The history of how we got started in the industry is vastly different to most…because of the uniqueness of our history, we’d like to share our story.
A Perfect Stay’s founder, Sonya Brien, was a stay-at-home mum of two little ones. Her husband, Garth, has always been a fit, energetic surfer who, like Sonya, grew up in the Byron Bay region. Garth was always busy running, doing yoga or cooking up a big breaky for his surf school students before jumping in the ocean to teach them how to surf. Anyone who knows Garth, would say he has a zest for life and that he always lived it to the fullest.
Unexpected fatigue set in and Garth grinded to a halt. An appointment with the GP led his doctor to drive him to the Royal Brisbane Hospital where he wouldn’t return home for a year. Garth was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which is a particularly aggressive form of cancer that gives the patient about a 35% chance of survival – and that’s if you’re lucky enough to find a perfect match who’s willing to donate their bone marrow. Fortunately for Garth, his sister was a match and thankfully the transplant was a success.
It wasn’t long before the bills began to pile up in the Brien house and Sonya knew she needed to come up with a financial solution, and fast. With an eight-month old, a three-year-old and her husband in hospital, she needed something that could not only offer her flexibility but also enable her to manage both her home and working life.
A friend of Sonya’s suggested she could manage their holiday rental – a studio at Wategos Beach in Byron Bay – and Byron Bay Holiday Rentals was born in 2004. Due to the amount of travelling Sonya had done to and from the hospital in Brisbane, she came to realise that not only did she live in one of the most spectacular places in the world, but that she also craved the creature comforts of home. With Sonya’s new business venture underway, she was determined to give others the comfort she had pined for during the many nights she stayed in Brisbane.
With these things in mind, Sonya started with a simple philosophy:
She wanted people to be able to visit her beautiful home town
She wanted to offer visitors and guests elegantly styled accommodation
She wanted guests to feel at home anywhere
She wanted people to be able to visit her beautiful home town
She wanted to offer visitors and guests elegantly styled accommodation
She wanted guests to feel at home anywhere
As the Byron Bay Holiday Rentals’ property portfolio grew, Sonya wanted to ensure the same level of service was maintained throughout the business. This was enabled by recruiting talented, customer-focused staff, as well as establishing and enhancing processes, systems, and visibility with emerging and innovative technology. This integration of the latest software gave Byron Bay Holiday Rentals a competitive edge as they became pioneers in the industry. The expansion continued, and owners contacted the team with requests to manage their properties out of the Byron Bay region. It became apparent that a bigger brand was needed, and A Perfect Stay was created.
Throughout every stage of growth, we have continued to honour the integral core values in which the business was built upon. We love what we do and it shows in the outstanding service we deliver each day, built upon the genuine, honest and open relationships we foster with our guests, owners and partners. Around here, we always aim to set the bar higher. As a team, we take ownership of our actions, support each other no matter what, deliver on what we promise, and have plenty of fun doing it!
From our humble beginnings to now, we are proud to welcome our guests to some of Australia’s finest accommodation, allowing them to feel at home anywhere.
Byron Bay is a vibrant coastal town located in the far north-east of New South Wales, and home of Australia’s most easterly point – the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse. Byron is revered for its unique and alternative lifestyle and is now one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in the world.
