Black Gold, the family-owned Wallerawang property home to The Crib Room, has been named in Tripadvisor’s 2026 Travellers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Hotels, ranking in the top 1% of hotels worldwide, #4 in Australia and #5 in the South Pacific.
It is a remarkable rise for the regional property. In 2025, it ranked #14 in Australia and #21 in the South Pacific — meaning Black Gold has climbed 10 places nationally in just 12 months, now sitting alongside some of the best-known names in the country.
The Best of the Best tier is the highest honour in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice program. Unlike awards decided by judges or industry panels, it is based entirely on the quality and volume of genuine guest reviews — in this case, ratings posted by travellers across the 2025 calendar year.
The recognition caps a journey that began in 1995, when the family transformed the beautifully restored 1881 Wallerawang School into what is today an accommodation, dining and events destination two hours west of Sydney. Alongside the motel sits The Crib Room, Tripadvisor’s #1-rated restaurant in the Blue Mountains for five consecutive years.
Beyond accommodation and dining, the property is also home to The Barton Centre, a state-of-the-art conference and events facility that has made Black Gold a destination for corporate off-sites, conferences and team days. Pairing modern audiovisual technology and flexible event spaces with the same warmth and attention to detail that earned the property its Tripadvisor honours, it offers businesses a polished regional alternative to city venues — just an easy drive past the Blue Mountains.
“To go from #14 to #4 in Australia in a single year is something our whole team should feel proud of. This award isn’t decided by a panel — it comes directly from the guests who’ve stayed and dined with us and taken the time to share their experience. From an old school in Wallerawang to one of the best hotels in the country, it’s been quite a journey, and it belongs to our team and the community that backs us.” — Brad Cluff, General Manager, Black Gold
Set in the Seven Valleys region, Black Gold serves as a base for some of regional NSW’s most spectacular attractions, including the Glow Worm Tunnel, Zig Zag Railway, Lost City and Capertee Valley.
