Hydro Majestic Hotel – Renovation begins 2013

Legendary luxury resort, the Hydro Majestic Hotel in the Blue Mountains, will begin its revitalisation in early 2013 under a $55 million transformation that will capture its extravagant historic spirit.

After four years of detailed planning and review, the Hydro is scheduled to open in two stages with all public areas accessible late 2013 in Stage (1), and Stage (2) being 2 new accommodation wings & spa complex scheduled 2 years thereafter.

The renewal will allow the greatest public access to the flamboyant Art Deco and Edwardian buildings in its breathtaking history.

The long awaited opportunity to peel back the layers and rediscover the essence of the Hydro will see the famous property active again across more than one kilometre of escarpment with boundless views of the Megalong Valley.

Upon completion of both Stages (1) and (2), the Hydro will recapture the grace and glamour of its flamboyant past and provide 140 deluxe view suites, large conference spaces, an impressive array of hydrotherapy spa treatments and the finest culinary experiences of regional Australia.

Stage (1) will include the revitalisation of the majority of the existing buildings, including the Casino Building, The Wintergarden, The Majestic Ballroom, The Billiard Room and Cat’s Alley, The Delmonte Building and conference rooms. This famous and fondly remembered space will have a beautiful new lobby, large garden reception terrace and a pre-function area.

The Hydro in its first phase will also offer:

• It’s largest public space, the new Mark Foy Pavilion, named after its retail baron founder. The providore will reflect the essence of the Easter Show Pavilions of Sydney’s old showgrounds. Operating as a magnificent interactive ‘living’ history space, the Pavillion will house a vibrant providore showcasing boutique and unique food and wine from the Blue Mountains and its regions, including Mudgee, Bathurst, Orange and the Western Plains. A Taste of the Blue Mountains retail and exhibition space will also explore the history of the Hydro, including multimedia screening suites and tours.
• The Boiler House (which has been neglected for decades) will be open to the public for the first time and celebrates the history of the Blue Mountains being wired for electricity four days before the Sydney metropolitan region. The Boiler House will include a gallery, bistro, and beautiful Terrace Restaurant looking over the breathtaking Majestic Point Lookout.
• The new Majestic Point Lookout, will have picnic and market grounds and provide public access to the best views of the Megalong Valley, encouraging the lost art of public promenading.
• During this time the Belgravia Wing will be used to house the Hotel Management Institute, Australia’s most elite hospitality training school.

Opening in 1904, the Hydro Majestic Hotel began its life as an Edwardian house hotel. The retreat was the final residency of Australia’s first Prime Minister, Sir Edmund Barton; opera singer Dame Nelly Melba rehabilitated her voice here with impromptu public performances, and the Hydro was Australia’s first hydropathic retreat.

A team of highly regarded heritage experts, architecture specialists and designers have been enlisted to realise the Hydro vision with particular weight given to examining and respecting the site’s social history and heritage. The team is under the guidance of the acclaimed heritage consultant Graham Brooks with Jonathan Bryant of Graham Brooks & Associates, with over 30 years of professional experience in Australia, Asia, UK, Europe and US.

Consultant Graham Brooks said the team was proud of the revival scheme which includes a comprehensive plan to revive gardens, interiors and facilities to a truly world class standard.

“The team philosophy is mindful of the past but always has an eye to the future to make sure the hotel continues to live well beyond current generations. Our alterations choose to borrow from the existing structures, enhance the old and provide a feeling of total renewal.”

International interior designer Peter Reeve of CRD, and a local resident, will create luxurious, new, and historically inspired interiors which reference the past and fold into the present with absolute luxe.

Mr Reeve said the work will harness the atmosphere and mood of the Hydro with a range of carpets and rich textiles based on period influences, timbers and stones, which reference the austere beauty of the Edwardian, the generosity of the Nouveau of the Belle Époque and moments of Art Deco.

“The Hydro’s original owner, Mark Foy was a visionary and this next chapter aims to continue his grand vision for the Blue Mountains,” Mr Reeves said.

The official public launch will be held in February 2013, with details to be advised closer to the time.