Top 10% of guest reviews in this areaTop 10% of guest reviews in this area
Highlights
Cook, dine, and unwind
Top-rated for its fully equipped kitchen, perfect for every meal.
Laundry made easy
One of the few properties with an in-unit washing machine and dryer.
Discover nearby landmarks
Walk to Leura Mall
4 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 9
Popular amenities
Balcony or patio
Toys
Barbecue
Air-conditioning
Washer/dryer
Refrigerator
Explore the area
Leura, NSW
Everglades Historic House & Gardens
Place, Everglades Historic House & Gardens
10 min walk
Leura Mall
Place, Leura Mall
12 min walk
Leura Golf Club
Place, Leura Golf Club
1 min drive
Western Sydney Intl. Airport (WSI)
Airport, Western Sydney Intl. Airport (WSI)
62 min drive
Rooms & beds
4 bedrooms (sleeps 9)
Bedroom 1
1 King Bed
Bedroom 2
1 King Bed and 1 Single Bed
Bedroom 3
1 Queen Bed
Bedroom 4
2 Single Beds
3 bathrooms
Ensuite Bathroom (upstairs)
Toilet · Shower only
Main Bathroom
Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only
Rear Bathroom
Bathtub · Toilet
Spaces
Deck or patio
Kitchen
Balcony
Garden
Dining area
About this property
Umtala House | Artful and Luxurious Spacious Home
*AS FEATURED IN ORIGIN MAGAZINE**
Umtala House has been lovingly restored and transformed into a peaceful, character filled, luxurious home set amongst beautiful gardens.
Relax on the sunny deck with a book, enjoy a glass of wine by the fireplace or cook in the well equipped kitchen while kids play in the cubby house of my childhood dreams.
A short 10 minute stroll to Leura mall and Everglades Gardens around the corner.
If you have instagram, you can follow our journey at @umtalahouse.
Features include central heating, a fully-equipped modern kitchen, flat-screen TV including fetch and Netflix, washing machine and dryer. Doonas, sheets and towels are supplied along with electric blankets during the colder months.
Two generous living spaces with large, comfortable sofas, vintage furniture, art works and lighting, all personally sourced from every corner of the globe. One living room features an open wood burning fire with firewood supplied.
Brand new fully equipped Kitchen includes Nespresso (original) coffee machine (with starter coffee pods provided), Ilve oven, fridge & dishwasher. Dining table seats 9. A selection of looseleaf teas provided. BBQ available for use on the deck.
3 bathrooms including bath towels & Olieve and Ella hand & body wash. One ensuite bathroom upstairs off the master bedroom.
All four bedrooms are elegantly decorated with luxurious sheets, down duvets, electric blankets and treasured objects. The downstairs king bed can also be set up as two singles upon request.
The upstairs master suite features a balcony with local vistas and mountain vistas during autumn and winter.
A selection of board games provided - Scrabble, Settlers of Catan, Sequence, Splendor and puzzles.
Central Heating throughout and Air-conditioning in the upstairs master bedroom. The rest of the house stays lovely and cool in summer.
Laundry Facilities
Children Welcome
3 Bathrooms with walk-in shower – one bath
Large deck including BBQ
Off street parking
All linen provided
House Rules: No Smoking on any part of the property
No Pets
No parties and events
Excessive noise is not tolerated in the neighbourhood. It is a residential area so we ask that you be respectful during your stay.
No more than 9 occupants in the house. Additional guests will not be approved during your stay.
We ask that children eat food either at the kitchen table or outside and not in the lounge rooms. We want the lovely sofas to remain that way for everyone to enjoy on their stays.
We ask that you respect the property during your stay and on your departure by removing garbage, hanging towels and face washers, cleaning the BBQ, emptying water out of the coffee machine, returning furniture etc to its place, placing board games into their correct covers and removing all your belongings. Excess cleaning & garbage charges may otherwise apply.
Getting Around: Umtala house is within walking distance to Leura train station.
We are conveniently located near the Blue Mountains Hop On Hop Off Explorer Bus.
For public bus transport we are near the 685 (Katoomba to North Wentworth Falls Loop), 695 (Katoomba to South Leura Loop) and 690K (Katoomba to Springwood) routes.
