WHAT was once an old bank in Mittagong now serves a very different purpose.
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The Old Bank Boutique Hotel recently opened after a seven year restoration project.
The Victorian-Romanesque-styled property was built in Mittagong in 1892 as a branch of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney with the bank manager and his family living upstairs.
The building ended its life as a bank in the 1970s and fell into disrepair.
In 2009, local heritage lovers Warwick and Barbara Wainberg, purchased the property - then a dilapidated pigeon coop.
The pair began the immaculate and painstaking restoration project to return the stately building to its former glory on Mittagong’s main street.
The new-look Old Bank includes many features from the original building including tessellated tiles and double swing, cedar doors in the grand front porch, three log fires, leather chesterfield sofas in the cosy library and lounge, a fountain-festooned courtyard, polished cedar staircase and ornate cornices.
The hotel offers luxury heritage accommodation and a window into a bygone era.
There are many interesting features in the Old Bank Boutique Hotel.
The wine cellar is located in the original bank vault and sealed by a one-tonne door cast in London in 1852.
A much-loved giant teddy bear called Matilda is ensconced in a favourite chair in the library.
Walls throughout the hotel are adorned with dozens of historic photos capturing life in the Southern Highlands over a century ago while pennies and h’pennies found during the restoration have been framed for viewing.
Original stables and a convict-built coach house behind the Old Bank are also being restored as heritage accommodation and should be open in early 2017.
The Old Bank also caters for weddings, business events and private functions.
Local wines and ciders are available from the cellar.
To mark the opening of The Old Bank, guests can stay three consecutive nights until December 1, 2016, and pay for just two.
Contact The Old Bank Boutique Hotel in Mittagong (83 Main St) on 4872 4496, 0419 982 191 or visit www.oldbankhotel.com.au to book a room.