Hobart’s best places to stay

From pavilions at an art gallery to art-filled hotel corridors, Hobart has made an art form of accommodation in recent years. Historic hotels and contemporary pads, or often splashes of both in the one place, provide a variety of choice at a range of budgets.

MACq 01

MACq 01 Hotel has a prime view of Hobart's harbour.

Perfect for: Waterfront life, lovers of stories, history buffs.
Waterfront roosts are rare in Hobart, but being dockside is only part of MACq 01’s appeal. Stays come with a side serve of stories, as each of the 114 rooms are named after and connected to a Tasmanian of note, and storytellers lead a trio of tale-based guest tours. Premium suites get the loftiest views with their balconies etched into the roof, and the food and drink offerings include a restaurant from one of Tasmania’s top wineries and a whisky bar framed around a remarkable fossil collection.
From $420 a night. 18 Hunter Street, Hobart. Phone [phone] macq01.com.au

Islington Hotel

The Islington is one of Hobart’s finest old properties.

Perfect for: Romantic breaks, art lovers, mountain views.

Mona might get all of Hobart’s artistic attention, but one of the city’s best art collections is dotted around the halls and walls of the elegant Islington. One of the finest old homes in Hobart’s dress circle, the 1847 Regency mansion contains 11 guest rooms and walls graced with works from the likes of Matisse, Whiteley and Hockney, though the views of kunanyi/Mount Wellington and the sun-drenched glass conservatory might outdo it all.
From $480 a night. 321 Davey Street, Hobart. Phone [phone]. islingtonhotel.com

Mona Pavilions

Mona is a highlight of visiting Hobart, so why not stay there?Credit: Tourism Tasmania & Brett Boardman

Perfect for: Art lovers, splurging couples, river views.
Racked along the bank of the River Derwent, Mona’s eight luxury suites sport the names of an Australian artist or architect, with a signature artwork from Mona’s collection to match in the Brett (Whiteley), Arthur (Boyd), Sidney (Nolan) and Charles (Blackman) pavilions. Tall windows fill the pavilions with light and river views, and each design is as creative as you’d expect from Mona’s minds. Best of all, the famous subterranean gallery is just steps away.
From $800 a night. 655 Main Road, Berriedale. Phone [phone]. mona.net.au/stay/mona-pavilions

Moss Hotel

Old-world Hobart meets new-world charm at Moss.

Perfect for: Market shoppers, nature lovers, loved-up weekends.
This rolling stone – two former warehouses variously turned brothels, bars and nightclubs – has regathered as Moss. Poised above the Saturday market action, its 41 rooms are sprinkled across two hand-cut, convict-constructed sandstone warehouses in Salamanca Place. Rooms in No.25 are set deep within the building, guaranteeing a peaceful stay (enhanced by the three-level living wall of plants from kunanyi/Mount Wellington), while those at No.39 inhabit one of Hobart’s prime corners.
From $220 a night. 25 & 39 Salamanca Place, Hobart. Phone [phone]. mosshotel.com.au

Henry Jones Art Hotel

Art takes centre stage at the Henry Jones Art Hotel.

Perfect for: Art lovers, city slickers, gourmet stays.
A 19th-century waterfront jam factory that at one time grew into Australia’s largest company is these days the setting for the country’s first dedicated art hotel. Factory remnants remain through the structure, and there are more than 400 works from Tasmanian artists displayed through the rooms and corridors, most of which are available for sale. Take the hotel’s art and history tour, or settle in at the IXL Long Bar, or the excellent Peacock and Jones and Landscape restaurants.
From $290 a night. 25 Hunter Street, Hobart. Phone [phone]. thehenryjones.com

Alabama Hotel

Perfect for: Flashpackers, city life, the cool crowd.
Hanging out over the unsuspecting city on the Alabama’s first-floor balcony, you could almost forget you’re at a budget hotel. Splashed with murals and colour, the ‘Bam’ is as cool as it is central – the Elizabeth Street Mall is just 50 metres away. Sure, you have to share a bathroom, but this is Hobart’s most retro-chic space, from the record-player cabinet in the comfy communal lounge/bar to the cash register that dates back to the building’s days as a 19th-century pub.
From $115 a night. 72 Liverpool Street, Hobart. Phone [phone]. alabamahobart.com.au

