The Iconic Vision continues...

The iconic Hydro Majestic Hotel, situated on the escarpment in Medlow Bath, Blue Mountains will soon open its doors to international and local tourists following development approval by local authorities for a multi-million dollar refurbishment of the most visited hotel in the Blue Mountains. Development plans have been approved after 18 months of solid work and submissions from a team of international architects, interior designers and heritage experts to revitalise the much loved Hydro Majestic to a landmark 5 Star Hotel.

The hotel is set to reopen in two phases from late 2012 after a transformation which will see the hotel’s facilities, interiors and gardens – which now stretch more than a 1 kilometre across the escarpment, revitalised to a world class 5 star standard. This is a much needed boost for Blue Mountains tourism and will lead the surge of tourists returning to the region - coinciding with the scheduled completion of RTA road works which has had an adverse impact on tourist numbers.

Facilities will include 115 accommodation rooms as well as a 250 seat restaurant facility, a signature fine dining restaurant, magnificent Majestic Ballroom, a 300 seat multi-purpose conference/function centre, 4 smaller function rooms, Boiler-house Café and Store, magnificent new lookouts and a world class four storey spa treatment facility and indoor pool house.

Once open, the local community and visitors alike will all be welcome to experience the outlets and the Hydro Majestic’s famous High Tea.

The project will involve rediscovering past glorious architectural and design aspects, recapturing atmospherics while adding a touch of the here-and-now to take the building into the future.

The vision for the rejuvenation is to continue the Hydro Majestic’s unique and eclectic combination of architectural styles; where additions made to the hotel over the past hundred years reflect time and place.

The challenges of adding another layer of history to this significant building have not been taken lightly. A team of highly revered heritage experts, architecture specialists and designers have been enlisted to realise this vision, with particular weight given to examining and respecting the Hydro Majestic’s social history and heritage.

The team, is under the guidance of acclaimed heritage consultant Graham Brooks with Jonathan Bryant of Graham Brooks and Associates. With over 30 years of professional experience in Australia, Asia, UK, Europe and US.

“We are all proud to play a key role in the revival of the much loved Hydro Majestic at Medlow Bath,” said Brooks. “The Hydro Majestic Hotel has developed eccentrically over time under the guidance of retail baron Mark Foy, from relatively humble beginnings as an Edwardian house hotel and hydropathic resort to its glory years as a grand hotel and resort between the two World Wars.

Throughout, it has enjoyed periods of great success and periods of lengthy decline. Despite recent refurbishment under previous owners, the hotel has become increasingly run down, with a host of inherent shortcomings that have never been appropriately or comprehensively addressed. We are delighted that the current scheme to rejuvenate the hotel includes a comprehensive plan to revive gardens, interiors and facilities to a truly world class standard.”

The Stage 2 Architectural design detail of the project has been carried out by the team at Group GSA, a multi award winning, integrated design practice, GSA - who will now add the 21st century layer to this Australian Landmark. International interior designer Peter Reeve of CRD will create luxurious, new, historically inspired interiors which reference the past and fold into the present with absolute luxe.

Reeve explains his inspiration, “we have striven to harness the atmosphere and mood of the Hydro Majestic, creating a palette of carpets and rich textiles based on period motifs, timbers and stones which reference the austere beauty of the Belle Époque and the glamour of Art Deco along with bold moments of the now. We have re-imagined spaces to create a breathtaking assortment of individual yet related venues and put the ‘hydro’ back into Hydro Majestic with spa and treatment facilities completing the dream of indulging all day long.”

The team continues with landscape architects Taylor Bremer, who will revisit the grand gardens of the Blue Mountains with inspiration from legendary landscape architect, Paul Sorensen to rejuvenate the Great Western Highway grounds, and offer a new perspective to revitalised viewing and escarpment aprons to create a landmark of European and Australian planting.

Steeped in historical and social significance, the newly renovated Hydro Majestic hotel, with its outstanding facilities, fine dining and accommodation, is set to offer an enormous boost to tourism and employment in the region and will re-establish the Blue Mountains as a popular national and international tourist destination.