With the scale perfectly balanced between the comfortable feeling of home and a luxury boutique hotel, Moss Manor is the perfect base for a romantic getaway in the beautiful Southern Highlands of NSW.
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Right in the thick of the Great Dividing Range, some 100km south of Sydney, the Southern Highlands of NSW is home to some startlingly beautiful country towns.
And within these village-like towns are some wonderful places to stay.
The best example of this is surely Moss Manor, the grandest house of Moss Vale, about halfway between Bowral and Sutton Forest.
From its origins as the mayoral residence in 1890, this splendid Georgian mansion now operates as a boutique hotel. Its eight rooms offer explorers of the Southern Highlands a glorious yet homely place to lay their heads.
Check out our quick tour through this beautiful house and its eight rooms here.
Stay At Moss Manor—living for the detail
This beautiful stately manor house was developed by owner Louella Grattan-Smith, and worked on by some of the best interior architects, decorators, art designers and collectors in the country.
Each room has been uniquely designed and appointed, and each has its own bespoke luxurious feel.
We’re lucky enough to be able to have a look at each of the eight rooms during our stay. There’s no end of detail in every room we visit. From carefully chosen fabrics for each bedhead to neat vignettes of vases and flowers to one rather daring (but very cool) entirely black and brass ensuite, it’s clear much thought has gone into this hotel.
We’ve put a video together showing each of the rooms in more detail, so you can see how just individual each one:
Almost every wall throughout the house is adorned with tastefully chosen and mindfully hung artworks.
Louella Grattan-Smith has worked closely with Campbell Robertson-Swan of Defiance Gallery in Sydney to curate a rolling line-up of works by eminent and emerging artists.
Interestingly, every piece is available for purchase, though Moss Manor doesn’t profit from the sale. Instead, the hotel has worked out a very smart system with Defiance Gallery, whereby the art wouldn’t normally display in the Paddington location due to limited space now gets airtime here in the Southern Highlands.
The return is that Moss Manor is constantly decorated with beautiful original pieces, and this also fits with Louella’s love of art very nicely.
It’s a win-win-win.
The Dining Room
But surely the real showstopper of Moss Manor is the dining room. It would be rude to call this piece of architecture ‘an extension’, but it is nonetheless an addition to the original building.
Seamlessly connecting the back of the heritage house to its pretty landscaped gardens, this magnificent room of glass and black steel seems to float away from the house towards the foliage beyond.
Indeed, the beautiful tree in the garden once stood in the middle of where this new room now is. But architect Luke Moloney was able to relocate the tree, where it’s thriving.
A long elegant banquet table lines the window and points to a lounge area where you can relax. There’s also a tea station with different brews on offer throughout the day. Here, you’ll also find an open fire crackling through the winter, and also breakfast each morning.
Starting with yoghurt, honey, house-made granola and a fruit compote, our first breakfast then moves to hot-smoked salmon fillet, seasoned avocado, soft-boiled eggs, fetta and toasted sourdough.
It’s more than enough to keep us going till lunch. In fact, I take the opportunity to have a quick food nap in our room before we head out exploring.
In the dining room, you’ll also find afternoon tea should you wish it. Expect things like Eaton mess, and warm house-made chocolate brownies and cream.
But Louella’s hospitality doesn’t end there.
After a day of adventures and then dinner, we come home in the evening to find supper has been left out for us too; a glass cloche keeps dainties like delicious cookies and fudge safe for us, and next to it a bottle of house port.
What Was Our Room In Moss Manor Like?
Our room—Sophia—is the biggest in the hotel. Essentially a suite, this grand space, with its double height ceiling and two chandeliers, Sophia is also the flagship room of Moss Manor.
Squashy twin sofas and an antique coffee table separate the king bed from the bathroom at the back of the room where an enormous mirror wall hides the separate shower, and toilet and vanity.
However, it’s what’s in front of the mirror that makes this room.
Holding court in this impressive room is the biggest solid marble Roman bathtub we’ve ever seen. It takes about 20 minutes to fill, but the marble maintains the heat beautifully. This tub is not only a decadent addition to the room, it’s an asset to the whole hotel.
Our only misgiving with the room, which is so close to a 10/10, is that there’s no door to the toilet. Even if there were a sliding screen for a touch of privacy, that would be enough.
That aside, this would make for the ideal romantic escape into the countryside for anyone.
It’s also possible to hire the whole of Moss Manor out for events like weddings, bridal showers etc, and I think having seven of your best pals staying here with you for a big birthday would be incredible.