The best Bowral accommodation ranges from weatherboard cottages to an Airbnb on the outskirts of town to all manner of elegant country estates.

The best places to stay in Bowral offer guests a great base to soak up all the region has to offer in terms of cafe culture, antique trawling, wine tasting, nature and history. Be it elegant manors, cottages or coach houses and other unique stays, a trip to the NSW Southern Highlands makes for the ideal country.

Bowral, the main hub of the Southern Highlands, was established as a fashionable summer retreat for Sydney’s gentry in the 1880s. Well over a century later, many of the great estates that were established now operate as unique hotel stays. Here’s our pick of the best places to stay in Bowral and beyond.

1. Black Barn Bowral

Best for: Fashionistas

Experience the seasons unfolding in style with a stay at this exclusive farmhouse renovated by designer Collette Dinnigan. Black Barn Bowral is decked out in Dinnigan’s inimitable style with a lot of upcycled materials and a warm and inviting vibe.

Fun fact: the floorboards are made from reclaimed Danish wood and the light fittings were sourced from Italy. Exposed beams and whitewashed walls are complemented by a carefully curated mix of occasional pieces tricked up with textures and subtle signature Dinnigan detail.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom farmhouse sleeps six and is just minutes away from Bowral. Prefer to stay in? The Black Barn features the finest Italian bed linen and Australian-made Leif amenities. Now everyone do a little happy dance that Dinnigan has shifted her focus to include interior design.

Address: Alderley Edge, 2 Orchard Rd, Bowral

2. Peppers Manor House

Best for: Wedding parties

Check into Peppers Manor House for the quintessential Southern Highlands country retreat experience. A 15-minute drive from Bowral in Sutton Forest, this elegant manor built in 1926 has been fashionably repurposed while retaining its heritage charm and old-world appeal. It has 43 rooms and suites plus a range of inviting common spaces you’ll want to linger in.

Make yourself at home next to the roaring open fireplace in the Great Hall over winter. Or station yourself beside the pool, cocktail in hand, over summer. The hotel is home to Katers Restaurant, which makes the most of local produce. While you’re there, you can also indulge in such gentile pursuits as billiards, badminton, croquet or perfect the fine art of drinking tea.

Address: 72 Kater Rd, Sutton Forest

3. Park Proxi Gibraltar Bowral

Best for: Suits and ties in conference mode

History and location have helped shape Park Proxi Gibraltar Bowral, which has an onsite golf course that is about 70 years old. The 18-hole course has long been one of the draws to Bowral’s largest hotel, which has been taken over by Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts and given a refresh. The luxury escape has 78 suites, a private indoor pool, a gym and a golf course. It’s also just a 10-minute meander to the boutiques and cafes that make Bowral such a magnet for Sydneysiders and Canberrans.

Food-focused travellers will be thrilled to hear that the Lotus Dining Group has taken up residence at the hotel. Give those Lazy Susans a workout under the weight of the signature xiao long bao (steamed pork soup dumplings), dan dan noodles and XO scallops on the shell. It’s one of the best places to eat, stay and play in Bowral.

Address: 7 Boronia St, Bowral

4. The Sebel Bowral Heritage Park 

Best for: Active types

The Sebel Bowral Heritage Park has been built around an original 1920s federation manor. And while it’s not considered new accommodation in the Southern Highlands, it’s certainly been reinvented. Shortlist this Bowral accommodation for the fact it offers easy access to a nearby golf course, horse riding tours, hiking trails and Bowral boutiques.

Don’t want to leave your studio suite hotel with a kitchenette and dining area? There are cycling trails onsite as well as an indoor pool and health club. While Bowral is popular with visitors year-round for its striking restaurant scene, and list of great things to do, it’s worth booking a stay to coincide with the annual Tulip Festival.