The Rox

Perfect for: City slickers, architectural admiration, gastronomic room service.
A slim and sleek building above a city car showroom is the setting for the old-turned-new Rox. Its four self-contained apartments are a mix of modern and heritage development, with the raw-brick Alexander and Elizabeth apartments embracing the building’s 140-year history, while the Rox apartment and the penthouse are bright and contemporary in style. Order room service and it comes delivered from one of Hobart’s top wine bars, Institut Polaire, or pop downstairs to Omotenashi, a tiny, curious restaurant tucked inside the Lexus showroom.
From $350 a night. 160-162 Elizabeth Street, Hobart. Phone [phone]. theroxhobart.com

The Tasman

The Tasman offers fabulous views.

Perfect for: City and water views, couples, fine diners.
Bold enough to launch in the middle of a pandemic, the five-star, 152-room Tasman commands space in the impressive heritage redevelopment of Hobart’s Parliament Square. Contemporary architecture blends with original Georgian and art deco structures to create a time-travel journey across three repurposed buildings, with accommodation ranging from elegant heritage rooms to sun-drenched modern suites. Evenings should take you no further than the Tasman’s fine Peppina Italian restaurant and the adjoining Mary Mary cocktail bar, secreted away inside the sandstone walls of a 19th-century hospital.
From $380 a night. 12 Murray Street, Hobart. Phone [phone]. marriott.com

Lumière Lodge

The owners were inspired by a vision of “Old Hobart” when renovating the property.Credit: Marnie Hawson

Perfect for: Splurging families, groups of friends, home comforts.
Come home each night of your Hobart stay to a wood fire, whisky and local cheese in a one-time National Trust-listed house on the city centre’s edge. Built in the 1890s, the beautifully styled three-bedroom weatherboard home underwent a five-year renovation before opening as Lumière Lodge, and retains touches such as the stained-glass window over the clawfoot bathtub, oil paintings, traditional English kitchen and antique windows. The West Hobart location is quiet and removed, but just 15 minutes’ walk from the centre of town.
From $700 a night. The Lumière does not publicly list its address. Contact via lumierelodge.com

Crowne Plaza

The Crowne Plaza Hobart is tall enough to give every room a view.

Perfect for: City centrality, business travellers, mountain views.
Plonked atop the city arcades, the 235-room Crowne Plaza tops out at Hobart’s first rooftop bar (Aura) and rises tall enough to give every room a view – although the mountain views deliver more than the water views. Room design is simple, but each time you enter, the room curtains automatically part from the floor-to-ceiling windows, reminding you why you’re here. Dine at Aura or the fourth-level Core restaurant and bar, or head almost anywhere because nowhere is far from here.
From $260 a night. 110 Liverpool Street, Hobart. Phone [phone]. ihg.com

Hadley’s Orient Hotel

Time stops, in a good way, at Hadley’s.

Perfect for: Traditionalists, brushes with history, city location.
Firmly rooted in Victorian times, from the room furnishings to the afternoon teas on the chequered tiles of the atrium, convict-built Hadley’s exudes a long and fascinating life. The first royal to visit Tasmania stayed here in 1862, as did Roald Amundsen when he telegraphed the world of his pioneering South Pole success in 1912. Time stops, in good ways, among its 71 rooms and the cane chairs of the Orient Bar.
From $205 a night. 34 Murray Street, Hobart. Phone [phone]. hadleyshotel.com.au

The Corinda Collection

Perfect for: History buffs, gardeners, city views.
This elevated Glebe mansion, built by one-time Hobart mayor Alfred Crisp, is now in the hotelling hands of Crisp’s great-great-grandson. It’s a charming, personal hotel, with a puzzle of rooms – six heritage-style rooms inside the mansion, two ultra-modern pavilions beyond and three original cottages. Each room is distinct and different (the loo with a view in the verandah room is a winner) but the prize feature is the one-acre formal garden – one of the finest in Hobart.
From $300 a night. 3C Aberdeen Street, Glebe. Phone [phone]. corinda.com.au