Stillwater Seven is the complete package
Stillwater Seven in Launceston is all about you – from the warmest of welcomes to the relaxing ambience and sumptuous surrounds, the high levels of personal service can be seen and felt everywhere. A LOOK INSIDE >>
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ON ARRIVAL at Launceston’s Stillwater Seven the high level of personal service hits you the moment you walk in the door.
When we get there co-owner and hotel manager Chris McNally is waiting ready to greet us with the warmest of welcomes. Chris has a huge smile on his face, clasps my hands with both of his and even gets my name right which given the amount of times people get my name wrong on a daily basis, is a huge tick in my book.
He then arranges for our bags to be taken up and personally guides us to our room upstairs in the converted 1830s flour mill on the banks of the Tamar River.
We are then taken up a couple of small flights of stairs and ushered into our room and thanks to the pre-arrival questionnaire Chris has ensured everything is tailored exactly to our liking.
Our favourite music is playing, the room is toasty and warm, a bottle of Tassie’s finest Clover Hill bubbles is cooling in an ice bucket on the table overlooking the river and a selection of our favourite alcoholic drinks and magazines are thoughtfully on hand for indulging in and perusing later.
We are immediately impressed with the high-quality furnishings the room is decked out with and the clever layout that incorporates the old workings of the original flour mill. By keeping features such as the old wheel which would have been once used to turn grain into flour at the vortex of the ceiling, as well as the exposed thick Oregon beams, and industrial features such as the old pipes and corrugated iron, you are given a reminder of the building’s origins.
The mix of old-world charm and modern, funky furnishings add to that feeling you really are staying somewhere special. The fine linen, soft mood lighting and the extra little touches such as the locally produced warm Waverley Woollen Mills blanket, that has been draped on the bed in case we need an extra layer all help you feel as though you’re cocooned in complete luxury.
The ensuite with its beautiful, round, illuminated mirror, freestanding bath and separate shower and toilet complete with handy night-light and locally sourced toiletries also adds to the decadent experience.
Even the bedside table is thoughtfully stacked with books by some of my favourite Tasmanian authors such as Heather Rose and Robbie Arnott. Not quite sure how they knew this would be good choices for me but it was appreciated.
The other thing I notice is the beautifully designed mini-bar, well to be fair it’s more like a mini-pantry. Designed by local craftsman Simon Ancher, the bespoke wooden pantry also includes a bar fridge and is laden with some of the best fresh produce going around from Bay of Fires cheeses, Elly’s florentines and caramelised popcorn to locally cured salamis and fresh olives as well as some cleansing ales for my husband and everything I need to make my favourite drink _ a G&T.
What we also notice about our room, No. 5 on the top floor in the centre of the building, is how generous it is. The big comfy custom-made king-sized bed doesn’t take up the whole room, the elevated ceilings and large size of the room make you feel as though you can comfortably eat a meal in there and given room service is also on offer I imagine that’s an extra indulgence many guests would happily partake in.
The other thing that struck me about our room was how blissfully quiet it was considering there is a busy, bustling restaurant directly downstairs. The quiet sanctuary of our room almost made us feel as though we were the only ones staying in the building.
We both agree this is one of the most luxurious and nicest places we’ve stayed at in Tasmania.
And even though we are able to pop down to the Stillwater restaurant below our room for breakfast, lunch or dinner and have no real reason to leave the property, there’s more for us to experience further afield.
We are here for a special weekend of indulgent escapes the Stillwater owners and partners Clover Hill Wines, Launceston Distillery and Sanctum Medical have recently launched called ‘Me Time’ and ‘He Time’.
The first dining experience on our schedule is dinner at Stillwater’s sister restaurant Black Cow Bistro which is a short 10-minute stroll into the city from our accommodation.
We arrive and are greeted, seated quickly and immediately order from Craig Will’s seasonal menu. The restaurant specialises in free-range, premium dry-aged, hormone-free beef steaks and doesn’t disappoint both in terms of the exceptional service and quality food.
We start with the baked half-shell scallops which are cooked in parsley, garlic and panko butter and are a light and tasty way to start a mouth-wateringly good meal.
Next, I order an eye fillet of Cape Grim beef, the more delicate and leaner option on the steak menu with Café de Paris butter, and my husband chooses the more hearty Scotch fillet Cape Grim Beef with peppercorn demi-glaze. Both our steaks are cooked to perfection, are tender and full of flavour.
To finish my husband has the crème brulee which he says is one of the best he’s ever eaten and I choose the lemon tart with cultured cream, honeycomb and compressed citrus which I find equally divine.
The wait staff are friendly and informative and quick to attend to our every need and make the entire experience one that won’t be forgotten in a very long time.
After a great night’s sleep we wake to the serene and calming lapping waters of the Tamar River just outside our window and trot down for a light breakfast of porridge and toast. Larger, cooked breakfasts are on offer but after being so well fed by the Black Cow staff the night before we go for a lighter option.
Next we head out to Clover Hill Wines at Lebrina, about 40 minutes north-east of Launceston, for a late morning sparkling wine tasting experience.
