The historic Cardrona Hotel has been serving up its unique style of hospitality since 1863 and today its award-winning restaurant and charming boutique accommodation continues the legacy.

Functions manager Dean Burgess says visitors travelling through the Cardrona Valley are intrigued by the old hotel’s façade which is much photographed.

“It’s a country pub in a special location, full of character and love. Our fires are always burning both inside and out and the beautiful beer garden is a great spot to relax whatever the season. Our attention to detail ensures personal customer service is all part of the experience. The hotel has a feel-good factor that guests love and the relaxed environment, our excellent staff, variety of food menus and superb accommodation allows all types of visiting parties to connect with us.”

A popular spot for group functions, weddings and special occasions the Cardrona Hotel offers different packages to accommodate a variety of events.

“Our great strength is our flexibility,” says Dean. “The hotel and function menus we offer satisfy all types of requests which allows us to service small or large parties and make every occasion memorable. Whether it’s drinks and canapés or a sit-down meal we have a range of food and beverage packages to suit any event. This varies from canapes to burgers in the garden, a sit-down formal menu or shared family buffet. The high-quality food is sourced locally and presented excellently. And our wine list is pretty awesome too.”

“Each function enquiry we receive is treated individually. We like to sit down with customers and understand what they want to achieve and how we can deliver that – communication is key. The more understanding we have, the better the resulting party is.”

The hotel can cater for up to 250 guests for a cocktail-style function or up to 85 guests seated in the restaurant. With functions already booked well into 2024 Dean recommends making contact early to secure special dates.

“For people planning to bring a group to also stay at the hotel there are fun activities to do in the Cardrona Valley. This includes Cardrona Tours offering exceptional horse trekking and quad biking trips, the Cardrona Distillery for tours, food and cocktails and Cardrona Alpine Resort for karting and mountain biking in the summer and snow sports in the winter. We also have our own gift shop housed in the Old School House that displays and sells works by local artists along with our own line of Cardrona Hotel merchandise.”