Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge will open its doors in 2026, marking a fresh chapter for an Aussie icon.
When Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley indefinitely closed its doors in 2023, devoted guests – and those who’d long dreamed of visiting – were left uncertain of its future. But now, in a huge moment of reverence for NSW tourism, the luxury property is finally set to reopen.
Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge is set to revitalise regional tourism in NSW.
Officially partnering on the multimillion-dollar project, Marriott International and the Emirates Group will launch Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge later this year. The property will become the first Ritz-Carlton Lodge in the world, signalling a new era for global luxury travel and revitalising the region’s tourism landscape.
Reflecting the shared values of both brands, Ritz-Carlton Lodges will all be designed as purpose-built sanctuaries immersed in nature. Each retreat will be carefully crafted to mirror its surroundings, balancing minimal environmental impact with a heightened sense of luxury, comfort and craftsmanship for guests.
What is changing?
Upon opening, Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge will feature 40 elegantly appointed suites, each with its own private pool and bespoke amenities. Beyond the guesthouses, design plans also reveal an arrival lounge and sitting room, signature restaurant, bar, wine room and world-renowned The Ritz-Carlton Spa.
The luxurious retreat will feature 40 design-led lodges.
The lodge has been carefully crafted to mirror its environmental surrounds.
Guests can look forward to soothing treatments at The Ritz-Carlton Spa.
Outside, a swimming pool, fitness centre, tennis courts and equestrian stables promise to keep guests happy. As part of its commitment to conservation, the property is also slated to feature a dedicated naturalist hub. Helmed by a resident expert, it will allow guests to join a curated program of immersive eco-adventures.
A new signature sleep-out experience will also be introduced – a guided overnight journey complete with stargazing, outdoor dining and fireside camping. Additional expert-led experiences specific to the lodge and its surrounds are expected to be announced as the build continues.
Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge will hero local produce in its signature restaurant.
“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," says president of Marriott International Asia Pacific (excluding China), Rajeev Menon.
“Marking the brand’s lodge debut globally, Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge will be a major drawcard for our network of 260 million loyal Marriott Bonvoy members around the world, particularly with the upcoming plans in store for immersive experiences that connect them deeply to the local area – something our luxury travellers are increasingly prioritising."
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What is staying the same?
The Emirates Group has been consistent in its dedication to the property since it first opened as Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley back in 2009. Since then, the company has invested more than $150 million into its construction, maintenance and restoration, as well as the protection and conservation of its natural surrounds.
Emirates continued to maintain the site after its closure in 2023. (Image: Katie Carlin)
When multiple landslips led to the council closure of Wolgan Valley Road in 2023 – the only way to access the resort other than by air – Emirates stayed the course. With the support of a small team of local employees, it has quietly continued to maintain the site.
Emirates is currently investing a further $50 million into renovation efforts, working closely with Marriott to shape the property’s next chapter. Due to this tireless dedication, the lodge remains anchored in its original location – a 2832-hectare conservation reserve in the Greater Blue Mountains region. It will, however, occupy less than two per cent of this protected area.
Each private retreat is designed to frame the surrounding landscape.
This offers guests rare access to the landscape while carefully respecting the flora and fauna that call it home, from bare-nosed wombats to ancient Wollemi Pines. The metaphorical cherry on top? It could also reinstate up to 150 local jobs, providing a major economic boost to the community and expanding opportunities for regional suppliers and producers.
“We are proud of our long-term investment into the Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort. 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," says president of Emirates Airline, Sir Tim Clark.
The Emirates Group and Marriott International will open the lodge later this year.
“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."
Entrance to the resort is now by four-wheel drive via the Donkey Steps, a steep access route used by cattle drovers in the 1860s. While it is part of the resort’s new rural off-road experience, guests wanting to avoid the steep incline can opt to arrive by air instead.
Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge is set to open mid-2026. The new lodge will complement the brand’s existing presence in Australia, including The Ritz-Carlton, Perth and The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne. Watch this space.
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Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to check out places like Scotland and North America, her favourite place to explore will always be her homeland.
This winter, these secret Sydney harbour suites are the staycation we’ve been looking for.
Whether it’s the crisscrossing ferries or the white sails of the Opera House rising out of blue depths, Australia’s biggest city lives for its harbour. But while locals might glance at that watery expanse on their daily commute across the Bridge, it can still be hard to truly connect with Sydney’s maritime soul. The secret: seeing the harbour eye-to-eye, right at water level. And what better place to submerge yourself in that energy than sleeping there? That’s where Pier One Sydney Harbour comes in (and with new all-inclusive bed and breakfast benefits, there’s even more to love).
