This was a disappointing stay and on balance, I can't recommend Ellie's place in good faith.
Pros:
- Beautifully designed studio and everything feels high quality and new (Dec 2020 stay)
- Grounds were stunning and very well maintained
- Location is excellent
- View was divine
- Sandi was a warm and responsive co-host.
Cons:
-Value for money was lacking (averaged out at $890 night and should have been half that for what you are getting - even in Byron high season). Supermarket brand olive oil was a particularly odd choice and bed was low quality as well - you would be better off in a Byron luxury hotel at that price.
-There was an accidental double booking for a board meeting the host was holding and the host's husband asked us to leave mid-trip to another accomodation he had pre-booked in Byron proper. We were not keen to disrupt our trip nor stay in a loud area having deliberately picked Coopers Shoot for being quiet and private. While the host did offer to pay for the replacement accomodation (with no indication as to the quality of the replacement we would be getting) and refund the missed nights, it was quite an inconvenient (and ultimately disruptive) experience. The host later came by to apologise and explain that while there was indeed a booking issue, it would be for a quiet charity board meeting with one night of acoustic music played by disadvantaged children. However, we were then subject to hearing two nights of boisterous partying at the neighboring property until 1 or 2am, which meant we didn't sleep.
-"Guests have 100% privacy" is not an accurate description of the property. There is a shed next door overlooking the plunge pool with direct views into the entirety of the studio's living area (noting studio has no blinds in the living area) - this has been left out of the current set of property photos. This was an issue for a few nights of our stay as some of the board meeting guests were staying in the shed (they accidentally walked onto the studio property while we were half-dressed having breakfast, much to their and our horror - I am assuming the host forgot to tell them it was being used as an AirBnB).
-Cleanliness was ok but could be improved (stray hairs in the bathroom drawers and some dirty plates and glasses).
Beautiful property but suffice it to say it was an underwhelming stay at a high price point.