For public bus and train transport visit the Transport NSW website of the TripView App. For the public bus and train transport you will need an Opal Card. If you don’t have an Opal Card you can purchase an Opal Single Ticket from the driver or ticket machine at the train station, however, it is most likely cheaper if you have an Opal Card.
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Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room
About the area
Leura
Located in Leura, this holiday home is in the mountains. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Blue Mountains National Park and Silver Mist Reserve, while Keith Rowe Gallery and Mount Victoria Railway Museum are cultural highlights. Travelling with kids? Consider Everglades Historic House & Gardens and Labyrinth.
Everglades Historic House & Gardens - 10 min walk - 0.9 km
Leura Mall - 12 min walk - 1.1 km
Leura Golf Club - 1 min drive - 1.2 km
Labyrinth - 3 min drive - 2.0 km
Sublime Point Lookout - 5 min drive - 3.9 km
Getting around
Leura Station - 15 min walk
Western Sydney Intl. Airport (WSI) - 61 min drive
Restaurants
The Conservation Hut - 5 min drive
Lily's Pad Cafe - 10 min walk
Sparrows - 14 min walk
Freudian Sip - 10 min walk
One Orient - 3 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Umtala House | Artful and Luxurious Spacious Home pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much does it cost to stay at Umtala House | Artful and Luxurious Spacious Home?
As of 3 Oct 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Umtala House | Artful and Luxurious Spacious Home on 13 Oct 2026 start from AU$2,353, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Umtala House | Artful and Luxurious Spacious Home?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Umtala House | Artful and Luxurious Spacious Home?
Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Umtala House | Artful and Luxurious Spacious Home?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Umtala House | Artful and Luxurious Spacious Home located?
This family-friendly Leura holiday home is located in the mountains, within a 15-minute walk of Everglades Historic House & Gardens and Leura Mall. Labyrinth and Leura Cascades are also within 2 miles (3 km). Leura Station is 15 minutes by foot.
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Spent a fabulous long weekend in Leura with our kids and partners. The house was warm, cosy and beautifully decorated. And it has the perfect lawn for a spot of Finska. Had a moment of confusion when I couldn’t find the cutlery, but that was the only (very slight) negative of our stay
Gorgeous home, super-comfortable, warm and cosy against the winter chill. Equipped with everything we could need in the kitchen, games to play in the sitting room, and a pretty garden, this house was the perfect base for our family stay in Leura.
We stayed for 2 nights, the house very well appointed. Josie's style makes for a very welcoming and comfortable house. The house was very clean and the kitchen was well stocked with utensils etc. We really enjoyed our stay. Thank you.
The house is decorated beautifully, perfect to relax in on a misty mountain Saturday. We appreciated the stocked kitchen with ample equipment to cook & prepare our meals. Beds were deliciously warm & comfy. Our fav place was in front of the fire chatting & flicking through the arty coffee table books. We looooved our stay.
Umtala exceeded our expectations. All our needs were anticipated and we were very comfortable through hot days and cold. The backyard is a beautiful place to picnic, with the added bonus of herbs and rhubarb. Have already booked a return visit!
We had an extended family group with 5 adults and 3 kids. It’s just perfect. Beautifully decorated. A cubby and toy chest to keep the kids occupied. Separate lounges meant we weren’t on top of each other, the big communal kitchen/dining was a great place to come together. 20 min walk or 5 min drive to leura shops. This is our third stay here - says it all!
The house is stunning - beautifully appointed and well cared for. It was a wonderful place for the family christmas and Josie was a brilliant host. The only small criticism was that the property is not as close to the mall as the description suggested. That said, we would certainly rent this property again and can't recommend it highly enough
Response from VrboOwner on 9 Aug 2020
Thanks Kate for your lovely review. We have updated the walking distance as per google maps. Thanks for the feedback.
