It was designed by John Kirkpatrick and Bosser in 1882; and by Edward Hewlett Hogben with Goyder Brothers in 1911–13; and built from 1882 to 1913 by F. Drewett in 1882; and by Howie, Brown and Moffit in 1912–13.

It was built in 1883 by Harry George Rowell, a large hotel owner from Sydney, and was owned by a series of prominent families over the next century.

The original land grant of 20 hectares (50 acres) was made to James Henry Neal on 10 October 1877 under the provisions of the Volunteer Force Regulation Act 1867.

In the late 1870s he migrated to Sydney with his wife Frances and their children and became the owner of the Oxford Hotel in King Street which was a large Victorian establishment (since demolished).

[11] Many famous people visited the hotel including the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Elizabeth the Queen Mother).

In 1896, by now known as Joynton Smith, he laid the foundation of his fortune when he leased, the run-down Imperial Arcade Hotel, renamed the Arcadia, between Pitt and Castlereagh streets and turned it into a good residential establishment.

He loved motor cars and owned many including a Pierce Arrow, Bentley, Cadillac, Rolls-Royce and Lasalle, and invested in a company selling them.

[13][3] During the later years of the 20th century elements such as the pergola, trellis and some garden beds were removed and the swimming pool (since filled in) were added to the upper terrace.

The introduction of public bus shelters on Katoomba Street in front of the early 20th century stone wall of the Carrington Hotel obscured and detracted from traditional views to the place.

Inside the hotel, the art nouveau windows to the enclosed verandah have been replicated and the black and white tiled bathrooms - many with original fittings - restored.

[16][3] In 2002 a master plan for a new town square was approved and implemented, partly imposing inside the Carrington's lower garden and involving its redesign, relocation of the intrusive bus shelters, ramps, paving and widespread replanting.

[3] In 2004 Leach's interest was purchased by Michael Brischetto and Mark Jarvis, who announced ambitious new plans for a backpackers' hostel, a large number of bedrooms, new retail facilities and a drive-through bottle shop in the former power house.

[15][3] The Carrington Hotel is sited on top of a small rise above and adjoining the main shopping street and railway station of Katoomba.

The hotel's northern main entrance is landscaped with sweeping drives from Katoomba Street to the portico or colonnade of its front doors, terraced gardens and mature trees including two Bunya pines (Araucaria bidwillii) on the southern upper slope, silver birch (Betula pendula) and Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara) on the upper northern slope.

[3] The Billiard Room and adjoining double lounge area are robustly detailed, with arched brick fireplaces and stained glass windows.

They also reflect the history of Katoomba and the work of a succession of notable families, and the lifestyle of the Blue Mountains as a recreation area during its period of greatest activity.

[21][3] The garden and grounds of the Carrington Hotel have high historic, aesthetic, social and technical importance as an integral component - the essential visual and functional setting - of a rare example of a grand late 19th-early 20th century resort hotel of State significance in a town setting, with an early 20th century garden layout containing important surviving elements of its design that is largely intact in its extent.

[3] The location of the Carrington at virtually the highest point in Katoomba and the sweeping approach, drives and lawns and prominent mature plantings have made the hotel an important landmark in the town from the time it was built.

The building of this and other large hotels and guest houses acted as a catalyst for the development of the town, which expanded considerably during the 1890s and appointed a municipality in 1899.

The hotel has been closely associated with the continuing history of Katoomba and the whole of the Blue Mountains area, from the time it was built until the present day.

In its various stages of development it constitutes a physical record of the history of the area, in particular the growth and decline of the Blue Mountains as a fashionable tourist resort.

[25][3] The front garden and grounds of the Carrington Hotel are of high significance as essential and integral components of the site, which as a whole is of importance in the cultural history of NSW for its links with key social and historical events and themes.

[3] The significance of the site is considerably enhanced by the extent to which its early layout, features, fabric and relationships have been retained (albeit in somewhat poor condition).

The extensive documentary records of the garden area also attest to its past importance and renown while also providing an essential reference point for conservation.

Architecturally, the outstanding features include the Italianate balcony at the front, the richly decorated dining hall, and the impressive Art Nouveau glazing, notably in the enclosed verandah and cocktail dome.

Surviving elements from the interwar years - including structures such as the gazebos and stone seat, provide evidence of the later uses of the garden which reinforce, rather than obscure the original character.

[3] Within the context of early resort hotels throughout the state, the grounds of Carrington remain, despite their dilapidated condition, a good representative example of grand gardens designed as an integral component of these sites / places to provide both a decorative setting for buildings and the recreational areas / facilities for patrons.

[25][3] The Carrington Hotel has importance on a local level for its association with the career of prominent landscape gardener Paul Sorenson as the first place he worked in the Blue Mountains and NSW.

Their size, layout and remnant character are appreciated for the provision of green space and evidence of a grander, more gracious and important role for the hotel - and the town as a whole - in the past.

The front garden / grounds of the Carrington Hotel have considerable potential to provide information on earlier uses, layout and features of the site including key elements such as terracing, paths, croquet lawn and tennis courts, road and kerb detailing, gates and fences.