The original hotel, known as The Commercial, was built soon after the railway line came through in 1868 and was officially licensed in 1884. The original hotel boasted “good accommodation for visitors at twenty- five shillings per week” and one of its more interesting sidelines was hiring out horses & sulkies. In 1900 the hotel was renamed The Tourist until 1907, when it was renamed The Royal prior to being demolished. The present building was built in 1922, maintaining its name The Royal until 1950, when it was finally renamed Bundanoon Hotel. It has held this name ever since.
The hotel was built to capture the growing tourism population, attracted to the area for its mountain air (thought to have health benefits), spring water and proximity to gullies & bushwalks. The town of Bundanoon is thought to possibly be Australia’s first resort and at one stage boasted around 40 guesthouses.
There is a stone in the Brigadoon Bar of the hotel today that has the date 1869 carved into it. It is thought that rather than belonging to the original hotel, this stone came from the stationmaster’s cottage or gatehouse that was demolished many years ago. There is a similar stone in the gable of the Moss Vale stationmaster’s cottage.
More recently in 2018, with new owners on-board, the beloved Bundanoon Hotel underwent a refurbishment. It continues to ooze village charm but in a paired back, modernized style. Most importantly, the refurbishment pays homage to its past, retaining gorgeous timber elements and sandstone blocks from the original 1922 build. We sincerely hope you enjoy your time with us and enjoy all that Bundanoon has to offer.
