The Baxley Bondi: redefining budget in style
It’s often the little things that make the experience. Step through the doors of The Baxley, a new guest lodge in what was the rather more louche Cranberry Boarding House, and it’s all about the accumulated excellence.
Firstly, there’s the welcoming face of guesthouse manager Larissa Fuller (ex-Icebergs) with her abundant knowledge of the area and direct line to the best tables in Bondi.
Then, there’s the space itself, with a renovation that’s a collaboration between hot talents Katrina Hill Design Group and Place Studio (with Surry Hills brand Smack Bang Designs on merch) that has seen the overhaul of this rambling house from down-at-heel backpackers’ hostel to a contemporary space of 30 light and airy rooms.
The small but thoughtful elements are myriad – complimentary teas by T2, coffee by the Laughing Pug Co, a sustainable coffee concept based in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, served in a shared tea room, and the beautiful ASPAR toiletries in the premium rooms.
The sum of the parts is a stylish step up from the regular motel stay, with whitewashed walls, a gentle Hampton-esque interiors palette and lush, newly planted gardens providing a sense of tropical serenity in the middle of busy Bondi.
The Baxley is owned by Sydney Lodges, a long-established hotel group owned by the Magiros family, whose hospitality roots go back to the 1950s when the family began running delis in Potts Point. The group now has 13 properties across Sydney with 26-year-old scion Peter Magiros taking the creative lead. The Baxley is the first in a number of upmarket guesthouses planned the group.
The Baxley is positioned halfway between the motel market and Airbnb accommodation, deliberately designed to be less impersonal than a hotel stay.
“We are seeing a lot of interest in this property from young professionals looking for a safe and comfortable place with all the extras of a hotel but that has a more personal experience,” says Fuller. “We want it be a beautiful, meticulously clean space and really cool. It has to be cool. That’s what people want.”
And while a lodge with shared bathrooms — only five of the rooms have their own bathrooms — may seem like a quaint idea, Fuller says the demand for the smaller rooms with shared facilities has been strong.
“The bathrooms are shared only between two or three rooms and we keep them incredibly clean and tidy,” she says. “Most of the bookings so far have been for rooms with shared amenities.”
THE BAXLEY BONDI
44 Flood St, Bondi
Prices
Single rooms from $89 per night
Queen rooms with ensuite from $224 per night
Discounts apply for Baxley Members