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Planula B&B Retreat
Lot 1, Melaleuca Drive PO Box 1753, Byron Bay, New South Wales 2481 Australia
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About
#4 of 8 B&Bs in Byron Bay
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Planula Retreat offers beautiful accommodation set on over 50 acres amongst tropical landscaped gardens just over 3km from the centre of Byron Bay. You will love the relaxed atmosphere created in this modern B&B style retreat. We are the only true remaining oasis that close to town! Unwind on the extensive decks around the house overlooking the frog pond and enjoy the lush gardens. How about listening to the birds and frogs over a BBQ at night? Extensive continental breakfasts are included in all rates. FREE wireless fast broadband everywhere. Friendly hosts and great recommendations.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Free breakfast
Bicycle rental
Canoeing
Airport transportation
BBQ facilities
Baggage storage
Parking
Wifi
Hiking
Horseback riding
Fishing
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
Shops
Sun terrace
Express check-in / check-out
Laundry service
Room features
Blackout curtains
Air conditioning
Safe
Iron
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Dutch, German
Location
Lot 1, Melaleuca Drive PO Box 1753, Byron Bay, New South Wales 2481 Australia
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 50 out of 100
50
34 Restaurants
within 1 kilometer
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
Traveller rating
- 85
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Detailed Reviews
I really long to get back to Byron Bay and the Planula B&B Retreat. Because that was actually what i hoped for, coming to a Retreat. The Planula is situated just a couple of minutes by car from the busy Byron Bay. A short drive in from the main road nestled between gardens and trees, you immediately feel calm and peace when you get there. The room that we had was newly done up in basic style but comfortable. A communal kitchen is available, and breakfast is served ( as early as you require ) by Wandy with freshly brewed coffee and freshly baked bread.
It is good being early if you plan to go diving as we did.
The proprietors Tim and Wandy are extremely friendly and generous. Nothing seemed to be difficuilt for them and it felt more like staying with friends. Their interest for diving is an assett, and was very benificiary when planning dives and divecourses for our son. It is easy staying at Planula, even if you dont have your own car, Tim and Wandy would drive guests in to BB for their divetrips. I highly recommend the Planula BB Retreat if you are going to Byron Bay
It is good being early if you plan to go diving as we did.
The proprietors Tim and Wandy are extremely friendly and generous. Nothing seemed to be difficuilt for them and it felt more like staying with friends. Their interest for diving is an assett, and was very benificiary when planning dives and divecourses for our son. It is easy staying at Planula, even if you dont have your own car, Tim and Wandy would drive guests in to BB for their divetrips. I highly recommend the Planula BB Retreat if you are going to Byron Bay
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Date of stay: April 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I recently stayed at Planula Retreat for a three night stay. What an amazing place, set away from the hustle and bustle of Byron Bay and tucked away in a lush rainforest setting, we couldn't have asked for more. Hosts Wandy and Tim made every effort to make us feel right at home. Our room was clean and tidy with ensuite (great hot showers!). Breakfast is served in a communal kitchen area, and if you are lucky you will get to sample some of Wandy's home made muffins (the chocolate muffins are THE BEST). I suggest grabbing a book and curling up in the hammock on the large wooden deck ~ and keep your eye out as you might just see some native green tree frogs, or at the very least bush turkeys foraging in the forest. I would highly recommend Planula to people looking for a relaxed and friendly place to stay in Byron Bay.
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Date of stay: June 2014Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from planula, Owner at Planula B&B Retreat
Responded 28 Aug 2014
Thank you very much for taking the time to write this review and so great to meet you guys. You are a very fun couple and congratulations again to recently tying he knot! We very much enjoyed having you at Planula and hope to welcome you again soon. All the best, Tim & Wandy (owners)
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Planula is the perfect place to be when visiting Byron, or diving Julian Rocks is on your agenda and you need a place to retreat from the hustle and bustle of Byron town centre. Just a short drive or 25 mins walk away from Byron and then you have it, tranquility, birdsongs and much more... Providing the luxuries of home, Wandy and Tim are your gracious hosts informative, hospitable and personable. We first discovered Planula in February 2007 and will not stay anywhere else whilst visiting Byron with vacancies at Planula. Keep up the good work TIm and Wandy see you soon!
Danielle, Shaun and Lili
Danielle, Shaun and Lili
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Date of stay: September 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed only one night, whilst driving through Byron Bay. It is a small B&B retreat with perhaps 4 or 5 rooms, and a large communal area.
The location is not great, it isn't really walking distance to the town centre. You absolutely need a car. Its a bit tricky finding the place too, you need to turn off into a small dirt road and drive for a minute before you reach the place.
It is very peaceful there, you get a lot of little lizards running around outside.
