As post-summer holiday planning for the next escape gathers steam, there’s no doubt regional areas of Australia will figure significantly on our vision boards.
Tourism Research Australia figures indicate that a significant share of domestic travel happens beyond the capitals, while Tourism Australia’s trend reporting flags sustained interest in nature-led experiences and trips that lean into wide open space and slower travel. Just 120 kilometres south-west of Sydney, the Southern Highlands’ anchor town of Bowral fits such a bill.
Cricket buffs know it for its connections to Don Bradman. Gardening enthusiasts are aware of its prizewinning plots. But with coastal escapes often dominating the Australian short-break conversation, Bowral has tended to sit slightly outside the spotlight, its genteel appeal of cool-climate countryside that changes with the seasons, heritage architecture and a growing food-and-wine scene attuned more to Sydney escapes.
Bowral has been infused with more excitement, though. It, and the wider Southern Highlands, now feature more diverse dining, with inventive kitchens reflecting the region’s incredible produce. In nearby Moss Vale and villages such as Bundanoon and Berrima, pubs have been refreshed or expanded imaginatively.
And Ngununggula – a $6 million contemporary art gallery established in a converted dairy shed near Bowral, supported by artist Ben Quilty and local benefactors – is a major regional institution that pairs ambitious exhibition programming with a farm-to-table cafe and landscaped grounds.
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Now there is the reopening of Ardour Milton Park Bowral, following a $10 million refurbishment. For those who knew the old Milton Park, this is both a respectful revival and a careful renovation. Heritage values remain in the bones of the 1910 estate, but the experience has been recalibrated for contemporary travellers who value comfort, considered design and strong dining alongside history.
The estate’s transformation was led by Sydney’s Mac Design Studio, under architect Alan McMahon. The studio restored Osborn House, which opened to acclaim in 2022. The boutique hotel is housed in an early 1900s guesthouse in Bundanoon and is a star in the Southern Highlands hospitality scene.
At Ardour, guest rooms unfold in two palettes: a calm sage green and a deeper cobalt blue, tied together by marble, brushed brass and bespoke carpeting.
Dining, always central to Milton Park’s identity, is a pillar of the new Ardour era, with executive chef Mark Holland leading its culinary direction. Holland brings more than 30 years’ experience, including time at Michelin-starred Box Tree in the UK, as well as stints with Marco Pierre White, Nomad Sydney and Paddington Inn. His brief centres on a refined pan-European approach, with a strong focus on Southern Highlands and broader NSW producers.
The estate’s signature restaurant, Horderns, while always the culinary heart, has been relocated to a more expansive setting with garden views, increased natural light and capacity expanded from 38 seats to 102.
Alongside it, The Polo Bar is pitched as a relaxed counterpoint, a day-to-evening bar offering small plates, classic cocktails and a wine list championing Southern Highlands producers. A dedicated charcuterie room is set to open soon, adding another layer to the venue’s offering.
Later this year, a new on-site spa and wellness facility, Eliva Bowral, will welcome guests.
Ardour Hotels & Estates was born in 2024 when Salter Brothers Hospitality acquired the historic Kingsford Barossa, an 1856 homestead with 16 luxury suites. The Bowral stay is the second under the brand, sharing a common theme of being “lifestyle” properties in Australia’s regional and natural landscapes. Expect more of the same ilk.
Ardour Hotels & Estates joins Salter Brothers’ other two brands: Spicers Retreats, a collection of boutique hotels in NSW and Queensland, and Bannisters Hotels, coastal retreats in NSW.
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Julietta Jameson is a freelance travel writer who would rather be in Rome, but her hometown Melbourne is a happy compromise.Connect via email.