The Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains: a review for families

Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains aerial photo
An aerial shot of the Fairmont Resort & Spa with the Jamison Valley behind

Ah, the gorgeous Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains in beautiful Leura, it’s a real escape from the city.

fairmont resort and spa blue mountains outdoor pools
The outdoors pool area at the Fairmont Resort & Spa

Are you looking for a Blue Mountains family resort? Look no further!  The Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains, MGallery by Sofitel is a paradise for families.

By Mireia Garriga Seguranyes and Seana Smith

Fairmont resort reviews
The resort accommodation wing, seen from the gardens

Unlike most Blue Mountains family accommodation, the Fairmont Resort is a true family resort with an exuberance of excellent activities for children of all ages and for the adults too.  

Between us, we have stayed four times with our children aged from 3 – 16 years, on a mix of stays that we paid for ourselves and hosted nights. We would both go back any time!

PS Grab a cup of tea, this is the longest of all the Fairmont Resort & Spa reviews online, we are sure.


Fairmont Resort and Spa Leura
The magnificent lobby at the Fairmont Resort & Spa

 

Where is The Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains?

Address: 1 Sublime Point Road, Leura, NSW 2780 

Phone number: + 61 2 4785 0000

Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains website here: you can book direct here

Or if you prefer  Booking.com check dates and prices here.

The Fairmont Resort is in the scenic village of Leura, looking out over the Blue Mountains escarpment.  Leura itself is known as “the jewel of the Mountains,” and also as “the garden village.”

Leura is right alongside Katoomba, so the resort is super central to all the excellent things to do with kids in the Blue Mountains.

People often call this resort the Fairmont Resort Katoomba, but it is definitely in Leura, just a few minutes drive from Katoomba.

3 Reasons To Stay At the Fairmont Resort With Kids

1. Kid-Friendly + Top Quality

The resort is a 4.5 star and it is super family-friendly.

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Evening views from our balconey

2. Location: great for views and walks

The location is unbeatable with gorgeous Jamison Valley views.  From the resort, you can go for a hike, if you are a family that loves the outdoors. The Concierge team has maps and information about local tracks accessible from the resort.

3. Wide range of activities to enjoy

You do not need to leave the resort at all if you don’t want to. See the full rage of activities available below, as well as things to do around this area of the Blue Mountains.

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Kids love visiting the ponies, they are very calm. Pony rides are available too.
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This is a courtyard room, with an enclosed area for kids to play

Family-Sized Rooms at the Fairmont

The best family rooms at the Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains include the standard and superior rooms with two queen beds.  The courtyard rooms are lovely too, with enclosed courtyards, these can be configured with two singles or one king bed plus extra beds for the kids.

Family suites have two interconnecting bedrooms, a king for the adults with ensuite then a second room with two singles for the kids.  I (Seana) have stayed in one of these family suites when travelling with all four kids and no husband and found it very spacious.

There are also pet-friendly bedrooms too, plus very luxurious suites.

Accommodation Pet Friendly
All family members can be accommodated

When travelling with an assortment of kids, it’s often wise to call the resort and explain your circumstances then to ask their advice about which rooms would suit your family best.

Activities at the Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains

The Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains facilities and activities are endless. You cannot get bored!

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Outdoor pools and deck

Swimming Pools

There’s a large outdoor pool with a lovely terrace with loungers all around it. You’ll also find a circular toddler wading pool here. These pools are not heated though.

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The indoor pool

Indoors there is a 20-metre pool which is terrific for early morning laps and also for pool play at any time of day. We have swum here in winter and found the water nice and warm. There’s a bubbly spa pool here too and a sauna (though these are currently closed due to social distancing protocols.)

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Mireia’s daughters in toddler splash pool outdoors

Gym

There’s a large and well-equipped gym beside the pool. Patrons must be 16+ years to use the gym.

KidsZone 2_1

Kidzone: Huge Kid-Friendly Spaces

Kidzone has several area for children to play and play games. However not all of these are open at the moment.

Arcade Alley and the Teenage Retreat are open, bookings must be made for timeslots in these areas.

The areas known as Magic Kingdom, Dane’s Room and the Mirror Maze are not currently open. We look forward to things changing as restrictions ease.

KidZone Mirror Maze
The Mirror Maze
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The fabled Fairmont Express!

The Fairmont Express

This beloved choo choo train takes kids and adults for trips around the resort at weekends and in school holidays. Tickets can be purchased at reception.

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Early morning basketball practice for Teen14

Sports Courts + Outdoor Gym

Close to the main building you will find new tennis courts and a basketball court, plus a very spacious outdoor gym. No bookings are required for these sports courts. It’s best to bring your balls and racquets with you, however these can be hired at reception too.