The ground floor rooms are pretty large, and extremely hygienic and clean. They have ensuite bathrooms which look brand new and are spotless. There is also free wi-fi internet which is a good bonus. The rooms upstairs are more stuffy and cramped, so we asked to move downstairs. The owner Wandy was very friendly and gladly obliged.
There are 2 problems with Planula. One is that there is no air-conditioning, only fans, which is a bit unpleasant, even at night. The other problem is the damn insects outside - they make constant chirping noises throughout the night and it makes for an unpleasant nights sleep. Bring earplugs !
The location is not great, it isn't really walking distance to the town centre. You absolutely need a car. Its a bit tricky finding the place too, you need to turn off into a small dirt road and drive for a minute before you reach the place.
It is very peaceful there, you get a lot of little lizards running around outside.
The ground floor rooms are pretty large, and extremely hygienic and clean. They have ensuite bathrooms which look brand new and are spotless. There is also free wi-fi internet which is a good bonus. The rooms upstairs are more stuffy and cramped, so we asked to move downstairs. The owner Wandy was very friendly and gladly obliged.
There are 2 problems with Planula. One is that there is no air-conditioning, only fans, which is a bit unpleasant, even at night. The other problem is the damn insects outside - they make constant chirping noises throughout the night and it makes for an unpleasant nights sleep. Bring earplugs !
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Date of stay: February 2007Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
Business service (e.g., internet access)
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a find in the busy busy Byron Bay! We found Planula a relaxing and quiet retreat in the busy land of Byron Bay, a convenient 3kms from the town centre. The rooms were practical and warm with no TV which was GREAT! The common lounge and kitchen were welcoming with a lovely wooden fire place on the cool damp evenings we had. Tom and Wandy are very accommodating and friendly and provided a very filling breakfast including home baked breads and muffins. The location is very tropical and peaceful. Very pretty and relaxing. Thanks Tim and Wandy, we will be back! Bernadette and Phil
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Date of stay: June 2014Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: We had an upstairs room which was great on a cold night as the fireplace warmth filled the room :-)
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It is located down a dirt track off the road leading into Byron Bay. Finding the reception and office is an extremely untidy state with the floor covered in boxes and goods was an ominous sign of what was to come. Our room was next to the owner's car port which was also untidy. Our room was basic with cheap furniture and no TV, the mattress was made wider with cheap foam to fit the wooden base, the curtains were dirt stained, one of our pillow slips was stained and the towels were cheap and worn. We were promised a lovely continental breakfast but that too was very basic, consisting of cereals, only full cream milk, nice Helgas bread, 6 apples, 1 banana and a good selection of tea and plunger coffee.
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Date of stay: August 2010Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from planula, Owner at Planula B&B Retreat
Responded 26 Aug 2010
How unfortunate that we can't please everybody. Having unhappy guests is a stressful, but fortunately, rare occurrence. We aim to provide comprehensive information on our web site about our location, ambience and Byron Bay in general. The fact that we are at the end of an unsealed road is mentioned in the directions and not something we would even try to hide. Our choice not to offer TVs and DVD-players in the individual rooms has been a very conscious one as it adds to the tranquility we have to offer. The extensive continental breakfast has actually only quality items including freshly baked bread (on this particular morning) or muffins, banana bread or fruit salad depending on the day. The range of spreads available include Nutella, good peanutbutter, honey, Vegemite, and french jams. We also do have a range of fruit available - not just apples and bananas-, orange juice and fruit yoghurts. There is a choice of full cream milk or soy milk available and any other requests can be catered for. Plunger coffee and a wide selection of teas are available throughout the day. There are a couple of valid points made, such as the stain on the pillow case and the curtains (not acceptable indeed) which have been looked into and taken care of. In short, we do believe that Chris and partner had very different expectations of what we have on offer and from the comment made to us directly in regards of the lack of pastries at breakfasts and comments on the furniture we believe they would have been happier staying at a 5 star B&B or more generic accommodation. We encourage any readers to also have a look at our other reviews on this page and visit our website to find out what Planula is all about. Wandy & Tim Hochgrebe Owners - Planula B&B Retreat
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We have both enjoyed our stay at Planula thoroughly, we wish we could stay for longer than a week!
The lush, tropical surroundings are so beautiful, we couldn't imagine being able to get anything else like this in town. There is plenty of space on the big deck that overlooks the trees and a beautiful pond.
The room we stayed in was very clean and comfortable. The bathrooms were also very clean and seemed to be newly renovated. We can highly recommend the spa room. We didn't have a problem at all with bugs.
You do fall asleep to the sounds of frogs and crickets, however we found this relaxing, and a great change from the noise of cars in the city.