All-inclusive VIP benefits
Book in for the all-inclusive VIP treatment.
The hard truth is that it will be very difficult to tear yourself away from your ultra-luxurious harbour home-away-from-home to explore the city. If you want to make leaving even harder, opt for Pier One’s all-inclusive VIP treatment.
The Bed and Breakfast with Suite Benefits package turns up the volume on what is already the ultimate staycation, with complimentary valet parking, daily breakfast for two and turndown service. The biggest perk? Enjoy a bottle of French champagne every day during your whole stay
Pier One Sydney Harbour
Step into a piece of history with all the modern comforts. (Credit: Dave Wheeler)
The five-star Pier One Sydney Harbour is quite literally old Sydney through and through. Built on what was once a working cargo wharf and the passenger terminal for those heading to the North Shore before the bridge was constructed, the heritage building sits right between the tangle of cobblestones, pubs and alleyways of The Rocks and the historic docking zone of Walsh Bay – at the centre of the city’s old sea trade.
If knowing the hotel’s history isn’t enough to get your sea-longing going, the interior design certainly will. As soon as you step up to the concierge desk in the lobby of the restored building – which underwent a $15 million redevelopment in 2019 – you’re immersed in Sydney’s seafaring tale. Weathered wood panelling and white marble floors surround you, while loop lighting installations hover above the bar island just beyond, ringed with stools ready for intimate, martini-tinted conversations. Steel rivets and timber beams speak to its past, and glass-walled views anchor you firmly in the present-day life on the harbour.
Pier One Suites
Enjoy incredible views from your suite.
Across the 189 rooms and suites built on and over the water, the maritime theme continues. Sculptural aged brass fittings, exposed girders, colour schemes that evoke shifting currents, and mirrors that reflect ripples that – depending on your booking – sit just metres from your pillow.
United on theme yet unique in set-up, each room or suite is different. On the ground floor, dog-friendly rooms with direct access to the pier are all prepped for pampered pups, while others have views and even balconies overlooking Walsh Bay, the Bridge and the Harbour.
But the 19 suites step things up even more. Gaze out through floor-to-ceiling windows, or get even closer. Your private balcony is made for sipping a Nespresso coffee on as the sun comes up – or soaking in the bathtub of the Admiral Suite on the deck, a drink from the locally stocked mini bar in hand. This mini bar was recently completely transformed, so you have more Aussie favourites to choose from, including alcohol and snacks.
Dining at Pier One
Settle in for an afternoon of good drinks and views.
Once you’re checked in, start your afternoon with a spritz at PIER BAR – or arrive by boat via the private pontoon if the occasion calls for it – and settle into one of the cabanas. Weekdays bring Happy Hour (or ‘sunset hour’ at Pier One); weekends bring the DJs. After an even sweeter experience? The Everyday Creamery and Matcha Kiosk is slinging mango and vanilla soft serve – classic and those spiked with Midori and gin alike.
PIER Dining is an ode to contemporary Australian flavours across the terrace, pier and dining room. On its seafood-leaning menu are Sydney rock oysters from Merimbula, potato scallops with salmon roe and crème fraîche, chicken with melting sundried tomato butter, vodka rigatoni with Shark Bay prawns. And the ‘Pierlova’ – that’s pavlova with chocolate, dulce de leche and banana is worth saving room for. Make sure to ask for the wine list – it’s 100 per cent Australian drops.
Around town
Explore the neighbourhood during your stay. (Credit: Destination NSW)
If you’re strong enough to polish off just one last pastry from the breakfast buffet and walk out the door, we applaud you. Luna Park across the harbour beckons with its wide grin, while a glance upward might spur you to climb the Bridge’s famous iron arches. The Opera House – just across Circular Quay from the Museum of Contemporary Art – sings out for a concert.
You’ll want to book ahead for those hot-ticket performances at Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Dance Company, just a few minutes’ walk south of the hotel. Ten minutes further brings you to the waterfront bars, restaurants and clubs of Barangaroo, or the karaoke, gardens and dim sum of Chinatown further afield.
Keep the mellow of your weekend getaway going with a stop at Barangaroo Reserve, watching the yachts go by – all before returning for that Sydney sundowner at Pier One.