We went for our anniversary and my husband's 65th. Couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate with the fam. We loved Umtala house and how it's been transformed by the current owners with artworks and decor. Mabel the 4 year old loved the cubby house and we played games in the backyard. It really felt like being in a home for the weekend rather than a generic holiday house. The styling is second to none but the bathroom was voted favourite room! The adult kids took over the cooking and served up slow cooked lamb ragu in the cost kitchen. Highly recommend *****
Five school friends (for 65years) returned today from spending the week at Umtala on our annual reunion holiday. We enjoyed every minute of our stay. The beautifully restored house (from 1917) met all our needs. Umtala has a lovely mountain feel and very cosy atmosphere. We loved the front room where in the evening we enjoyed a glass of wine by the wood burning fire place. The kitchen/family room is where we spent the most time around the table enjoying each others company chatting, laughing, playing board games and cards and of course enjoying the meals we prepared in the modern and amazingly well equipped kitchen. Each bedroom was elegantly decorated and the beds, linen and doonas made for a good night’s sleep. With the central heating wherever you were in the house you were comfortably warm. Everything was spotlessly clean on arrival. So we can highly recommend Umtala.
A girls weekend away with lifelong friends. Host Josie was very responsive to all my pre-arrival questions. The house was amazing, very well equipped, clean, super comfortable and beautifully styled. Having 3 bathrooms was a plus too. There were multiple living areas and we got to enjoy all of them. Our 3 night stay saw us stay in 2 nights and out to dinner at Mr Collins in Leura Village (beautiful food) on the other night. A Woolworths Home Shop on arrival saw us waste no time in the supermarket, highly recommend if you are organised in advance. A few of the girls went horse riding & others went to the Day Spa at the Fairmont Resort. Mornings were spent walking around the wonderful walking trails the Mountains has to offer. We had a fabulous afternoon at Fashion Boutique Zoe Clare where owner Jen took us through a styling session giving us some welcome advice on what clothes work for our varying body shapes. It was so much fun. We walked the Leura Village Shops multiple times over the course of the weekend picking up some lovely fashion items along the way. Sunday afternoon took us to the Hydro Majestic Hotel in Medlow Bath where we we participated in a history tour of the hotel (90 mins). Ryan our tour guide was very knowledgeable and shared with us some amazing history on the hotel and its origins. After the tour we spent some time enjoying a few Cocktails in the Saloon Bar. Overall an awesome weekend away, we were so glad we got to enjoy it at Umtala House.
This accommodation is superb! We had the best family, (grand parents, daughters and spouses, and three young grandchildren), weekend ever! It is beautifully set out and really well equipped. It was spotlessly clean. All the bathroom toiletries were of the highest standard, the beds were extremely comfortable and the kitchen would please the most discerning chef. We'll be back for sure
The property was ideal for our 3 generations of 6 adults and 3 children.The location was perfect -a walk to Everglades Gardens and Leura Mall and short drive to Scenic Railway. The house provided for all our needs-warmth including an open fire, a kitchen well equipped for cooking up a storm, a sunny balcony and a playhouse for the kids, great beds and bathrooms.
Lovely stay in Leura. House is beautiful, clean, well equipped with attention paid to provide high quality fittings and equipment and nice and warm in winter!
What a pleasure! This is one of the best houses and locations we have stayed at. Perfect for a gathering of family and friends. Josie's prowess as an interior designer shines. She wants her guests to have a 5 star experience and we did just that!
Stunning property (as pictured) with plenty of space and all the comforts of home (but much more stylish). We (four mums) spent the weekend hiking (Wentworth Pass and Ruined Castle) and exploring the beautiful shops and restaurants of Leura. We had a wonderful time thanks to the generosity of our host, Josie, who also went above and beyond to help with the changing travel restrictions of Covid-19. Highly recommend.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021
About the host
Hosted by Josie Simpson
I love to travel and prior to having children I worked and travelled overseas extensively. After two little additions to the family we started to travel much closer to our home in Sydney and that's when we discovered the Blue Mountains and fell in love with it.
By day (and often by night too!), I am an interior designer and by night and weekends I love to get out and enjoy the great outdoors with friends and family.
Why they chose this property
I have dreamed of owning a holiday house from a child and all the things I would do to make it great for guests. My husband and I had been looking for a house in the Blue Mountains for a while and when this house was listed online I new immediately it was my kind of house. Crumbling and decrepit but the faded glory still evident. An opportunity to modernise whilst keeping the charm of the house with a large established garden.
Languages:
English
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests