Madison Mountain Retreat has become our ‘bolt hole’; we are quickly approaching double figures having stayed there now nine times.

Why do we return? If you are busy and needing time to rest and relax this is the place to go. The primary reason we enjoy it so much is you are left alone to rest, but the friendly staff are on hand if you need them.

The accommodation is clean and very comfortable – particularly the beds which I can spend 10 hours a day in while I’m there. The kitchen equipment is basic, but you are provided with all you need to prepare family meals (though if you are going to cook, I’d recommend taking your own sharp knives). Mind you, why would you cook, when 10 minutes down the road is KRAVINGS, which provides some of the best cuisine in NSW, well worth a visit or three!

If you are feeling active, within the retreat there is a heated swimming pool & Spa, Tennis courts and a games area. Also there are some beautiful grounds to explore.

Best for us is that it is dog friendly [with sensible restrictions], so we can take the whole family with us.

So if you couple this with friendly staff, it is, for us, our little bit of paradise.

Martin & Barbara Newcastle, NSW

We recently visited Madison's Mountain Retreat during a visit to the Blue Mountains. Everyone we spoke with said we had to stay at Madison's so we checked it out.

We stayed in the Train Carriage so that the children would enjoy it the most, even though there was 5 of us (one was only 1 and had his own bed). It was certainly a different experience for all of us and the children had an amazing time and certainly want to go back.

The train carriage had wonderful amenities, the shower and toilet were large enough for us and the kitchen was exceptionally well appointed to self cater (not to mention the fantastic breakfast basket waiting for us). We were certainly glad for the airconditioning as it was very hot outside and it kept us lovely and cool inside.

As our children are 7 and 5 we gave them the main bed in the bedroom so that we could have some adult time in the lounge. We slept on the pullout sofa and the single bed (hubby is 6'4" so we had to use the two beds) the beds were all comfy but the sofa is as you would expect from a sofa, comfy for one person but a bit squeeky when you roll over - great for kids though.

It became a bit of a joke with us to have my husband be the 'spider killer' as there were quite a few but none we were worried about, just the girls hate anything that moves! There is a can of spray provided in the kitchen but it was nothing out of the ordinary for the location - you must remember you are essentially in the country, that is the beauty of Madison's.

The grounds were so lush and green it was wonderful, and lots of space for the kids to just be kids. They absolutely loved the alpaca feeding, make sure you do this part as it really is the highlight of the whole place. The other amenities were all clean and the kids made good use of the pool.

Just look out for my 5yo's friend Mr Frog who scared the daylights out of her in the cubby house! In all fairness she did try to pick him up thinking he was a toy!

We had a wonderful time exploring Madison's Mountain Retreat, and the Blue Mountains area. The train was a lovely change from the norm.

We stayed at this retreat a while ago, but since they started advertising more widely we feel it is important to warn people that we found the train carriages to be totally unacceptable. We raised this when we left, but no concern was shown for our comment, and we were not in a position to argue at that stage. If these were a cheaper option I would say it was acceptable, but at that price one wants something that smells pleasant and is better appointed. The stink we had to endure was overwhelming and it was not a place one could confidently settle into, there were insects galore due to gaps, and it wasn't very clean. Train carriages are a lovely idea, and we've seen them done really well by people who convert them into living spaces. If someone has stayed in them more recently, maybe they could comment on the smell issue, but really the point is they should not be charging so much for it. Haven't stayed at the cabins yet, they may be better. Just steer clear of the costly carriages!

We thought the idea of staying in an old converted railway carriage would be be a unique experience for our daughter's birthday.
It was quite spacious and the main bed was comfy with nice pillows and quilt. The second bed in the living area was just OK, but with older bedding and lumpy pillows.
It was noisy when opening the carriage doors and it was very drafty with lots of gaps in the structure. Had to climb up on the bed to switch the lights on !!!!
The "indoor heated pool" - the main reason for staying there, was only solar heated, consequently it was freezing and very dirty. The floor covered in lots of debris. The spa was heated to such a degree that our feet turned bright red when we dipped them in. We couldn't use it. A major disappointment. The spa steps were loose and wobbly.
The best part for all of us was the feeding of the many alpacas and goats. This happens at 3pm. Two young backpackers, one from Ireland and one from Noumea were terrific. They carted us around to the various paddocks in the ute and we got to feed the animals.
We paid $200 per night and it certainly was NOT worth it. I would only stay here if desperate to stay in the area. The truly beautiful Mt Tomah Botanic Garden is 15 minutes drive away and well worth a trip in springtime.
PS Last minute accommodation web sites had the 'retreat" listed for just over $100.