The former Cooper’s Grand Hotel is one of the ‘big three’ hotels in town, along with the Imperial and the Victoria and Albert Guesthouse. The Cooper’s Grand prior to its use as a hotel was a summer retreat for none other than John Fairfax, founder of the Sydney Morning Herald.

During the 1800s, the Blue Mountains became a popular summer retreat for Sydney's upper class. Summer heat, combined with overcrowding and lack of proper sewerage, made the city a very unpleasant place. The odour, which blew over to the upper class areas of the town, was widely believed to carry diseases such as cholera, typhoid and smallpox.

The wealthy John Fairfax, well-known newspaper proprietor and founder of the Sydney Morning Herald, bought land in Mount Victoria in 1876 to enjoy the fresh air as he suffered from bronchitis. He built a single-storey country retreat known as ‘The Manor House’ overlooking the town and facing the railway station. Sadly, he died in 1877 not long after the house was completed.

After a few unsuccessful years as a guesthouse and then a private boarding school, George Hubbard Cooper bought the property in 1887, and after obtaining a liquor licence, he re-opened the building as a guest house, soon changing the name to the ‘Grand Hotel’ in 1891, which became known as the ‘Cooper’s Grand Hotel’. Around 1890 Cooper constructed another two-storey building next to the original house as well as adding an unusual observation tower, and in 1900 added the second storey on the original building (the south wing).  He also built a private golf course within the grounds and established a coach line for guests visiting Jenolan Caves. After Cooper’s death the property remained in the family’s ownership until the 1960s.

“by the additions and improvements mr g. h. cooper has made to the grand hotel …he has shown his enterprise and his unbounded faith in the future of Mount Victoria.”

The Mountaineer, January 30, 1903

The land surrounding the hotel has gradually been sold off over time by various owners, and some lots were developed for houses. As with many heritage properties, the hotel has lost some of its important setting and grounds with the encroachment of new housing. The property is currently operating as a hotel, restaurant and social enterprise.