranch (You Beauty, Ciao Mate and The Eltham are all must-visits while you’re in the area, and have all been brought to life by local visionaries and Sun Ranch co-founders Julia Ashwood and her partner Matt Rabbidge).
Why should you book a stay at Sun Ranch?
For an inspiring stay that feels like a sleepover in your friend’s ridiculously beautiful home – an easy, breezy, sexy space that you never want to leave.
Address: 17 Byron Creek Road, Coopers Shoot, New South Wales 2479
Price per night: From $800 per night.
Closest transport link: Ballina airport is a 30 minute drive from the hotel.
Book now: Over here.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.