{"id":9311,"date":"2025-11-18T23:37:53","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T12:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastover55\/?p=9311"},"modified":"2025-11-18T23:37:54","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T12:37:54","slug":"carrington-hotel-katoomba-history-escape-package-seniors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastover55\/carrington-hotel-katoomba-history-escape-package-seniors\/","title":{"rendered":"Grand Dame of Katoomba: Discover the History and Luxury of The Carrington Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Words by Dorian Mode Photography by Lydia Thorpe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A weekend at the Carrington Hotel proves that sometimes the best adventures happen within the building<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Carrington Hotel looms over Katoomba like a grand dame. And unlike its flashier neighbour, the Hydro Majestic, perched dramatically on the cliff edge like a socialite posing for Instagram, The Carrington has something equally appealing: location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The train station sits directly opposite \u2013 a stroke of genius for those 1920s honeymooners who arrived without a motorcar, clutching their leather suitcases and romantic notions. These days, it\u2019s equally handy for thrifty seniors who prefer public transport ($2 fares) to navigating the winding mountain roads in the fog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accommodation with architectural integrity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re staying in the Tomah Suite, where the grand canopy bed dominates like furniture that escaped from a stately home and refuses extradition. The Chesterfield lounge practically demands you sprawl across it with wine and literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shmicko bathroom could accommodate a small wedding reception, while some \u2018traditional rooms\u2019 still feature bathrooms located just outside the room, a charming reminder of when shared facilities were standard rather than grounds for scathing online reviews. These days, most guests expect ensuites, which we mercifully possess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Carrington\u2019s history doesn\u2019t whisper from corners \u2013 it announces itself with the confidence of someone who\u2019s earned speaking rights. Dating back to the 19th century, the hotel displays original features that make heritage enthusiasts like us weak at the knees. Art Nouveau stained glass catches the light like stolen jewellery, there\u2019s a dining room from an F Scott Fitzgerald novel, while the billiard room and library tell stories of a long lost era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Carrington Saloon Bar 1950s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Carrington Hotel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Royal accommodations and mechanical determination<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We adore the magnificent stained\u2013glass dome that was built in the 20s specifically for the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became monarchs \u2013 because apparently even future kings require architectural flattery. There\u2019s even a secret mezzanine level where Their Royal Highnesses\u2013es were sequestered from us ordinary humans, proving that VIP treatment was invented long before celebrity culture made it insufferable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fab original 1927 Otis lift continues operating with the cheerful determination of vintage machinery that refuses retirement. It\u2019s the sort of lift that inspires small prayers \u2013 not from terror, but from respect for its century\u2013long commitment to vertical transportation despite deserving superannuation benefits by now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the hotel\u2019s most intriguing features is the erstwhile widow\u2019s walk \u2013 atmospheric and slightly spooky in the best possible way. It\u2019s the kind of place where you half\u2013expect to encounter the ghost of a Victorian lady in mourning. This walk is under restoration; indeed the hotel is in a perpetual state of resto \u2013 like the harbour bridge. Once they finish, they must start again, bless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Old City Bank Brasserie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Wine cellar \u2013 The Carrington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Carrington Suite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Art Nouveau stained glass \u201cBath\u2019s” window<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Liquid assets and historical convenience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The old powerhouse has been transformed into Carrington Brewery, its chimney a beloved landmark rather than industrial pollution. We venture into the cellar and discover French reds from the \u201860s and \u201870s at prices that would make Sydney wine bar proprietors question their career choices and possibly their sanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When evening arrives, we meet chum, former ABC broadcaster Simon Marnie at The Old City Bank Brasserie, housed in what was once an actual bank before becoming a saloon and finally evolving into a place serving upmarket pub food without pretension. Simon, recovering from hip replacement surgery and at the Carrington hosting a truffle\u2013inspired food event, shares the story of a Byron Bay friend requesting directions to the Carrington. \u201cStep off the train,\u201d he advised, \u201ctell the cabby \u2018take me to the Carrington!\u2019 The fifteen\u2013second journey probably cost more than the train fare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Brasserie atmosphere remains refreshingly unpretentious \u2013 the kind of establishment where ordering a second bottle doesn\u2019t trigger concerned looks or financial counselling. Downstairs, The Old City Bank Bar maintains proper pub standards, with weekend live music transforming the space into something approaching festive without requiring participation in group activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psst! They\u2019ve also opened the Baroque Room for intimate concerts by touring acts, creating a speak easy atmosphere that conjures images of secret passwords and prohibition\u2013era shenanigans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telephonic evolution and authentic character<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hotel\u2019s telephone number tells its own story of technological progress. Once simply \u201c1 Katoomba \u2013 the entire town\u2019s connection to civilisation flowed through The Carrington\u2019s switchboard. Today, additional digits accommodate our modern compulsion to complicate simple systems, but the original number persists like a bureaucratic fossil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summing up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I love about The Carrington is its refusal to apologise for being exactly what it is: a grand old hotel that\u2019s earned its mountain position through more than a century of welcoming travellers who understand the difference between character and a marketing budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This raises an obvious question: why would anyone choose a Travelodge for equivalent money? It\u2019s like purchasing flat\u2013pack furniture when vintage shops offer pieces with actual dovetail joints and timber that wasn\u2019t previously recycled Coles pallets. The Carrington provides authentic character that can\u2019t be manufactured \u2013 grand staircases built by craftsmen who understood pride in workmanship, stained glass positioned to catch light precisely so, and stories embedded in every creaking floorboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a world obsessed with boutique hotels and design\u2013forward accommodations, The Carrington stands as evidence that sometimes the best luxury is simply occupying space with genuine narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, the most interesting places don\u2019t need to explain themselves to people who think history is just old stuff that needs updating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE CARRINGTON Escape Package<\/strong>
Price: <\/strong>Starting at $370 for two guests
Includes: <\/strong>Overnight midweek stay in Colonial Room, breakfast, and two\u2013course dinner in Grand Dining Room
Availability:<\/strong> Throughout the year | Additional Information
Three different packages currently available
Website:<\/strong> thecarrington.com.au\/stay\/packages<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Words by Dorian Mode Photography by Lydia Thorpe A weekend at the Carrington Hotel proves that sometimes the best adventures happen within the building The Carrington Hotel looms over Katoomba…","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[75,45,70],"series":[],"class_list":["post-9311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","tag-article","tag-dorian-mode","tag-lydia-thorpe"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastover55\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/Carrington-Hotel-History-circa-1927.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastover55\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastover55\/feed\/podcast\/coffee-with-a-coastie","embedCode":"

Grand Dame of Katoomba: Discover the History and Luxury of The Carrington Hotel<\/a><\/blockquote>