This beloved Bowral hotel turned over a new leaf
As featured in The Australian Travel + Luxury Magazine here | January 27 2026 | by George Epaminondas
Equal parts Edwardian pleasure palace and contemporary retreat, a storied country-estate mansion in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales has been revived as a beguiling hotel.
Bowral’s status as a rural idyll stretches back over a century. Sydney sophisticates flocked to the Southern Highlands for its social whirl, sylvan beauty and congenial weather. One early adopter was magnate Anthony Hordern, who converted a farm into Milton Park in 1910. The estate blossomed into life with a Federation Arts and Crafts mansion, sprawling Edwardian garden and a reputation for effervescent soirées. Since the 1980s, Milton Park has operated as a faithful if fusty hotel, but an ambitious makeover seeks to evoke the golden age of the Horderns.
Checking in to Ardour Milton Park Bowral is akin to “arriving at the home of a friend with a grand country manor”, says Kate Greenwood, creative director for Salter Brothers Hospitality (SBH). The group enlisted Sydney interior architect Alan McMahon of Mac Design Studio – known for fashioning Osborn House in Bundanoon – to compose this new chapter. McMahon observed and refracted the property’s history and then instituted sweeping changes: relocating the reception to the heart of the main structure, recreating the lounges and restaurants, and investing the accommodations with a heightened glamour.
Most of the 44 guest rooms are in one of two palettes – calming sage green or sprightly cobalt blue – and spruced with swirling wool carpets, Carrara marble, brushed brass and richly tactile layers. Among them are a handful of expansive suites with a blush-hued motif. “No two rooms feel the same,” says Greenwood. “Thoughtful details create a personal retreat where guests can linger.” A recurring feature is a mural above the bed that references the estate’s weeping beech tree, set alongside the garden’s elm avenue, box hedges and rose bushes.
To ensure fans of the resort aren’t left weeping at the modern interventions, the bones of the original manor by architects Morrow and de Putron as well as many of its period furnishings have been dutifully preserved. “Vintage armchairs, antique consoles, mirrors, and artworks were retained and restored where possible,” adds Greenwood, “allowing their patina to remain part of the experience.” Imagine if Henry James had set one of his novels in the Southern Highlands, with a lofty manor at its centre filled with handsome articles of furniture, and you get the drift.
When the Hordern clan arrived in the early 20th century, they transformed this leafy patch into a convivial playground, complete with idling seaplanes and clinking flutes. Their pleasure-seeking spirit endures at Horderns restaurant and The Polo Bar. “These names are a connective thread to the past,” says chef Mark Holland. The English native, who trained under the exacting Marco Pierre White and who has worked in Australia since 2016, excels at pan-European fare with an accent on local producers.
“The brief is refinement without stiffness,” says Holland. Highlights from the updated menu include flame-grilled Fremantle octopus with potato and romesco, slow-braised lamb shoulder with zingy herb salsa, and steamed rainbow trout with a classic French beurre blanc. “I want the cooking to feel timeless, not trend-led, and to sit comfortably within the setting,” he adds. The Polo Bar will have a dedicated tipple-friendly menu. There is also a charcuterie room, where guests can assemble picnic hampers, and an elaborate high tea offering that will feel indulgent yet light.
Gourmands, design fans, green thumbs and, given the imminent launch of Èliva spa, wellness devotees will all be drawn here like bees to honey. A property of this calibre may even tempt international visitors but, says general manager David McDonald, it’s denizens of Sydney and Canberra who are the primary lodgers. “The new estate will have strong appeal for leisure travellers seeking a plush country escape,” he says. “It will also be a place for private gatherings, weddings and milestone celebrations.”
The Bowral venture is the first outing for the Ardour Hotels & Estates marque developed by SBH. Three more properties will join the burgeoning collection this year: Lilianfels Blue Mountains, Spicers Guesthouse in the Hunter Valley, and Kingsford The Barossa in South Australia. The thematic link, says SBH chief executive Tash Tobias, is “iconic hotels with legacy, beauty and emotional connection. As one of Australia’s most storied regional estates, Milton Park offered the ideal opportunity to introduce the Ardour brand.”
Backed by Australian-owned global alternative asset managers Salter Brothers, SBH has evolved into a hospitality powerhouse in the past few years with 19 hotels, 29 restaurants and bars. SBH was founded in 2023 after Salter Brothers snapped up Spicers Retreats as its first acquisition, followed by the Escarpment Group portfolio and, in 2024, three Bannisters hotels in New South Wales.
Three years ago, the deep-pocketed player also nabbed Milton Park for $20 million and injected $10 million into its refurbishment. “We envisage the Ardour portfolio growing to 10 properties,” says Tobias. For now, there is Milton Park in all its Bridgerton-style glory. “Even on cold or rainy days, guests can wander the misty gardens and retreat indoors to an open fire,” says McDonald. And to wining, dining and hobnobbing with other revellers. The high life has returned to the Highlands.
Ardour Milton Park Bowral opens in early February. Rooms from $600. Bookings at worldsapart.club.