Leisure Outdoor Gymnasium
Outdoor gym at the Fairmont Resort
Leisure Garden Maze
The maze, with tennis and basketball courts behind

The Maze + Gardens

Little children, parents with prams, older couples or couples looking for a romantic walk will love to go for a stroll in the gardens. The little ones will enjoy observing the fish and ducks in the lakes. There is even a little waterfall. Also, there is a maze, where kids will have a good time exploring it or playing chasing games.

Fairmont Resort Spa Leura
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Watching the ponies at dusk

Pony Rides

Blossom and Diego are the two ponies who live at the resort, close to the sports area and near the high ropes course. It’s lovely to stroll over to say hello to them. Pony rides can also be arranged, book at reception.

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Love how all the play equipment is made of wood at the playground

The Outdoor Playground

There’s a lovely large natural-themed playground on the south side of the resort. If you have very active kids then asking for a Courtyard Room alongside this playground work very well for you. Here’s a little bit of video showing the playground.

Isn’t this a fabulous place for kids to play.

Leura Golf Course and Golf Simulator

Right beside the resort is the oldest golf course in the Blue Mountains.Leura Golf Course has 18 holes with spectacular views of the Jamison Valley. The Leura Golf Course TruGolf Simulator has internationally renowned courses to play.

Read more about Leura Golf Course and book ahead here.

The Cinema

The Fairmont Resort & Spa shows complimentary movies on the big screen in the auditorium. There are sessions in the morning, late afternoon and evening at weekends and daily in school holidays.

Library + Billiard Rooms

The resort has an elegant library, a lovely place to escape with a book if you can. Children need to be supervised if they visit. The billiards room has pool, snooker and billiards tables. Note that the billiards room is not available for use by children under the age of 16. Board games for all ages are available free of charge from Reception. NB Check with resort to see if these are open

In-House Boutique

Lara’s of Leura has a selection of gifts such as Australian-made scented candles and everyday items. It has even cozzies in case you forgot yours or quality wool cardigans, if the temperature drops in autumn.

Leisure Fairmont Adventure Park
Young teens on the high ropes course

Fairmont Adventure Park High Ropes Course

Fairmont Adventure Park offers a high ropes course in the bush close to the ponies and stables. The Blue Course is suitable for beginners and the Black Course is much higher and more challenging.

The minimum age for climbers is 10 year, and children must be taller than 1.4m. Adults need to supervise children up to 15 years old on the course. 16-17 year olds can go by themselves but cannot supervise younger kids.

Costs range from $30-$45, check dates and availability and make booking on the Fairmont Adventure Park website here.

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Yes, the high ropes course is high!
Ubika Day Spa Treatment Room

Ubika Day Spa

Now in its own building, the Ubika Day Spa is a day spa destination for both hotel guests and others in the Blue Mountains. Ubika is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘to grow.’

There are 16 rooms in the day spa, and the spa menu is very wide and varied; from massages and facials to longer wellness treatments and rituals for men, women, couples and for pregnancy.

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A little bit of luxury is always welcome….

Mireia sums up:

We went to the Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains with my parents who were over from Spain.

All of us enjoyed the mini holidays, my three daughters had a blast. Thanks to its amazing facilities there is something to do for everyone.

I saw several families with grandparents like us. Our family would go back here any time with my husband (who had to work this time) or with my parents, if they have the chance to come back to visit us again.

Fairmont resort Leura Blue Mountains
The miniature train that the Fairmont Resort & Spa is restoring. My children loved it. But my father even more! He stopped to watch it every time before going up to the rooms.
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Restaurants at the Fairmont Resort

At the present time bookings are essential and ideally made in good time. Social distancing rules mean that the restaurants have less capacity than usual and all menus are a la carte.

Room service dining is available every day and there are several restaurants to try:

Jamison’s Restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with spectacular views over the Jamison Valley, especially from the Terrace area. This is the best restaurant for families with young children. Delicious high teas can also be enjoyed, you do need to book 48 hours ahead though.

The Eucalypt Grill offers Modern Australian cuisine and is open for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays.

Embers Restaurant has magnificent views and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner in several seatings.

The Sublime Lounge is a relaxed area where light meals and drinks are served from 10am to late. This is a lovely space to play board games in the afternoon.

Leura Gold Club Bistro is just a hop, skip and a jump away and serves lunches and dinners daily and has an extensive list of craft beers and local wines.

