The fireplace room
A white timber mantel over a cobalt blue tiled hearth, a pair of wicker chairs pulled up beside it, and a deep navy carpet underfoot. The sort of room you come back to at four in the afternoon rather than wait until bedtime.
Glen Innes, New England high country
The bank on Grey Streetis a guesthouse now.
Three rooms in a Victorian former bank, right in the middle of town. Open fires, a staircase worth slowing down for, and a cooked breakfast that most of our guests mention before anything else.
4.8 from 62 Google reviewsA short walk to the Australian Standing Stones
The building
It was built to look permanent, and it still does
Cream walls, navy quoins, sage green trim and cast iron lace across the balconies. It sits on the corner of Grey Street in the heart of the Glen Innes heritage strip, which is exactly where a bank would have wanted to be, and it turns out to be exactly where a guesthouse wants to be too.
Inside, a good deal of it is untouched. The staircase is the original, dark with a century of hands on the rail, and it is the first thing most guests photograph. Tall sash windows, timber floors, high ceilings, fireplaces in the rooms.
What has changed is the plumbing. All three guest rooms now have an en suite or their own bathroom, and the newest one is white metro tile, black tapware and a patterned floor that would not have looked out of place when the building went up.
3
guest rooms
4.8
from 62 reviews
2 min
to the main street
The rooms
Three rooms, each with its own character
They are not identical boxes with different numbers on the door. Two look out over the street, one sits quietly at the back, and each has an en suite or its own bathroom.
The blue room
Pale blue walls, a black iron bedstead, white linen and a paisley throw. Two bedside lamps, so nobody has to read by the ceiling light. Quiet at the back of the floor.
The street room
A solid timber bed, a paisley quilt and a tall sash window that looks straight down Grey Street. Warm lamplight in the evening and the main street going about its business below.
In every room
The things that actually matter at 10pm
Glen Innes sits high enough that it gets genuinely cold, so the beds have electric blankets and the rooms have heating. Beyond that it is the small stuff: somewhere to make a cup of tea, decent towels, and a signal that reaches the whole house.
- Electric blankets and proper linen
- Complimentary WiFi throughout
- Kitchenware, glassware and a microwave
- Board games, a games room and an arcade room
The newest of the bathrooms, finished recently.
Breakfast
Phil cooks it, and it is the thing people write about
Go through the reviews and the same thing comes up over and over, usually in the first line or two. Eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, juice, made fresh that morning and served at the big oval table in the dining room.
In winter the fire is going while you eat. Deb Meehan put it best: a wet and cold day in July, and a lovely chat by the fire with her host.
“Breakfast was a delight and freshly cooked, and big enough to satiate most morning appetites.”
The dining room, where breakfast is served.
Room to spread out
You get the run of the house, not just a bedroom
A bank this size has more rooms than three people need, so the sitting rooms, the library and the kitchen are all yours to use.
The library
Shelves of books, board games and records, a white fireplace and cane armchairs. This is the upstairs sitting room guests keep writing about.
The balcony room
Full height doors onto the iron lace balcony, looking across at the heritage facades on the other side of Grey Street. Best seat in the building on a still evening.
The red room
A red velvet chaise longue, a Persian rug on dark boards, and a full size red telephone box being used as a display cabinet. Eclectic is the word guests reach for, and they mean it kindly.
“It’s a wonderful, eclectic little place, in the middle of town.”
What guests say
4.8 out of 5, from 62 reviews
Every word below was written by a guest on Google. Nothing has been tidied up.
“Enjoyed our overnight stay immensely. Phil was a great host and the historic building was perfect accommodation. Special mention to the lovely cozy upstairs sitting room with lush carpet and views over the Glenn Innes streetscape. Outstanding breakfast was served.”
Lisa-Jane Stockwell
July 2026
“We stayed here earlier in the year, and it was so good that we just went back for the second time. It's a wonderful, eclectic little place, in the middle of town. Phil, the host is great and he cooks up an awesome breakfast.”
Michael McKeown
August 2026
“Incredible service!! Owner is very friendly and will have a good yarn. He also made us breakfast! Definitely would recommend.”
AJ kitch
Earlier this year
“I had an awesome stay at The Bank and stayed in the room on the lower floor, which I recommend as it is spacious, has it's own lounge area with TV and fireplace, and a good sized bedroom with an en-suite bathroom. The bed was comfy too. Breakfast was a delight and freshly cooked, and big enough to satiate most morning appetites.”
Paul C
Last year
“We enjoyed a lovely stay. We were spoiled to have the top floor to ourselves, they are usually quite busy. Fantastic spot looking over the town centre with history And comfort. Breakfast was delicious and we enjoyed a lovely chat by the fire with our host. It was a wet and cold night and day in July, I was actually very warm in bed because of the Luscious bedding.”
Deb Meehan
July 2024
Where you are
In the middle of Glen Innes, not out on the highway
You can park the car and leave it. The pubs, the bakeries and the shops on Grey Street are all within a couple of minutes on foot, and the Australian Standing Stones are a short walk from the front door.
The Australian Standing Stones
Glen Innes’ best known landmark, a Celtic stone circle on the hill above town. About fifteen minutes on foot from the front gate.
High country weather
We are up on the New England tablelands, so the nights get cold and the fires get lit. The beds have electric blankets for a reason.
Ask Phil
Guests keep saying the same thing: he is worth quizzing about the area. Where to eat, what is worth the drive, what is on while you are here.
Around the house
A look through the rest of it
Get in touch
Ring Phil, or send him a note
There are only three rooms, so it is worth getting in early if you have a date in mind. A phone call is usually quickest, and Phil will tell you straight away whether the room you want is free.
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