Introduction

The Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains is not a member of the Fairmont Hotels that are now managed by AllAccor. Apparently, the hotel got its name because the architect of the hotel was inspired by a Fairmont hotel he’d visited on a stay to the US. Which is fair enough, but it still feels a bit like cheating. In any case, I’m headed for the Blue Mountains for a long weekend to do some hiking.

Location

The resort is located on the outskirts of a town called Leura, which is probably best known as the starting point for day trippers wanting to see the famous Three Sisters.

I exit the Sofitel Darling Harbour at 11h15. I cross the road and, rather conveniently, just as I tap in with my credit card, the tram arrives. It’s four stops and about ten minutes back to Central Station.

In case you’re wondering, the purpose of this next photo was not to show readers yet another tram, but the young man with the coolest Millenium Falcon rucksack I’ve ever seen. For a moment I’m tempted to go after him and ask where he got it. But then I figure youth is the age of insolence and rebellion, where we struggle to set ourselves apart from our elders. The last thing the guy needs is some old guy (that would be me), wanting to look at his Falcon.

Although the journey to Leura is over two hours long, it’s served only by regional trains. In as much, you can just tap on and off as you go. There’s a train once an hour to Leura.

The train has one class only. However, the first and last cars are supposedly the silent cars. The interior of the train is a bit grubby and seating is rather tight.

I alight at Leura. I’ve written ahead and ordered a pick up with Katoomba Taxis. It’s about 45 minutes on foot to the hotel if you know which way you’re going (I don’t) and I also don’t fancy schlepping the suitcase along.

Check-In

I check in on Saturday afternoon. Two things strike me as I enter the lobby. The first is the deafening noise of all the kids running around screaming. The other is the homey smell of burning wood in the fire place.

I have no idea who built this hotel, but I cannot help thinking that they couldn’t have been very talented. I mean, here we are in a gorgeous location and a hotel built on the side of a hill with a stunningly gorgeous view. But that view is obstructed from most angles from inside the hotel.

The Staff & Service

The staff at the resort are just so, so nice and helpful. Nothing is ever too much and they’re really good with all the pesky little kids running riot all over the place. The breakfast service is a bit chaotic, especially if you’re there over the weekend when the resort is at near full capacity. But even then, the staff manage to keep it together and have things running smoothly.

Junior Suite with King Bed

Unfortunately, when I booked this hotel, all there was left was the Junior Suite with King Bed and, frankly, it’s a bit of a let down. You’d think that being one of the higher priced rooms, it would hopefully have a view of the Blue Mountains, when in fact the room has a balcony that overlooks the stables that are no longer in use, the tennis courts, and a maze in which a bunch of kids are moving around by simply climbing over the hedges whenever they meet a dead end.

The room is also rather a strange layout, which I’m not sure becomes clear looking at the pictures here. It is noticeable that the room is completely devoid of any decoration, except for one print hanging on the wall by the entrance. Second, it’s basically a very large empty space. The general impression you get of both the hotel and the room is that everything its a bit neglected. I’m not saying it’s badly maintained, which it’s not, but very obviously little has been done to modernize the hotel, which originally opened in the 1980s.

However, I will say that the bed is excellent. That’s something they do really well in all the hotels I’ve stayed at so far in Australia. They have big beds and the mattresses have a firmness which is a blessing for my back.

Surprisingly, the bathroom looks fairly modern, as though it was completely refurbished not too long ago. There’s no bath, but the shower passes the Knight of Malta spillage test effortlessly. What is a bit strange, though, is that there is only one hook in the entire bathroom to hang towels or bathrobes.

Amenities

On the credenza there is a capsule system coffee machine with plenty of regular and decaf espresso. It’s not a brand I’m familiar with, but the coffee is good. There’s also a kettle with a good selection of different teas. For whatever reason, when I first enter the room, I notice the kettle is basically standing in a large puddle of water. So, I first have to turn off the electricity at the socket, unplug the kettle and dry it before I can use it.

The welcome gift is rather nice and one of the more generous ones I’ve had since arriving in Australia. There’s a plate of cheese and strawberries with crackers, crisps, a packet of nuts, and a Cadbury’s dairy milk. There’s also a bottle of wine.

Dining

The impression of neglect that I previously mentioned is reflected in the dining situation. Originally, there were five restaurants and a bar overlooking the valley behind the hotel when it opened. From what I understand, the Italian trattoria closed a while back, and no longer exists. No 1 Sublime Point – the fine dining restaurant on the ground floor – is closed during my stay, as is the Embers Grill. Instead, the bar lounge has been converted into a seating area to accommodate for the spillover from Jamieson, which is the only remaining operational restaurant and also where the buffet breakfast is served. And then there’s the café on the ground floor.

At the weekends, breakfast is a complete and utter zoo. There’s a long queue for everything because there are just so many people. Of course, the pesky hipster parents holding up the queue while they ask their two-year olds if they want white or whole grain toast don’t exactly help. The floor is littered with food that has been liberally scattered around by the younger kids sitting in their high chairs, and one day there’s a football standing in a plate with ketchup on one table. At least there is a small corner of the dining area by the windows that is sectioned off for Diamond members, which helps. However, I will say that the food is rather nice.

Hiking in the Leura Region

Despite its oddities, the Fairmont Resort Blue Mountsins MGallery is a perfect place to use as a base for hikes around the Leura and Katoomba region. As someone who is not a local, initially I was a bit intimidated by the many Beware of Snakes signs at the beginning of many of the trails. However, a guy I talked to at the hotel reassured me that the snakes were hibernating in the cold weather, and that I should be fine as long as I didn’t go off the trails.

The views along the way are just breathtaking. The rocks are covered in thick vegetation that looks untouched and makes the landscape look kind of prehistoric. And the sounds of the birds are extraordinary and very outlandish to me. The pictures below were taken from Gladstone’s Lookout. I was rather surprised that you can walk right up to the cliff’s edge, with no railing or anything to keep you from falling. But the view!

And of course, if you get hungry and have not brought any provisions, there’s always the Conservation Hut in Wentworth Falls that serves buttermilk scones all day and will even do a high tea if you give them at least 72 hours’ notice.

Conclusion

The Fairmont Blue Mountains Resort is the perfect place to come to if you’re planning a visit to the Blue Mountains. The hiking trails are close by, and the town of Leura is rather nice. The many families with kids at the hotel can be a bit trying sometimes – the breakfast frenzy at the weekends is really not for the faint of heart. The hotel is perfectly fine, but I think it’s very obvious that it’s no longer in its prime – and that is a bit sad. The hotel has a lot of potential with the stunning views it has. However, it would likely take a lot of investment to spruce the place up. I also think they would do themselves a big favour to drop the Fairmont bit from the hotel’s name. I get what they were trying to do – reputation building by association. All in all, though, the name Fairmont raises expectations which I don’t think this property can live up to.