Milton Park is a country house/hotel in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales (Australia) near Bowral – just a 90-minute trip from Sydney’s CBD.  

Easily accessible from the hustle and bustle, it is a tranquil world away.

Originally the country estate of the Hordern family of Sydney retailing fame, the homestead…  

Now a five-star hotel, it boasts:

•  extensive, well-maintained and magnificently manicured grounds;
•  a beautiful restaurant with starched tablecloths and silver service;
• ambient bars;
• spacious verandahs;
•  extensive lounges and cosy nooks with comfortable furnishings from which to take afternoon tea or a drink;
• fireplaces everywhere.

And that’s not all:
there is also a lovely pool house and a spa – you could take a swim before dinner to pique your appetite or maybe you’d rather relax with a massage after your walk around ‘Mary’s Pool, the ‘rose garden’ or the ‘wisteria lake’ – or indulge yourself with everything – you have nothing but time.
This country house/hotel is elegant, bucolic luxury personified.

The house

On the outside looking in

Our Stay

At the end of a long working year and just before Christmas, my family took a day and a night to unwind here. The property is truly magnificent in every way. It’s simply grand.

With Christmas almost on us, the hotel was decked out with more Christmas trees than I cared to count and the cool Southern Highlands’ nights saw the many fireplaces ablaze.

The views of the gardens from the tall, elegantly furnished windows were picture perfect

We started the day with a swim in the pool and took a walk in the garden before gathering for pre-dinner drinks in the cosy bar. We sat in front of a blazing fire and sipped champagne by the glow of the Christmas tree lights.

Earlier at the pool, we’d observed some guests dip their toe into the water only to decide to forego the swim (the water was a tad cold) in preference for sipping red wine on the verandah – mesmerised by the view (and each other.) Yes, this destination lends itself magnificently to romance.

Dinner in the signature restaurant was a fine affair, with the food being good, if not great. But it’s the ambiance that’s the main attraction here and the picture windows of the elegant dining room afford a view that does not disappoint both in daylight and after dark when the garden is lit up like a fairy grotto.

What’s more, it was pure heaven to be able to adjourn to our lovely comfortable rooms at the end of the meal, instead of driving home.

In the morning, breakfast is taken in their conservatory where rustic, country elegance abounds. They hold wedding receptions in the conservatory, and I have seen it dressed for a wedding. It was breathtaking beautiful.

On this morning, to accompany our bacon and eggs, we were entertained by the birdlife having their own breakfast (provided by the hotel) on the bird perches outside.

There were Cockatoos, Galahs, Rosellas and Rainbow Lorikeets – it was quite a cacophony, none of these bird species being known for being either quiet or shy.

It was difficult to leave – but knowing the drive was such a short, easy one, helped to get us happily on our way (but determined to return).

The gardens and pool