Last weekend we stayed at a special historic building, the Hydro Majestic Hotel. This series of linked buildings is at Medlow Bath in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. First building was the Belgravia Hotel, built in 1891. Sydney businessman, Mark Foy, bought the place in 1902 and built a much larger hotel which he hoped would be a hydropathic spa. Unfortunately, the local water wasn't mineral rich so he imported spa water from Germany; it tasted horrible. The big dome covers what was called the Casino. Despite the name, it was a ballroom, not a gambling place.The hotel is on a clifftop overlooking the Megalong Valley. The views are superb and there are many walking tracks for the fit and keen. Bushfires destroyed parts of the complex in 1905 and 1922, and have come close many times since. Because of the mix of Edwardian and Art Deco architecture, the Hydro Majestic was put on the Heritage list in 1984. Major restoration work was completed last year, so naturally my architecture-freak Oldies had to check it out. It is a wonderful place for a "lost weekend". The highlight for us was Saturday night dinner; great cuisine (this small bear had to have that word explained), new cocktails for Mum to try (Dad usually sticks to beer), piano playing softly in the background, and watching sunset over the valley. Highly recommended for Oldies and small critters.
Labels: Blue Mountains, buildings, New South Wales
# posted by Bart Bear @ 12:09 pm
