Fodor's Expert Review Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa

Teetering close to the brink of Echo Point, this glamorous boutique hotel adds a keen sense of manor-house style to the standard Blue Mountains guesthouse experience. This hotel has a lush, European ambience, and both guests and day visitors alike love to indulge in afternoon tea or a drink by the open fire. Rooms are spacious and luxuriously furnished, with rich fabrics, silk curtains, English flock wallpaper, and elegant marble bathrooms with deep baths. The upscale Darley's Restaurant (two courses A$95; three-courses A$125), in the Heritage-listed original 1889 homestead, serves a cutting-edge menu; a highlight is crisp-pressed duck with shaved Queensland scallops in a star anise broth. The first-class spa is the ultimate place to relax after exploring the Jamison Valley. There is a two-night minimum stay on weekends, and good packages are available midweek.