5. Maison de May

Best for: Babymooners or your first family holiday

Someone flip the Dulux colour chart to Lilac Fluff. We have ourselves a violet undertone! Bowral has become a very desired locale for a weekend getaway from Sydney and Canberra. And this take on the whole dinky cottage experience has us forgetting all about roughing it in the great outdoors. Hell yeah we want to stay in the middle of nature but with our creature comforts, please/

As well as being near trails with riveting views, it’s a breeze to walk from the weatherboard cottage into Bowral. Just follow the curves of Cherry Tree Walk along the rivulet that runs from Maison de May into Bowral (pronounced Bahral dahling). In spring, the walk is awash in blossoms and people show up in their droves to Instagram them. The two-bedder (with portable cot) has a gas fireplace, wi-fi, chef’s kitchen and coffee machine.

Address: 17 Shepherd St, Bowral

6. Milton Park Country House Hotel

Best for: City slickers trying on a tree change for size.

Few NSW towns can rival the romance of Bowral in the Southern Highlands. Tiptoe through the tulips during the annual festival before bunkering down at the Milton Park Country House Hotel. Find a prime perch to watch the night settle over the landscape at dusk in bands of pink. Then head to Hordens Restaurant for mod Oz fare paired with exquisite Australian wines.

The hotel opens out onto manicured gardens filled with flowers and plants. There’s also a champagne high tea on offer overlooking the heritage-listed gardens.

7. Peppers Craigieburn Bowral

Best for: Golfing enthusiasts.

Craigieburn is another elegant old country estate that’s part of the Peppers portfolio and just an easy five-minute drive from the centre of Bowral. It has 72 guestrooms across the arboreally named Elms and Morton wings. While some guestrooms have gorgeous French doors that open onto shaded balconies, others offer views of the golf course – which is a star attraction in its own right.

The nine-hole Craigieburn Hickory Golf Course is more than 100 years old and guests can look to resident golfing pros for help perfecting their swing. You can also try the hybrid game of foot golf, enjoy a round of tennis or play a game of billiards. And, when you’ve worked up an appetite, dine in Hickory’s Restaurant and Bar. Or arrange a laid-back picnic to be set up for you on the gracious grounds.

Address: Centennial Road, Bowral

8. Seidler House

Best for: Architecture buffs.

Seidler House is the most iconic private home built by the late Harry Seidler – Australia’s great modernist architect. Seidler House is built into rock face in the old Southern Highlands ghost town of Joadja, once a thriving mining town, 30 minutes’ drive west of Bowral.

Accommodating up to eight people, the sculptural accommodation masters the art of indoor-outdoor living. A member of the Contemporary Hotels portfolio, it has open-plan interiors with floor-to-ceiling windows affording dramatic views of the gorge below. There are also open fireplaces, expansive decks, gardens and a swimming pool.

Address: 612 Richards Ln, Joadja

9. The Old Bank Boutique Hotel

Best for: An escape to the country.

Stay in an old bank reimagined as a boutique hotel in the historic town of Mittagong, a few minutes’ drive from Bowral. The Old Bank Hotel, circa 1892, has six heritage-styled suites in the main building. Two come complete with balconies and each has an en suite, underfloor heating and individually designed woollen floor rugs. There are further digs in the shape of self-contained cottages and stables at the back of the property.

There’s plenty to explore on your doorstep in Mittagong by way of boutique stores and cafes. The Old Bank’s inviting chill-out spaces and dining room might just stop you in your tracks. This charming Bowral accommodation is filled to the brim with plump Chesterfield couches and armchairs, cosy fireplaces and eclectic rugs and furnishings.

Address: 83 Main Street, Mittagong

10. Links House Hotel

Best for: A weekend getaway for groups of foodies.

Links House was built in 1928 as a country guesthouse and was the first in Australia to have en suite bathrooms. In its latter-day incarnation as a small boutique hotel, it still offers the same relaxing experience today – albeit with updated facilities.

