The property’s airline owner, Emirates, has forged a partnership with Marriott International to create the first Ritz-Carlton Lodge in the Blue Mountains.
With an anticipated mid-year opening, Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge will have 40 individual lodges, each including its own private pool, as well as a Ritz-Carlton Spa and a ‘naturalist hub’ complete with an in-house expert who will ‘curate immersive, conservation-led experiences’.
Since 2006, Emirates has invested $150 million into the property and will spend another $50 million to renovate it in collaboration with Marriott, before it reopens.
“We are proud of our long-term investment into the Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort, which launched one of Australia’s first conservation-based luxury resorts,” said Emirates president, Sir Tim Clark.
“Our unwavering commitment to the resort leads us to today’s announcement of an exciting agreement with Marriott International to open the world’s first Ritz-Carlton Lodge.
“For us, Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge will not only be an extraordinary resort appealing to discerning travellers seeking to be close to nature, but also a powerful engine for local economic growth, helping to rejuvenate the Wolgan Valley locality.
“We are deeply grateful for the support from the federal government, and for our partnerships with the state government, Lithgow City Council, and the Wolgan Valley community who have helped Emirates make this project possible.”
The lodge itself occupies just two per cent of the 7,000-acre property, which is also home to native Australian flora and iconic Australian animals including kangaroos, wombats and rock wallabies.
Under the Ritz-Carlton brand, a sleep-out experience is in development as part of the offering.
“We’re honoured to collaborate with Emirates on this milestone development, which sees the world’s largest hotelier and the world’s largest international airline come together to reinvigorate the luxury tourism offering in New South Wales,” said Marriott’s president for Asia Pacific, excluding China, Rajeev Menon.
The access issues that led to the closure of the resort in 2023 have not been resolved. Guests will reach the resort via a four-wheel-drive service down the Donkey Steps or via helicopter.
Under the Ritz-Carlton brand, the property will accept full buy-outs by business event groups.
