If you are looking for a hotel in the Blue Mountains with everything under one roof, then the Fairmont Resort is the one for you. I have stayed at this hotel four times in the last couple of years for different occasions. We’ve had two family getaways at the Fairmont, I’ve had a mother-daughter trip with my Mum and celebrated AJs birthday with her BFF at the hotel.
The hotel is surrounded by a combination of beautifully maintained gardens, a golf course and the bush. It is quiet at the Fairmont, wonderfully peaceful, except for the wildlife. At night I fell asleep to the sounds of frogs and woke each morning to the calls of the Kookaburras and Cockatoos. The rooms have opening windows so you can choose to block out the call of the wild if necessary.
As you walk into the hotel foyer, with its high vaulted ceilings and wooden beams, you could be mistaken for thinking you have arrived at a ski chalet. The hotel combines traditional and quirky extremely well. Although it is decorated in muted tones there are splashes of colour and personality throughout the hotel. My personal favourite is the artwork which hangs over Embers Bar. The paintings incorporate features of the hotel including the mini carousel in a colourful picnic scene which makes me wish I could jump into the picture Mary Poppins’ style and become part of the fun. There is a beautiful Gasparini French Fairground Organ on display and a large aquarium in the foyer which is a constant draw card for children. Have you ever stayed in a hotel with a working carousel? Well, the Fairmont has one of those too.
ACCESSIBLE ROOMS
I have not stayed in the accessible rooms but have inspected them for the purposes of the blog. The Fairmont Resort currently has three accessible rooms on the ground floor. The queen bedded rooms have a verandah and overlook the gardens.
The queen beds have been lowered to make transferring from a wheelchair easier. The shower has a flip-down seat, hand held shower and rails throughout the bathroom.
The Fairmont’s accessible rooms are popular with older people who need a bathroom without the shower over the bath. I would suggest booking early and emphasising the necessity for an accessible room.
These rooms are darker than others I have stayed in because of their ground floor position but having a verandah is a definite advantage.
Resort facilities
The biggest problem parents may have when staying at the Fairmont Resort is getting the kids to leave the hotel’s facilities to explore the actual mountains. There is an indoor and outdoor pool area. The indoor heated pool is AJ’s favourite. She can turn into a total prune and is still not keen to get out when asked. Even for non-swimmers (like my Mum pictured below) the pool area is relaxing with a beautiful view over the pond.
The Fairmont Express miniature train operates on weekends and during school holidays. It is $5 to ride the train and I am sure many kids will happily wait at the station for a ride.
The Mirror Maze Arcade was new to the hotel since our last visit. I have never stayed in a hotel with a mirror maze before so I lined up with the kids to give it a go. It did my head in trying to find my way out of the darkness but it didn’t seem to faze the kids who excitedly made their way around and headed straight back in for another go.
The mini bowling alley is more my speed. AJ was enthusiastic about this activity and hard to drag away. This is coin operated.
Dane’s Room is an indoor play room for the under 4’s with a great range of games including a ball pit, jungle gym, slippery dip, ride on cars and more. It is open every day for guests and is free.
For the older kids there is Kids Magic Kingdom which is a large jungle gym designed for 5-13 year olds. For older teens there are two Nintendo Wii consoles with a range of games for hire. This area is open daily for guests.
When we travelled to the Fairmont as a family the kids enjoyed having a game of tennis at the tennis courts. Luckily there was no umpire as rules were broken but it was fun.
HOTEL DINING
Just look at the view from Jamison’s Restaurant. Could there be a better place to have breakfast?
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and although I only have cereal at home, I am keen for a good buffet when I am on holiday. It sets you up for a great day of sightseeing if you start the day with a full belly.
When I visited in January I was keen to see the newly redesigned Jamison’s Restaurant. I was impressed with the more efficient layout and I was thrilled to find that they had added made-to-order omelettes to the breakfast options. I still remember the very first hotel I stayed in, many moons ago, that had this as an option. Love it!
I have eaten in Embers Bar on many occasions but didn’t have the opportunity to try their new menu on my last visit. I was a huge fan of their old menu so I hope the new one is as good.
Other accommodation options
Staying at the hotel several times now I have stayed in a variety of rooms but the one thing that didn’t change was the quality. It was consistent throughout the hotel. For a family not needing a fully accessible room the pictured room below is fantastic because it is spacious, has a pull out sofa and can accommodate a family of four very comfortably.
For more information about accommodation contact the Fairmont Resort or check their website.
MY TIPS
During school holidays the hotel has a variety of children’s activities on offer which change seasonally. Check ahead for the schedule. When we stayed in January they had a kindi farm visit.
Although I have emphasised the activities geared to children, this hotel will appeal to all kinds of travellers. My parents have stayed at this hotel several times and they like exploring the gardens which are particularly spectacular in autumn and spring.
The hotel is on the hop-on and hop-off bus and trolley route if you are travelling without a car (only one of these services is wheelchair accessible and you need to check in advance to see if it is operating).
Hotel parking is not undercover but there is a covered area for passenger drop off.
If you happen to strike wet weather while staying in the Blue Mountains with children it can really dampening the experience as most of the area’s activities that draw tourists are based on the outdoors, for this reason the Fairmont is a good option.
This is not a sponsored post. I just love sharing great accommodation with our readers.
If you like this blog post why not subscribe to receive our blogs via email. Head to the top right-hand side of the page and you will find the subscribe tab. If you are not already a member of our facebook community, why not head over and ‘like’ our page. We are very fortunate to have a generous and well travelled facebook community full of ideas and information.
Leave a Reply