Fast-expanding brand has an ardour for hospitality

Get familiar with the Ardour hotel brand - it's a name that's getting plenty of traction. 

Salter Brothers Hospitality, the luxury retreat hotel operator, today announced that two more well-known destinations will join its Ardour Hotels & Estates collection in 2026. 

Spicers Guesthouse in the Hunter Valley (above) and Kingsford The Barossa in South Australia will both be re-branding under the Ardour banner. 

Spicers Guesthouse, known for its wine tourism and epicurean experiences will become Ardour Guesthouse Hunter Valley, while Kingsford The Barossa, an award-winning heritage estate, will become Ardour Kingsford Barossa.

Ardour Hotels & Estates debuts with two of Australia’s best-known rural heritage estates, Ardour Milton Park Bowral and Ardour Lilianfels Blue Mountains, with both revealing multi-million-dollar renovations. 

“Ardour is about elevating Australia’s most extraordinary places into destinations of global calibre,” says Tash Tobias, CEO of Salter Brothers Hospitality, 

“We’re not simply creating hotels, we’re shaping experiences that celebrate the beauty, culture and authenticity of each region.”

So the bar is being set high. 

Signature rituals will include Ardour Hour, a daily celebration of connection in spectacular surroundings, and curated wine experiences developed with leading regional producers. 

Ardour Milton Park Bowral will be open for stays from next month (opening Monday, February 2) with Ardour Lilianfels Blue Mountains and the two newly announced destinations following later in the year. 

At Ardour Milton Park Bowral, the hotel’s reopening introduces its signature dining destinations; Horderns and The Polo Bar, with The Polo Bar’s dedicated charcuterie room to open soon after.

The culinary offering at Ardour Milton Park Bowral is led by executive chef Mark Holland, whose pan-European approach underpins the dining experience at Horderns.

“We’ve created a menu for Ardour Milton Park Bowral that feels at home in the Southern Highlands," says Holland.

"It’s refined but relaxed, guided by flavour, season and a deep respect for the ingredients rather than passing trends.

"One dish I’m especially excited to cook for guests is our steamed rainbow trout with a classic beurre blanc. It’s simple, precise and lets the quality of the fish speak, which really sums up how we want to cook here."

To learn more see: https://www.worldsapart.club/ardour