One of Australia's most storied mountain hotels has reopened with a new name and a fresh face. The heritage-listed Lilianfels, perched above the Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains, has been transformed into Ardour Lilianfels after a multimillion-dollar refurbishment led by Salter Brothers Hospitality and design studio Luchetti Krelle.
The building dates back to 1889, when it was the summer residence of Sir Frederick and Lady Darley. It has hosted guests for well over a century, and the redesign leans into that history rather than erasing it. Luchetti Krelle — directors Rachel Luchetti and Stuart Krelle — took cues from eccentric English garden estates, layering heritage references with bold colour and pattern.
All 89 guestrooms and suites were redone, along with reception, the lounge and the bar. Three distinct colour palettes run through the accommodation: some rooms favour warm terracotta and neutrals in light-filled spaces, others go for deep blues and charcoals paired with painted panelling and patterned bedheads. Custom carpets from Modieus were designed room by room, with a geometric design carrying through the lounge and its adjoining seating areas to tie everything together.
The interiors are only part of the pitch. Guests also get The Lounge, a reimagined bar with a wine wall, the award-winning Darley's Restaurant, the Miss Lilian experience and wellness sessions at Èliva Blue Mountains. The hotel sits within two acres of gardens, so the setting does a fair amount of the work on its own.
For travellers, this matters if the Blue Mountains are on your list — or should be. The region is barely 90 minutes from Sydney and offers clifftop walks, waterfalls and those famous valley lookouts, and Lilianfels has long been its flagship luxury stay. The refurbishment means you're getting a contemporary, design-led experience without losing the old-world grandeur, which is a rare combination in heritage properties. It suits couples after a indulgent weekend escape as much as walkers who want a proper bath and a good dinner at the end of a long trail day. If you're comparing options in the area, the others in the luxury tier just got a new benchmark.
