Cloudlands - BLUE MOUNTAINS, Katoomba

Address:

4 - 6 Banksia Park Road , Katoomba, NSW, Australia

Description:

Historic self contained Blue Mountains accommodation at Cloudlands Katoomba near the Three Sisters and Leura attractions, is a great location nestled in an acre of escarpment garden with private access to scenic walks.

On the escarpment, nestled in the grounds of historic “Cloudlands” in the Blue Mountains is a restored Old Writer’s Retreat, offering elegant and spacious self-contained accommodation for 2-7 people. Ideal for couples/groups/ executive retreats (i.e. there are 4 bedrooms – 2 double rooms with queen beds, 1 twin and 1 single) this atmospheric, romantic blue mountain lodge has beautiful timber features throughout and is set in over an acre of old terraced escarpment garden, which leads down to Prince Henry Cliff Walk.

Other Blue Mountains Accommodation features

two bathrooms, (one with clawfoot bath), 3 toilets
separate kitchen/dining
verandah
courtyard
open fire and gas heating
Walk to the 3 Sisters, galleries and other attractions
Oak Panelled Lounge Room
fully equipped kitchen
separate dining room
escarpment verandah on back of main house (less than 7m away) with external access for guests to use

Our beautiful oak-panelled lounge room with unusual beamed ceiling, conjures up another era, when life was a bit slower and there was time to sit by the fire reading a good book or just conversing with family and friends over tea/coffee and home-baked treats. Lift up the lounge room windows in Springtime and you’ll smell the lilac and magnolia blossoms of the Blue Mountains .

Beyond that, the garden courtyard (with lazy steamer chairs) and then winding steps leading you down, down into our beautiful garden with secret corners to explore. During your Katoomba accommodation stay perhaps you’ll find a spot for quiet contemplation, or be tempted to wander down further, further, onto Prince Henry Cliff Walk for invigorating bushwalks and breathtaking Blue Mountains views from the many lookouts.

Alternatively, you may choose to wander over to the escarpment verandah, for a spot of Tai Chi / Yoga, sunset picnic or exquisite catered meal during your stay.

Cloudlands contributes to our enviroment and is very proud of it. You become part of it when you stay with them. We live in a special place, richly-deserving World Heritage status. At Cloudlands we see it as a moral imperative to promote and live by sustainable principles, so that future generations may also enjoy this majestic setting – and our beautiful planet may simply survive. With this “caretaking” role in mind, the following BEST PRACTICE PRINCIPLES IN SUSTAINABLE LIVING have been adopted:-

1. Minimal use of plastics and disposables. For example, you will notice all receptacles are paper-lined, rather than lined with plastic bags. Where any plastic containers are used (i.e. in some toiletries) they are recycled plastic to the best of our knowledge.

2. Cleaning is done using natural, environmentally-friendly cleansers with citrus cleaner and vinegar and water our favourites!

3. We believe in supporting local small businesses. Products to make your stay more luxurious and comfortable are purchased locally wherever possible from businesses/companies committed to using top-quality, natural ingredients with minimal packaging. It also goes without saying that the beautiful, natural toiletries provided are not tested on animals! The breads supplied come from local organic sourdough bakeries and the eggs are always free-range.

4. Luxurious alpaca wool quilts (Australian grown/made, of course!) grace your beds. These have been purposefully selected because alpacas are soft-footed animals - and they don’t eat into the crown of plants. In our ancient land with fragile soils, introduced hard-footed animals have caused considerable damage to our soils and vegetation. Alpaca wool was known by the Incas as the Fibre of the Gods, because of the unique properties of softness, lightness and insulation.

5. Breakfast provisions left for guests are locally-made in the Blue Mountains ad mostly organic, thereby reducing food miles and supporting the local economy. We are also proud supporters of Slow Food.

6. We support other forms of artisanal food production: The delicious handmade chocolates left for our guests are made by the Mountains’ iconic Paragon Restaurant and still in the original box design from 1916.

7. Pampering , natural toiletries in the Retreat are handmade and locally-made.

8. Energy-efficient light bulbs are used extensively throughout the Retreat.

9. For the water-conscious, 4 minute hower timers are available for use and the energy-efficient hot water system enables guests to programme the water temperature without the need for adding cold water.

10. We have started introducing self-powered battery-free lifestyle accessories, including a torch which can also charge mobile phones.

11. State-of-the-art Bokashi internal composting unit is in the Retreat’s kitchen for guests to use. As we are organic gardeners, this compost is then placed in our gardens.

12. Ethical and Fair Trade coffees are provided for guests to make delicious, enjoyable plunger coffee during their stay.

13. Clouldlands proudly supports Help In Suffering, an Indian animal charity fundraising to establish an ELEPHANT HOMELAND in India for her elephants, losing their habitat due to increasing urbanization.

14. Cloudlands is in a central yet private location right on the escarpment, giving easy access to both Katoomba and Leura village centres and walking distance from major attractions! There is no need to bring a car! We are located near both the Trolley Bus and Explorer Bus pick-up points for guests who wish to go further afield.

15. At Cloudlands we have a “repair rather than replace” philosophy with our furniture and fittings, which have been sourced from local small busineses as far as possible. We are very proud of the high standard we offer, while adhering to this for the sake of our planet. When linen, blankets and other items have reached the end of their lifecycle, they are donated to charity.

16. We are members of RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL and the GOOD TRAVEL COMPANY and have successfully-participated in the BLUE MOUNTAINS BUSINESS ADVANTAGE PROGRAMME, which assesses the sustainability credentials of small businesses.

17. Australian wildflowers are featured throughout the retreat, being themed in the bedrooms, artwork and hand-blocked waratah frieze in the kitchen and dining room. Many of our books are by Australian writers. Artwork found in the lodge is by local artists.

18. Owners are actively-involved in a number of community organizations and projects, including encouraging more public art in our region and developing sustainable principles throughout the Blue Mountains.

19. A gift table in the Retreat contains local products and some eco-friendly items guests are welcome to purchase.

Children: 17 and under

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The Old Writers Retreat

Room Type:

Self-contained accommodation from 2 to 7 people.

Room Information:

On the escarpment, nestled in the grounds of historic “Cloudlands” is a restored Old Writer’s Retreat, offering elegant and spacious Self-contained accommodation for up to 7 people.

Ideal for couples/groups/ executive retreats (i.e. there are 4 bedrooms – 2 double rooms with queen beds, 1 twin and 1 single) this atmospheric, romantic mountain lodge has beautiful timber features throughout and is set in over an acre of old terraced escarpment garden, which leads down to Prince Henry Cliff Walk.

Other features

two bathrooms, (one with clawfoot bath), 3 toilets separate kitchen/dining verandah courtyard open fire and gas heating Walk to the 3 Sisters, galleries and other attractions Oak Panelled Lounge Room fully equipped kitchen separate dining room escarpment verandah on back of main house (less than 7m away) with external access for guests to use TV, DVD, VCRr, radio/sound system. Selection of CD's videos and DVD's provided Wide selection of books and magazines, board games and challenging puzzles

Rates include

*the finest linen and soft bamboo blend towels
* self-catering breakfast provisions featuring local products for all your "Lingering Breakfasts"
* gift boxed pampering toiletries and other surprises
*fresh flowers, fresh fruit, handmade chocolates
*complimentary laundry service for longer stays


Our beautiful oak-panelled lounge room with unusual beamed ceiling, conjures up another era, when life was a bit slower and there was time to sit by the fire reading a good book or just conversing with family and friends over tea/coffee and home-baked treats. Lift up the lounge room windows in Springtime and you’ll smell the lilac and magnolia blossoms – beyond that, the garden courtyard (with lazy steamer chairs) and then winding steps leading you down, down into our beautiful garden with secret corners to explore. Perhaps you’ll find a spot for quiet contemplation, or be tempted to wander down further, further, onto Prince Henry Cliff Walk for invigorating bushwalks and breathtaking views from the many lookouts.

Alternatively, you may choose to wander over to the escarpment verandah, for a spot of Tai Chi/Yoga or sunset picnic during your stay. See more of our escarpment verandah and other delightful Cloudlands features by clicking below to see our Online Video:

Our bedrooms with luxurious, environmentally-superior alpaca wool quilts are bathed in soft, sleep-inducing colours and are themed on Australian wildflowers. Beautiful linen and electric blankets are on all beds.

The fully-equipped kitchen enables you to cook as much or as little as you like. Don’t forget you can walk to award winning restaurants such as Solitary, The Rooster French Restaurant and the Swiss Cottage just nearby. We also supply a variety of teas, coffees (including ground coffee for perfect plunger coffee), herbal teas, and generous breakfast provisions that look like a bountiful harvest! Naturally, the bread supplied only comes from quality local organic sourdough bakeries – Bakehouse on Wentworth (Leura) or Hominy (Katoomba) and the eggs are free-range. Our complimentary biscuits, cakes or tarts come from a local bakery – ideal for a leisurely morning or afternoon tea.

The verandah is an ideal place for your Cloudlands "Lingering Breakfasts" featuring gourmet local products with parrots and rosellas in the apples trees for company.

We want you to feel “discreetly pampered” during your stay at Cloudlands and know you’ll enjoy soaking in the claw foot bath (complete with bookrack for serious bookworms!). A variety of natural toiletries will be provided for your enjoyment, including bath salts, bubble bath, - and more.

Room Facilities:

Occupancy:

Included in the published rate is 4 adults. (Maximum occupancy - 7 guests). Of the extra guests 3 may be an adult.