The Gibraltar Hotel Bowral- the stylish hidden gem in the Southern Highlands

View from our Gibraltar Hotel room over golf course

The Gibraltar Hotel is a stylish and modern hotel in an ideal quiet part of Bowral next to a golf course. It is a great base from which to explore the Southern Highlands district of NSW.

It offers a range of styles in its 76 elegant luxurious rooms. On a recent stay I came to appreciate that it is far more than just a hotel room to stay in for the night. It is a great place to stay, visit, play, relax, get pampered and enjoy a drink.

Check-in was smooth with the welcoming receptionist at the front desk. My wife and I enjoyed our luxurious ground floor guest room, which was one of the many that overlooked the golf course. All we could see was green grass and trees - no other building or road. Access to the room was from the passage way decorated with tree trunk murals, using the key card we were given.

Our luxurious Gibraltar Hotel guest room

The king size bed was a delight to sleep in with no traffic or other noise interrupting our restful night's sleep. The linen was fresh and clean, and the pillows very comfortable for our heads.

The electronics in the room included a large LCD Television with in-house movies, iPod dock, digital phone, wireless internet connectivity, blockout curtains and adjustable air-conditioning.

The eco friendly climate controlled huge bathroom featured a bathtub and an enormous walk in shower with two shower roses - one overhead rainwater and one handheld. A good range of luxury bathroom amenities were provided.

Mini-bar and tea and coffee making facilities gave us the opportunity to make pour own cuppa in the room.

Gibraltar Hotel Lifestyle Centre

On the morning before checking out I enjoyed the Lifestyle Centre with its gym and indoor heated pool and coolish plunge pool.

Harvey's Bar is a casual bar and restaurant in the hotel building overlooking the golf course. It is an ideal place to unwind and enjoy some of the local cool climate wines on offer. It features the longest bar in the Southern Highlands and large outdoor covered terrace The food served in the relaxed intimate restaurant features fresh locally sourced ingredients and is open seven days a week from 11am until late, including lunch and dinner. 

We were fortunate to enjoy dinner at Harvey's during our stay. Our fish and chicken mains were delicious, but the standout was the dessert we both chose. The passionfruit tarts with lemon sorbet and raspberries were divine. On display in the refrigerated cabinet is the delectable range of desserts and bakery items. I could have eaten them all, especially when I learnt that they were all created in-house at Harvey's kitchens. The various menus can be downloaded here - Harvey's Menu - All Day Dining , Harvey's Menu - Lunch , Harvey's Menu - Dinner , Harvey's Menu - Dessert .

Geoff Harvey birthday treat

You can drop in to enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at Harvey's Bar. Geoff Harvey, after whom Harvey's is named, often plays the piano on Sunday afternoons. Geoff is the renowned pianist who was musical director for the Midday TV shows with hosts such as Ray Martin and Kerri-Anne Kennerley, and wrote the theme music for TV shows such as The Sullivans. We enjoyed listening to Geoff play when we dropped into Harvey's bar on the Sunday afternoon of our stay. It was my wife's birthday, and Geoff indulged us by playing his special version of Happy Birthday to her. He even obliged by playing my wife's request of songs from The Sound of Music.

Gibraltar Hotel breakfast buffet

If I had more time I would have enjoyed playing a round of golf at the renowned 18-hole Gibraltar Country Club which is right next to The Gibraltar Hotel. However, with my limited golfing skills it would have taken me all day to hit the ball around the 18 holes. Whilst enjoying our buffet breakfast viewing the golf course from the panoramic window I spotted a man who took four attempts to hit his golf ball over a water feature. If it was me playing I would have lost a whole bucket of balls, not just three, in the water! Or perhaps I would have taken the long way around to avoid the water altogether! (Golfing packages are available at the Gibraltar Hotel, which include a motorised electric cart).

A luxury Day Spa has five oversized, luxury treatment rooms offering a wide variety of services to pamper the body with. These range from purifying facials to ancient foot rituals to aboriginal ‘smudging’ ceremonies.

The Gibraltar Hotel Bowral is an excellent venue for hosting a wide variety of meetings and events. Corporate events and retreats, weddings or private functions can be held in the ballroom or six additional meeting rooms and spaces. The 420sq Gibraltar Ballroom is the largest function venue in the Southern Highlands. The hotel even has its own in-house events and weddings teams to assist with arrangements.

Gibraltar Hotel decor

The Gibraltar Hotel Bowral is located an easy ninety minutes drive south of Sydney or north of Canberra and just minutes from Bowral town centre. Many people stay at The Gibraltar Hotel to break up their journey from Sydney to Canberra. It overlooks Mt Gibraltar and is alongside the Gibbergunyah Nature Reserve which offers a range of excellent nature trails to walk, run or just enjoy the view from.

The town of Bowral is well known for its Don Bradman Museum and its annual Tulip Festival. It should also be known for the luxurious Gibraltar Hotel.

Next time you need a break away from your hectic pace of life, consider being a guest at The Gibraltar Hotel Bowral for one or more nights. You will be pleased that you discovered this hidden gem in the Southern Highlands of NSW and you will come away totally refreshed, as we did.

Gibraltar Hotel Bowral

Address: Boronia Street (off Centennial Road) Bowral NSW 2576
Phone: 02 4862 8600
Enquiries & Reservations: reservations@gibraltarbowral.com.au
Conferences, Meetings & Events: sales@gibraltarbowral.com.au
Gibraltar Country Club: countryclub@gibraltarbowral.com.au
Postal Address: Locked Bag 2600, Bowral NSW 2576

Website: http://www.gibraltarbowral.com.au