One of Leura’s oldest pubs has just had a $1 million makeover—and it comes with a restored 26-metre balcony, renewed gardens and a brand-new playground.
The Alexandra Hotel, Leura’s only licensed hotel, has undergone a major revival more than 120 years after it first opened its doors, bringing fresh life to the historic Blue Mountains landmark while keeping its heritage at the centre of the project.
Known affectionately by locals as The Alex, the 1903 pub was named after Queen Alexandra, the consort of King Edward VII. Today, its position on the edge of the Blue Mountains makes it as much a place to take in the landscape as it is a spot for a classic pub lunch.
Queen Anne-inspired interiors
The revival has brought one of The Alex’s defining features back to life above the beer garden. The hotel has reconstructed its sweeping 26-metre rear balcony in consultation with Blue Mountains City Council, using original materials and design elements to restore it to heritage specification.
The balcony stretches across the hotel’s façade, overlooking the gardens and valley below, and restores a defining feature of The Alex’s Queen Anne-inspired architecture.
The original hotel was designed with a distinctly grand vision, including 22 bedrooms, electric service bells, hot-water bathrooms and a striking kauri-pine staircase. Local architect F.C. Goyder also helped shape its Edwardian-era character.
For Group General Manager Mitchell Ward, preserving that history was a key part of the project. “When we took over The Alex, it was clear the building needed significant work to restore it to its former glory.
Preserving pubs like this is incredibly important to us—they’re part of the history of the communities they belong to, and we want future generations to be able to enjoy them in the same way generations before them have,” he said.
The new family-friendly side of The Alex
The hotel has added a new playground to its grounds, giving kids a place to burn off energy while parents settle in for lunch or a drink.
It sits alongside the renewed heritage-listed gardens and leafy terrace beer garden, where visitors can take in broad Blue Mountains views. A large cherry blossom tree provides another seasonal highlight, turning vibrant pink each spring.
The Blue Mountains provide a spectacular backdrop, with valley views, passing trains, crisp mountain air and sunsets all adding to the experience. From the restored balcony, guests can take it all in from above the gardens.
Inside, it’s still a pub at heart
The interiors have had a refresh, too, with new carpet, fresh paint and updated furnishings across the Front Bar and Redfern Bistro. The changes give the spaces a more polished feel without stripping away the warmth of the original hotel. Come winter, the Front Bar’s roaring fireplace adds to the old-school pub atmosphere.
Food-wise, The Alex is sticking to the sort of generous, familiar dishes that suit a country pub, with a seasonal menu built around local produce. Steak, schnitzel and parmigiana sit alongside seasonal salads and wood-fired pizzas.
You can eat in the bistro, grab a table in the beer garden or head upstairs to take in the mountain outlook from the restored balcony.
The hotel also puts visitors within easy reach of Leura’s village streets, boutique shops and cafés, as well as the bush walks and dramatic landscapes of the Blue Mountains.
After more than 120 years, The Alex has a fresh chapter ahead of it. The heritage details remain, the mountain views are still front and centre, and now there’s a playground for the next generation of Leura visitors.
The Alexandra Hotel is located at 62 Great Western Highway, Leura NSW 2780. The hotel sits right next to Leura Station.