We found we had plenty of variety in our breakfasts, the muffins (made from scratch in the mornings) were very yum!
We hope that we can come back and enjoy Planula again soon.
The lush, tropical surroundings are so beautiful, we couldn't imagine being able to get anything else like this in town. There is plenty of space on the big deck that overlooks the trees and a beautiful pond.
The room we stayed in was very clean and comfortable. The bathrooms were also very clean and seemed to be newly renovated. We can highly recommend the spa room. We didn't have a problem at all with bugs.
You do fall asleep to the sounds of frogs and crickets, however we found this relaxing, and a great change from the noise of cars in the city.
We found we had plenty of variety in our breakfasts, the muffins (made from scratch in the mornings) were very yum!
We hope that we can come back and enjoy Planula again soon.
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Date of stay: January 2009
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
Business service (e.g., internet access)
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The owners of the property were quite helpful and pleasant as other reviewers have stated. Unfortunately your experience here will completely depend on who you are sharing the property with. It is a 5 bedroom house converted into a B&B with shared kitchen and outdoor space. We had a nice breakfast enjoying the homemade bread (but it's just breads and cereals with a fruit bowl) however, the evening prior some guests were watching a movie very loudly until late in the common living space. Otherwise the place is very quiet, only nature sounds just hope you have pleasant guests. When we booked I thought it was quite expensive but it seems like the price was on-par with the rest of Byron. And yes you really need a car to enjoy this place.
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Date of stay: January 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
In a nut shell.....B&B should stand for bed and bugs. This place is down a dirt road in the middle of the woods. So if you like spiders, bugs, frogs and a 5 am wake-up call from the cookaburra's then this place is for you. The breakfast consists of toast and coffee. I'm not a picky traveller, but this just is not for me. It is the closest thing to camping you will get without zipping up a tent at night. The only redeaming quality was the bathroom: It was brand new. Beware.......no airconditioning, so you need to leave the slider open for air. Have you ever heard the woods in Australia at night: Downright loud and alive! Did not sleep a wink my 3 nights there.
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Date of stay: December 2008Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from planula, owners at Planula B&B Retreat
Responded 10 Jan 2009
What a shame you didn't like our little oasis, this review came as a big surprise to us. Most of our guests truly love being surrounded by nature. We encourage any readers to also have a look at our other reviews on this page and visit our website to find out what Planula is all about. Tim & Wandy Planula B&B Retreat
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Absolutely loved it here... beautiful and tranquil!
Its a little out of byron bay (either bike, walk or hire a car!) but the peace here makes it worth it!
Room is absolutely fine - by all means not a 5 star hotel, but good enough to feel comfortable and relaxed.
Its a little out of byron bay (either bike, walk or hire a car!) but the peace here makes it worth it!
Room is absolutely fine - by all means not a 5 star hotel, but good enough to feel comfortable and relaxed.
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Date of stay: June 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Ask for a garden view room with ensuite.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are just over 3 km from the centre of town so the drive is literally 2 minutes to get to dozens of restaurants. There is also a Bistro a bit more than one kilometre away.
Planula has the best of two worlds, 50 acres of peace and surrounded by nature, but only a few minutes from the action of 'downtown' Byron Bay.
Hi Barbara,
You are very welcome and we are looking forward to see you at Planula soon. Make sure you check our own website for up-to-date vacancies and the best prices. You can always call us with questions.
Regards
Tim
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for your interest in Planula Retreat. While we do have mosquitoes between March and May we naturally have all our windows protected with fly screen. We also have repellent wall plugs that you can switch on, in case any of them should make it into your room. You certainly won't be bothered by them in your room.
We hope to welcome you at Planula Retreat one day and hope you will love our nature setting on over 50 acres and the quiet surrounds.
Regards
Tim & Wandy (owners)
"Spa room was lovely, big spa overlooking bushland, very quiet with deck from your door"Read full review
LOCATION
AustraliaNew South WalesByron ShireByron Bay
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
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Frequently Asked Questions about Planula B&B Retreat
Which popular attractions are close to Planula B&B Retreat?
Nearby attractions include Circus Arts Byron Bay (1.0 km), Byron Thai Massage School (1.0 km), and Paradise Golf (0.6 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Planula B&B Retreat?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and free parking.
What food & drink options are available at Planula B&B Retreat?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast and barbeque facilities during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Planula B&B Retreat?
Conveniently located restaurants include Superbowls, La Bottega by Peppe Pizza, and Bun Coffee.
Does Planula B&B Retreat have airport transportation?
Yes, Planula B&B Retreat offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Planula B&B Retreat?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, German, and Dutch.
Is Planula B&B Retreat accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and reduced mobility rooms. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.