Stillwater Seven, Launceston
Standards are high at this classy converted mill.
A small questionnaire arrives in a pre-visit email. Nothing too onerous but a hint at the above-and-beyond approach at Launceston’s newest hotel. Gin or whisky? White, red, bubbles or a cleansing ale? Milk preferences for coffee? Genre of music? Magazines? Everything tailored just for you. There are only seven suites here at Stillwater Seven so staff can afford to dial up the service and let the rooms and location do the rest.
Many visitors to Launceston in Tasmania’s north will recognise this converted riverside mill near the mouth of Cataract Gorge with its distinctive concrete silos and downstairs restaurant, a consistently excellent fixture for the past 19 years. The vast upstairs space, once home to an art gallery and then providore, was recently gutted, turning Ritchie’s Mill into a food and accommodation destination in the prettiest part of the city.
Co-owner Kim Seagram is a Canadian who came here for love in the early ’90s and then, with the force of a roaring forties gale, set about promoting the state’s food and wine scene at a time when forestry was on the wane and tourism and island produce was gaining ground. She likes to say she serves Tasmania on a plate in her restaurants, Stillwater and Black Cow in the CBD, and there’s certainly no escaping the influence of her adopted home in the moody, sexy rooms.
The mill has been here for almost 200 years, a source of flour and water for one of our oldest cities. The roof was damaged by fire on Christmas Eve in 1943 and by the 1970s had fallen into disrepair. In the hallway to my room a thick oregon beam still bears charcoal from the fire. And in my room (they’re all subtly different), soaring ceilings draw the eye to scarred timber beams crisscrossing the space alongside old steel pipes and gadgetry.
The look is industrial-luxe, hard and soft: grey walls that reference the concrete silos and corrugated iron exterior; soft grey velvet bedhead; plush grey patterned carpet; a dash of dusty pink and olive green on the bed; tendrils of potted plants dangling here and there. A skylight welcomes the autumn sun and a small window frames the river like a John Glover painting.
From the table and chair beside it I watch the sun go down, black swans and boats bobbing in the foreground, mountains lighting up behind.
Opening the door to the bathroom elicits an “oh wow” moment: red tiled walls the hue of the state’s famed pinot noir, a deep tub, separate shower and toilet. Lighting options set the mood for a hurried tidy up (hairdryer and hair straightener are in the drawer) or a long soak. Lest you forget you’re in Tasmania the bathroom products are from local olive grove Lentara, using oil pepped up with cedarwood, mountain pepper and fennel.
In the bedroom a large, sleek blackwood cabinet with carved doors requires closer inspection. A masterpiece by local designer Simon Ancher, this would be my dream dressing table but here it’s the pantry and drinks cabinet because Kim wanted “something beautiful to showcase Tasmanian produce.” All local drops: wines, whisky, gin and vodka are here, alongside cheeses, preserved meats and snacks for a platter.
The service is unobtrusive but thoughtful. A welcome tipple at check in; a freshly baked sourdough loaf with proper butter arrives mid-afternoon. Before dinner some popcorn, macaroons and a bucket with huge globes of ice appear, an essential pairing with the state’s famous whisky. The smart TV is loaded with Netflix and I have fun sampling the hotel’s Spotify playlists. A pile of Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan’s books sit on the bedside table, newspapers and magazines on the ottoman. A tablet compendium tells me the history of this place and is loaded with lots of helpful tourist info. If I get sick of my room a small guest lounge has snacks and fruit and an honour bar.
I head down to Stillwater restaurant, which has a larger bar overlooking the river, a top spot to see out the last light of the day. The restaurant is busy with tourists and locals and as much as I love the food here, it’s the easy service that always leaves an impression. Young staff, assured, capable, friendly but not intrusive – it can be so hard to get this balance right. I’ve been coming here for years with my non-journalist hat on and it’s always the same. So I’m not really surprised to report that the accommodation is an extension of this. Pure class.
• Perfect for: Gourmet travellers.
• Must do: Walk the riverside path to Seaport’s bars and restaurants or the nature trails in Cataract Gorge.
• Dining: Stillwater Restaurant is a Tasmanian institution. Come here for local produce:Cape Grim beef, Flinders Island lamb, Huon salmon caviar, local blacklip abalone. The wine list is extensive. A hearty à la carte breakfast can be delivered to your room or taken in the restaurant.
• Getting there: It’s located on the edge of the city, about 15 minutes from Launceston airport.
• Bottom line: From $315 per night.
stillwater.com.au/seven
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