Responsibility seems to rest easily on the shoulders of Jordy Catalano, 33, managing director of the family’s Raes on Wategos enclave at Bryron Bay, one of Australia’s most iconic hotels.

His father, former journalist now property and media mogul Antony Catalano, acquired Raes in 2014 and has since accumulated several nearby properties, recently adding Victoria’s at Raes. Add to that a couple of family homes to accommodate Catalano senior and the youngest of his nine children, plus Jordy’s own home nearby and there is a lot of reputation at stake in this once quiet surf spot.

The landmark whitewashed Raes, which opened in 1994, is soon to boost its capacity from seven much-sought-after rooms to 17 after the purchase, refit and rebrand of the adjacent Victoria’s at Raes.

“This year’s our 30th birthday, it felt like the right time to expand,” says Jordy, from Ballina Byron airport as he waits for a flight to his original hometown of Melbourne.

Since Byron became the holiday destination de rigeur, Raes has always had more demand than availability, attracting big-name guests such Elle Macpherson, Tom Cruise, Keith Richards and Kate Winslet. The allure is not seasonal but all year-round, says its managing director, and vacancy has always been at a premium.

“We’ve always wanted to be able to welcome more guests at one time,” Jordy explains. “The (Victoria’s) property itself has always been on our radar, given how pretty it is.”

After the recent acquisition, Victoria’s needed to be brought up to the same standard and comfort level as Raes, plus adhere to the thematic that returning guests have come to expect with a hotel that can cost up to three thousand a night, and a brand that includes luxury yacht, Sea Raes, online homewares shop and new luxury apartment development.

The Catalano luxury motor yacht Sea Raes.

“(Victoria’s) a very similar building to ours, albeit it’s not white,” Jordy adds. “It’s always been on our radar as a really great fit for Raes (brand), so it was less about the (existing) operation there itself, and more about the fact that we’ve always wanted to have more room.

“What we found with this property was the ability to have more rooms allowed for shorter lead times with bookings as well. If it’s a spontaneous getaway, we hope that we can put in a booking when it happens. It adds a nice plus to the property.”

The new suites will be similar to Raes in that most of the rooms are unique in their layout and design, that includes one-off vintage pieces and antiques throughout, with communal areas also offering an individual look and feel. That Raes thematic will be delivered throughout thanks to interior designer Tamsin Johnson whose touch is behind all Catalano properties, including some of the family’s personal homes as well.

“She is incredible in what she does,” Catalano enthuses, “she has such an eye for detail, she has travelled all over the world and she’s had a hand in what works best in different areas. And she’s created a style that is so unique to herself.”

Raes on Wategos in Byron Bay.

Expect more quirks to come

While Raes restaurant and the quirky “Press for Champagne” button by the pool have long garnered attention, there are other plans for the new accommodation.

“Some unique dining experience for our in-house guests,” is all Jordy will reveal. A new chef?

“No, but there’s some, some different experiences that we can offer now with the increased space,” he says.

He expects the eclectic mix of guests to also remain the same.

“We have such a varied mix of people that stays with us at Raes,” he says. “We’ve had regular clientele that have been coming for 20 years. We’ve got a younger demographic that are coming in, just firstly trying the restaurant, and then coming to stay for special occasions, and then as they get older, more regular stays. I think we’ve got a very like-minded group of travellers that come to Raes. It’s such a wide range, I wouldn’t say there’s one cohort that comes.

“And that was our intent. We wanted to open it up to everyone. I think there’s something nice about seeing a younger group join tables with an older group that are staying at the hotel and become friends. We’ve done that as owners, we’ve become friends with different groups of people that have stayed with us at the hotel.”

But if guests do want to be hidden away from prying eyes, the refurbished suites will also offer a greater level of privacy.

“It’ll be a new level of privacy for our guests. The new property will be accessible for hotel guests across both properties, but it won’t be open to the public,” Jordy says. Rumour of the new rooms also got out quickly.

“We’ve already had people knocking at the door. We’ve been holding off accepting bookings, but word has already got out already about it, so there’s already a waitlist.

“But, yeah, word of mouth has always been a strong thing for us. I think our team understand that, which is why every experience is so incredible for our guests. It’s certainly more powerful than anything else and is incredibly important to us.”

Raes on Wategos is adding a second property.

Credit where its due

Talking of staff, Catalano is quick to credit them in helping to uphold the Raes name.

“I think the legacy of the brand itself is really important because guests know when we do open a new hotel, they know what to expect,” he says. “I think that our team has built a really nice experience that our regular guests and new guests have come to come to love and expect for next time. So, I think that the brand, in itself, is incredibly powerful.”

As too is the strong connection to family, as shared among Jordy and his four brothers and four sisters.

“It’s very important,” he says. “It’s a family business so it means a lot to us, that we all get to work together.”

Birdy with dad Antony.

That includes a new staffer in his younger sister Birdy who has also joined the Raes team, making it very much a family affair. While the day-to-day running of the business is left to Jordy, you get the feeling that – while privileged – the kids still have a work ethic instilled by their father who is “a very good boss”.

Catalano also credits general manager Marty McCaig with guiding the venue in the right direction, since he came on board after the family acquisition three years ago.

“Marty’s incredible to work with. I have so much respect for him,” Catalano says. “His knowledge of hospitality is exceptional. Operationally, he’s a great manager. He’s well loved by the team, but he’s also been instrumental in getting us to a point where we can expand. He’s very hands on. He might be chatting to guests in the restaurant, then he’s down in the hotel, he’s everywhere all at once. And he’s a great leader, very well respected.”

Catalano says staff retention is also important for the boutique hotel as well as high levels of service that will be reflected in the new 10-suite space.

“We like the fact that guests come back and they see all the same faces, so yes we are very conscious of that,” he says. “I want to drive home the team have been instrumental in getting this off the ground and the excitement that’s there with every single one of our management team and my sister Birdy started working on the business as well, and she’s been a great asset to get this off the ground as well.

“It’s great. It’s shared motivation to achieve excellence.”

Marty McCaig, Tamsin Johnson and Jordy Catalano outside Victoria’s.

Raes on Wategos will open bookings for its second property in October.

Feature image: Marty McCaig (left) with Jordy Catalano.