Blue Mountain Hotel: Pub named among best in Queensland

Two Toowoomba region pubs both coming off the back of major renovations have taken home top honours at state hotel awards. Take a peek inside their transformations.

Blue Mountain Hotel function manager Tracey Gillam and venue manager Andy Hinton toast the completion of stage one of the renovations at the historic hotel in 2022. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A well-known pub with a new look has been named one of the best hotel bars in the state.

Harlaxton’s Blue Mountain Hotel won big at the Queensland Hotels Associations State Awards for Excellence on Monday night, taking home the best regional hotel bar.

It wasn’t the only Toowoomba region winner from the awards, with the Grand Old Crow Hotel in Crows Nest winning best hotel or pub style accommodation.

Down in the Lockyer Valley, Homage at Spicers Hidden Vale won the best regional restaurant.

Exchange Hotel Kilcoy took home the regional hotel of the year.

The renovated Blue Mountain Hotel in Toowoomba. Picture: Nev Madsen.

QHA President Richard Deery said pubs were part of the social fabric of Queensland.

“Our industry and its hardworking people have never been more appreciated by the communities we serve, and we all should be proud of that – my congratulations to all finalists, particularly the winners.”

The first stage of Blue Mountain Hotel’s $4.5m renovation was completed back in 2022.

“We’ve restored all the heritage (elements) at the front and the new sports bar is where the old bottle shop was, which was the first in Toowoomba,” manager Andrew Hinton said at the time.

“It (looks) fantastic, I love the fact that we’ve made it modern but we’ve tried to keep the history.

“It’s a Great Gatsby style bar in a way, the finishings are still modern but they’ve got a vintage style.”

The hotel is owned by national hospitality company ALH Group.

The Grand Old Crow Hotel recently finished renovations on its upstairs accommodation.

The renovated Blue Mountain Hotel in Toowoomba. Picture: Nev Madsen.