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Beautiful Blue Mountains views from Jamisons Restaurant
Sublime Point Blue Mountains
Sunset seen from Sublime Point

Leura and surrounds

There is so much to do around Leura! Some of the things that we did:

  • We went to the Sublime Point Lookout and the Gordon Falls Lookout and Picnic Area. Those are very easy walks suitable for young children (remember always to keep a close eye on them, as some sections are not protected). Also, the walks were not challenging, so older adults like my parents could do them. Leura Cascades is another nice excursion, although we didn’t have time to do this one.
  • We ate very well in Bon Ton Bistro and Waygoose Café, both located in the Leura Mall. My 6-year-old tried the Dijon escargots and she said that were delicious. She keeps asking to go back to the Blue Mountains to eat escargots in the Bon Ton Bistro. I tried the gazpacho (Spanish traditional cold soup) of the Waygoose Café and I can reassure you that it was nearly as good as the one that I make.
  • Finally, did you know that Leura and Katoomba have the best cafes for chocoholics? I saved this information for my next post. But, meanwhile, you might want to do a search of The Blue Mountains Chocolate Company, Josophan’s Chocolate Shop / Café Madeleine, and the super kid friendly Gingerbread House.

Other attractions of the area are Scenic World, the Everglades Mall, the Echo Point Lookout, etc. Check these articles out!

Have you ever visited the gorgeous Megalong Valley Tea Rooms, just a 15-minute drive from Blackheath? Read our article  here. 

Or you  might enjoy doing the short but steep Empress Falls Walk, read all about it here.

Find more things do in the Blue Mountains with kids- click here.

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Sunrise over the Blue Mountains… sometimes it’s a good thing when kids wake us up early

Getting To The Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains

Leura village is only 100 km from Sydney. Taking the M4, it is around hour and a half by car or nearly two hours by train from Central Station. Leura can be reached by public transport, although car is the easier option when travelling with kids. Leura Rail Station is around the corner from the main street, full of unique shops and cafes.

Blue Mountain Trolley Tours / Explorer Bus is an hourly hop on and hop of service that runs 7 days a week. The bus route consists of 29 stops / locations, including the Fairmont Resort & Spa.

Book The Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains

Book The Fairmont Resort & Spa direct, just click here.

Or, if you prefer, check pricing and availability on Booking.com  here.

So that’s it, the longest of all the Fairmont Resort & Spas reviews ever… hope you enjoyed this.  We really do believe that this is the best Blue Mountains resort and we are always happy to recommend it to families.

Have you stayed at the Fairmont Resort yourself?

If not, would it appeal to your family?

Mireia says: Thanks to Fairmont Resort for looking after us so well. My parents paid for their room and I paid one night’s accommodation. One night was free.  Seana has visited the resort both as a hosted and as a paying guest… and will return!

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning that if you book a stay at the Fairmont Resort & Spa a small feee is paid to support Hello Sydney Kids, at no cost to you.

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14 Comments

    1. says: John

      Great review of the Fairmont. I have shared this review multiple times over the last 2 years. Perhaps a new review is in order with the ice rink finally planned for completion on the 1st July 2022, ready for the school holidays! Have a great day all!

      1. says: Seana Smith

        Oh good, thank you for the heads up. I have been in touch with the Fairmont and the ice rink opening has been delayed by about six weeks. They will be in touch when it is open and I will pop up the details and some photos once it is open.

  1. says: Petra De Souza

    Hi,

    I/we have not stayed at the Fairmont family resort yet, but it is definitely appealing and I would love to take my mum & dad there when they come from overseas to visit their 6 year old grandson. I love the location and the resort facilities and program looks amazing! Hope to see you soon.

  2. says: Ellie Browne

    It is so fantastic to have a practical and informative review of where to holiday as a family and for all to enjoy!
    This type of review and this type of holiday is just what parents need.
    It is excellent that this fab resort is in such a magic location, offers SO much for the kids and parents to have an enjoyable and more so, pleasant experience together. I love that it can be as active or slow paced as you like and you can still go and explore the surrounding areas of the Blue Mountains.
    Thank you for providing such an amazing overview of what to expect and what you can experience on a family holiday to Fairmont Resort. We will certainly be looking at it for a family get away!

  3. says: Elisabeth De Francesco

    Always find your reviews so informative. My family has been to The Fairmont once to celebrate my mum’s 60th, and it blew our mind. My son and niece loved everything about it. The adults loved it equally as much. We would love to be able to go there again. Would recommend this place to anyone.

  4. says: Wendy Gautrais

    We would love to stay there one day. We love family hiking in the mountains and during school holidays my kids would love the kids club and us some adult time playing Golf or going to the spa. That would be bliss !!

  5. says: Sanela Kahric

    I’m a mother of 3 very active young one’s and just know my kids would enjoy all that Fairmont family resort had to offer them and it would most definitely be a bonus for myself to unwind in the spa while the little ones were at the KidzKlub.

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