Azabu Retreat & Spa is a wellness & spa in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia. It has a 4.1/5 rating from 175 Google reviews. Contact: +61 2 6680 9102. Website: https://v2.onlinebooking.direct/property/azabu-retreat.Listed on thegood.guide, the local's guide to Byron Bay.





Byron Bay · Wellness & Spa
(175 reviews)
Skinners Shoot Road sits above the Byron township fray, which tells you something about what Azabu is going for. This retreat and day spa takes its name from the upscale Tokyo neighbourhood, a signal of the aesthetic register it's aiming at: refined, considered, a step removed from the main drag hustle. As a day spa at the upper end of the local market, expect treatment rooms designed for quiet, and a menu that goes beyond the standard massage-and-facial offering. Without a deep review trail to draw from, the honest read is this: the address alone is a selling point. Hinterland-adjacent, elevated, away from the beach crowds. If you're booking a treatment in Byron, the setting here does half the work before you've even arrived.
While I was looking for a place to celebrate my birthday, I came across Azabu. At first glance, I absolutely loved it. It looked beautiful and very inviting, so I decided to book it. However, after booking, I started reading the reviews and honestly became a bit worried, as many of them were quite harsh. Once I arrived, I completely fell in love with the place. The reviews were far more brutal than fair. The property is wonderful, and the pool is an absolute delight. I stayed for one night. The bed was incredibly comfortable, and the view was lovely and relaxing. Overall, it was absolutely worth it, and I am very glad I trusted my first impression.
I chose Azabu for a birthday getaway based on the advertised “Brekkie & Champagne” package and the promise of a peaceful, boutique retreat experience. Unfortunately, the stay fell well below expectations. The main issues were: • No consistent hot water – I experienced cold showers on multiple occasions despite running taps for over 10 minutes. • Ongoing construction noise – drilling and contractors were working near my room early in the morning, despite being told there would be no works on my final day. • The advertised day spa was not operating. • Maintenance concerns – the shower knob detached while adjusting temperature, there was initially no proper hanging space, and the clothing rack later collapsed. • Website inconsistencies – the Champagne & Breakfast package was still promoted but not delivered. To be fair, once issues were raised, staff did attempt to rectify some matters. Hot water was eventually restored, additional hanging space was provided, and the on-site manager acknowledged the situation and expressed that the experience was not up to standard. The setting itself has potential – the rainforest surrounds and pool area could be lovely in the right circumstances. However, at present, the property does not reflect a 4-star boutique standard and requires clearer communication, updated marketing, and improved maintenance consistency. I hope management follows through on improvements, as the property could be a genuinely relaxing retreat with better operational oversight.

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My partner and I stayed here just this weekend. The only positive I give is that the bed was very comfortable. When we arrived for check in there was nobody at the front counter. All there was a envelope with my partners name on it with room key. On booking my partner was advised that breakfast was included in our booking . No breakfast was provided at all. Also the advertise that you can get a massage. No staff around to tell us how we go about organising that if we wanted. The room it self was ok . Comfortable bed although our toilet set was broken and a few of the floor boards are rooting through.
Stay somewhere else, very disappointing accomodation. Attempted to resolve directly with owners but they were dismissive of our concerns. Unsure about other rooms but ours was very unclean and hadn’t been vacuumed, to the point of needing to wipe off feet before getting in bed. The wood around the spa was rotting and unsafe. The owners response to this significant issue was “it’s getting renovated soon”. The wifi did not work at all. Plumbing noise is incredibly loud to the point of the bed vibrating whenever the surrounding rooms would shower. We explained to the owners that the plumbing noise at night was terrible but their response was dismissive. We asked for a modest refund of half the stay but this was rejected and our concerns mostly ignored. The owners were absent the entire stay and never once attempted to greet. As far as we know the accomodation was unstaffed. Having worked in holiday letting, staff should always have a point of contact with customers staying in accomodation.
Warning - dodgy new owners care less about customers . We had no hot water no drinking water Woken at 7am with power tools Would love to say great things about this beautiful accommodation because it truly has so much potential- like entering an enchanted forest. But with the broken refrigerator, no milk for our tea or coffee, no hot water and nothing to drink We were very frustrated couldn’t sleep well and then woke at dawn with power tools I discussed it with reception to find a remedy and they simply didn’t care. I really am upset to write this review because I really know how hard it is to provide quality experience.. I don’t want to rate them badly but I do want my experience compensated.