Hydro Majestic Hotel in the Blue Mountains

This episode, Vic Cherikoff heads off to the west of Sydney and visits the historical and heritage listed Mercure Grand Hydro Majestic Hotel in the Blue Mountains. This grand hotel is situated on an escarpment at Medlow Bath and offers magnificent, sweeping views of the Megalong Valley and Kanimbla Ranges.

Completed in 1891, The Hydro Majestic Hotel was originally operated as a thermal therapeutic centre with mountain baths of mineralised water for restorative health and relaxation. In 1902, Australian retailer, Mark Foy purchased the site and at that stage the town was known as ‘Medlow’. He successfully petitioned the New South Wales government to change the name to Medlow Bath, the current name. It is not known if he requested the name changed to make the name sound more prestigious, or if he wanted to avoid confusion with another town called Medlow, also in New South Wales.

Although never officially used for gambling, the casino building is an ornate, late Victorian, Italianate, wedding-cake structure which serves as the grand ballroom today. The highly decorative ceiling panels of beaten metal were shipped from Chicago after the World Expo in the early 1900s and assembled in 1903.

After many decades of decline and neglect the Hydro Majestic underwent a series of major refurbishments during the 1990s and it is now under Accor management and has been transformed into a unique, modern mountain retreat. In the dead of winter, beside a roaring open fire, you can order from an international class menu or enjoy warming drinks of your choice. Throughout the rest of the seasons, there’s bush walking to work up an appetite for the evening’s dining although the packed lunches provided for hikers removes the need to forage for sustenance from the valley tracks.

Web links

www.hydromajestic.com.au

Address

Great Western HwyMeadlow BathNSW 2780Australia