Links House, on the leafy fringes of town, has a range of rooms from king to family to pet-friendly and accessible suites. The styling is clean and contemporary, the decor by local designers and a stay at this Bowral hotel supremely comfortable. You’ll love the Australian-made mattresses with bamboo-made sheets. Guests at Links House can enjoy dinner at Ethos, one of the best restaurants in Bowral. The in-house eatery serves a seasonal menu and there are yoga sessions on Monday and Saturday mornings.

Address: 17 Links Road, Bowral

11. Little Black Cottage Studio, Mittagong

Best for: A romantic weekend away.

The Little Black Cottage Studio has character and charm in spades. The stylish studio is a standalone, retreat with garden views and lots of lovely nooks to relax in. The self-contained studio is part of a 114-year-old cottage property in a convenient location just a short walk from Mittagong Village and the train station.

The fact there are nature trails on the newly renovated studio’s doorstep makes the newly renovated Airbnb near Bowral one of the best places to stay in the Southern Highlands. There’s also a cute kitchenette, views of Mt Alexandria, a dedicated workspace for digital nomads and speedy wi-fi. The light and airy studio has a comfy sitting room and French doors that give way to a secluded courtyard with reclining sun chairs.

12. Bendooley Estate

Best for: Budding novelists or bookworms

You’ve probably heard of the Book Barn. It’s Berkelouw’s iconic home located on the geographically blessed Bendooley Estate with its sweeping Southern Highlands views. Here, an atmospheric cafe and restaurant reside among shelves of tomes old, new, rare and antiquarian with a big stone fireplace to boot.

But did you know you can also stay onsite? There’s a clutch of accommodation available to book: four individually designed studio cottages, a two-bedroom Book Barn Cottage – originally the gatekeeper’s lodge of the 1839 Bendooley Homestead – and the three-bedroom May Gibbs Cottage, which channels a contemporary style via its bespoke wallpaper and artwork, heated handmade tiles and deep free-standing bathtubs.

Address: 3020 Old Hume Hwy, Berrima

13. The Coach House at The Rift Estate

Best for: Equestrian enthusiasts.

Check into The Coach House at The Rift Estate for a luxurious stay that blends heritage with modern country chic. The former stables of a grand Victorian Italianate mansion are set at the base of Mt Gibraltar in Bowral.

Accommodating 13 people across six bedrooms and four bathrooms, this is the ultimate spot for special celebrations with family or friends. It has a fully equipped chef’s kitchen, and an al fresco entertaining area with barbecue and cosy fireplaces. Bathrooms boast claw-foot baths and underfloor heating.

When you’re not exploring Bowral, spend your days playing bocce and croquet on the lawn and wandering gardens ripe with fruit and veggies, herbs and flowers against a backdrop of rambling countryside.

14. Berida Hotel

Best for: A pampering stay.

With 43 rooms, this ivy-clad boutique hotel was built as a generously proportioned home in 1925 and is just a short walking distance to Bowral’s main street. It has all the hallmarks of a great Bowral stay: luxe guestrooms with a heritage flavour, elegant gardens to wander, open fireplaces, a library to curl up in with a good book and a tennis court and games room. But Berida Hotel also ups the ante with an indoor heated pool, spa and sauna.

There is a wide range of traditional pampering treatments at Berida Day Spa as well as some state-of-the-art technology.

Address: 6 David St, Bowral

15. The Hidden Door Bowral Cottage

Best for: A romantic weekend away.

The Hidden Door Bowral Cottage right in the centre of Bowral will steal your heart before you even cross the threshold with its chocolate-box-cute facade.

A century old and beautifully updated, this delightful little weatherboard cottage has one main bedroom with a king bed and a smaller second bedroom with a queen bed – all dressed in sumptuous linen. Its sister property, The Hidden Door Bowral Villa, can be booked alongside the cottage to accommodate groups of up to eight and is just as cosy and beautifully appointed.

Address: 17 Bundaroo St, Bowral

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