Blackheath is a town located near the highest point of the Blue Mountains, between Katoomba and Mount Victoria in New South Wales, Australia. Hemmed by spectacular World-Heritage wilderness, where hikes criss-cross bushland and heart-swelling vistas routinely gob-smack visitors, the eclectic town isn’t short on creativity.
Here and in the surrounding towns, you’ll find sleek eateries, curated boutiques and galleries, and chic places to stay. From bohemian abodes to design-led cabins and polished hotels, Blackheath accommodation is as surprising as it is diverse.
In short
If you can only stay for a few nights, make sure you spend them at Kyah Boutique Hotel to be well-located and looked after, and to dine on-site at celebrated Blaq.
1. Kyah Boutique Hotel
The former 1970s motel is now an ultra-chic Palm Springs-inspired hotel. (Credit: Steven Woodburn)
Best for: Grown-up escapes in ambient elegance.
Pricing: $$$$
With three wings, each named after one of the Three Sisters, there’s ample space to exhale in refined style at Kyah. Guests are spread out across 46 rooms and suites, and when they’re not exploring the doorstop wilderness of the national park, they may dine at the applauded onsite restaurant and bar, Blaq, enjoy a hot tub and sauna, or have a hit of tennis within the grounds. There’s also an e-bike fleet and EV-charging, so you can travel without range anxiety. With a backstory that includes the revitalisation of a worn-out former motel, Kyah has invigorated both the building and Blackheath with design-led luxury.
2. Parklands Country Gardens
This European-style country estate opens out onto manicured gardens.
Best for: Garden enthusiasts and quiet stays.
Pricing: $$$
Twenty-eight acres of meticulously maintained gardens imbue this sprawling country estate with a European grandeur, thanks to the property’s founder and passionate gardener, John Pope, a 1900s-era department store mogul with a deep appreciation for greenery. These days, Parklands welcomes guests with loft rooms and garden suites, and a beautiful day spa. The only dining onsite is at the Lakeview Breakfast Room, so you’ll need to go elsewhere for lunch and dinner.
3. Bubbletent Australia, Capertree Valley
Sleep under the stars in a transparent bubble tent. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Best for: Romance under a night sky.
Pricing: $$$$
If the idea of you and your significant other, sweeping dramatic views and no one else around sounds ideal, but you’re not exactly one for camping, then this unique stay less than an hour from Blackheath is going to be your thing.
Poised for magnificent scenes across the Capertree Valley, the five bubble tents – Leo, Virgo and Cancer, Pisces, and Ophiuchus – are luxe, transparent abodes complete with floating beds, flushing toilets and outdoor, wood-fired bathtubs. Watch the sun slip below the valley in a fiery finale before the moon ascends and you peep at those luminous constellations through the telescope provided.
4. Turon Gates Eco Retreat
Go off-grid at this rustic hideout. (Credit: GMPhotographics)
Best for: Going bush with mates or kids.
Pricing: $$$$
A little under an hour from Blackheath, this Capertree Valley stay provides a stylishly rustic hideout from everyday life. Here, you can take up residence in a self-contained log cabin, glamping tent or campsite and tune into the frequency of bush life complete with birdsong and cicadas.
It’s all about chilled vibes, but if you feel particularly energetic, you can also try fishing, horse riding or commandeering a canoe to explore the river.
5. Wollemi Love Cabins, Bilpin and Mt Tomah
Take in breathtaking views from this unique abode.
Best for: Anyone up for a left-of-centre stay or keen for Lord of the Rings role play.
Pricing: $$$
Full of wood-carved quirk, this collection of cabins set in two locations (both under an hour from Blackheath) is fantastical and fabulous. From the almost-bonkers Enchanted Cave to the canopy-perched Treehouse, the vast Wollemi House and the intriguing Dream Cabin complete with a secret doorway leading to a hidden room, these out-there abodes are not for those who seek extreme minimalism, but with the bush on show as the undisputed star, anyone can appreciate these tributes to the natural surroundings.
6. Wondernest
Hear the birds sing from your mountainside cottage.
Best for: Mini-breaking design boffins and sophisticated escapes.
Pricing: $$$$
Tucked into the mountain village, this Blackheath abode is acutely stylish and infinitely pinable to your mood board. With dark exteriors beautifully contrasted with frosted foliage come winter, this timber cottage is a serene, white-and-wood study in contemporary cabin living. The two-bedroom chalet has a fully-equipped kitchen, outdoor deck with garden and bush views, Instagrammable window box, and fireplace, not to mention oodles of design cred.
7. Casa Mia, Blackheath
Stay cosy in winter at this timber cabin.
Best for: Small, outdoorsy families
Pricing: $$$
Cosy times prevail at this two-bedroom wood cabin in Blackheath. Contemporary and luxe with a mountain sensibility, this light-filled stay is kept warm in winter with a wood-burning fire and double-glazing on the generously proportioned windows. With a well-appointed kitchen, barbecue and laundry, there’s everything you need to settle into a bush-fringed way of life.
8. The Machinery Shed at Logan Brae Orchards
Soak up mountain views from the bath.
Best for: Romantic interludes.
Pricing: $$$$
This farm stay planted in a working apple orchard brings a New York loft style to a vast former shed. Sleek kitchen, picturesque outdoor bath, floor-to-almost-ceiling windows and a hard-working fireplace that roars into action to warm the open-plan space, all make this chic barn difficult to leave. Bewitching views of the beautiful Kanimbla Escarpment double down on the need to book a return stay immediately.
9. Mt Kanimbla Wilderness Experience
This bush-luxe lodging is the perfect place to unwind.
Best for: The one-bedroom cabins are honeymoon-perfect, while the four-bedroom Lodge suits sophisticated gatherings away and special events.
Pricing: $$$$
Just half an hour from Blackheath village is a trio of stays with eyes to Mount Kanimbla. The Lodge, the Hilltop Cabin and the Woodland Cabin are all soothingly contemporary with Australian-accented mountain style. With each escape featuring its own mineral plunge pool and wood-burning fireplace, these bush-luxe lodgings are magical year-round.
10. Little Black Cabin
The 120-year-old Little Black Cabin offers a serene spot to stay.
Best for: Incredible views in a design-led cabin.
Pricing: $$$
Your ultimate cabin goals are realised at this architecturally stunning 120-year-old cottage with captivating views of the Megalong Valley and Escarpment. Bushwalks and Blackheath’s hub are only steps away, but you’ll feel entirely and happily untethered from regular life in this tranquil setting.
Vast windows to perch in, high-quality and textural tones and finishes, and a tender nod to the buildings heritage make this cabin an award-winning and covetable stay.
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