The 66ha property, set on the site of an old dairy farm, positioned on sloping hills now covered in vines is stunning in itself. While the cellar door – a stylish rammed earth construction, the walls of which were made from the volcanic red soils of the Pipers River area, features comfy sofas, warm throws and glimpses of Bass Strait off in the distance – is an elegant space.
Once we’re inside, cellar door manager Ian White expertly guides us through a master class in the traditional method of making sparkling and shows us how their premium Tasmanian cuvees and roses are made. There’s a fair bit more to it than I imagined and as Ian patiently explains the process we try and add just enough dosage (that’s exactly eight drops of liqueur) in a pipette to the base wine to replicate as close as possible the refined, famed bubbles that are produced by the Clover Hill house. I fail dismally and much prefer the fine glass of wine, complete with its “brioche and toasty notes and creamy mazipanni flavours and textural characteristics”, Ian has created earlier.
He also explains the process of making the wine from the growing, hand picking, pressing, fermenting, two years spent on lees, the riddling (that’s the process of turning the bottles every a few weeks) and then the dosage process which all up takes several years and gives you some insight into the care and precision it takes to make the world-class vintages.
We finish the session with a generous cheese platter of blue and soft cheeses, onion jam and a couple of warm arancini balls atop a coffee crumb.
The platter and experience is capped off for me with and a beautiful Sparkling Twist, also known as a Negroni cocktail, featuring, Campari, some of the fine non-vintage Clover Hill Cuvee and the Japanese liqueur Umeshu.
We vow to come back when we have more time for a longer lunch.
Once we’ve finished at Clover Hill we make our way back to Launceston and head out towards the airport, at Western Junction, for a tour of the Launceston Whisky Distillery which is housed in one of the state’s oldest aviation buildings, the former Ansett Air Freight terminal, in Hangar 17.
There we meet the friendly and passionate head distiller Chris Condon who shows us around the tasting and reception room, explaining he and the other four directors are proud to have been able to repurpose the building from a disused, run-down home for birds to a fully working distillery.
Condon says the beauty of having the hangar space in which to house their distillery is that visitors can get a great appreciation of the entire whisky making process from grain to bottle. He explains, at other bigger distilleries where the equipment is stored in different buildings you can get lost along the way and can’t see the whole picture. He says with their set up their equipment is almost in a line so they can walk visitors through the process from start to finish.
Chris explains their handcrafted small-batch single-malt whisky which has taken about 13 years to perfect is made from the same grain used to make Boags’ Premium beer, the pure, clean waters of the South Esk River, yeast and malted barley sourced from the Northern Midlands and Spreyton.
Once it is crafted it then spends two years in oak barrels which is what gives it its rich copper colouring. Chris explains the oak barrels help the whisky breathe and its flavours mature. He says 50 per cent of the flavours come from the barrel.
We then get to taste a drop or two of the quality spirits for ourselves and can fully appreciate what Chris means when he explains their whiskies are prised for their fragrant aromas, full and smooth flavours and pleasant lingering finish. I find them all the perfect drink to take the chill off a cold, wintry Northern day and the peated variety, with its smoky, tarry aroma and warm aftertaste, is easily my favourite. Even though I’m not much of a whisky drinker I can now appreciate what all the fuss is about and understand why Tasmania’s unique version of the spirit is gaining such an excellent reputation.
After a day of being wined and dined we make our way back to our river-front pad for a rest and a chance to recharge and make room for dinner, this time at the acclaimed Stillwater restaurant just down the stairs.
As soon as we enter the dining room we are immediately looked after by the attentive staff and given our respective drinks and haven’t long been seated when Chris pops a snack of rye blinis, Southern rock lobster, caviar and smoked macadamia nut cream in front of us to start us off.
Then comes the entrees, for me the steamed tiger prawn dumplings with ginger dressing are delicate and delicious, and I also steal a little of my husband’s white fish crudo, stracciatella and pickled fennel which is equally as good.
For mains I choose the market fish and my husband opts for the slow-cooked Clover Country lamb rump, with sides of heirloom carrots, roasted pumpkin wedges and steamed green beans elevated by cultured butter and miso powder, both of which live up to the high reputation for which the award-winning restaurant is renowned.
For dessert I order the Vacherin meringue, lemon curd, rhubarb and raspberry confit which looks like a mini work of art and almost a bit too good to eat. While my husband finishes off with the warm hazelnut and pear financier with cognac custard and truffled ice cream which he rates as one of the best desserts he’s ever tasted.
We then roll back upstairs to sleep off a memorable day of being completely spoilt.
The following weekend we are treated to one more decadent experience which is the final part of the Me Time, He Time package.
Originally, we were meant to have a facial at Sanctum Medical Aesthetics’ Launceston salon but they were booked out on the weekend of our visit, so we had to complete the final part of our package at the business’s Hobart headquarters.
We weren’t complaining as it simply prolonged what was an amazing weekend away.
The luxurious Sanctum facial which lasted over an hour was for me a completely relaxing and indulgent experience. I was treated by beauty therapist Sarah whose calming, lovely manner immediately put me at ease and allowed me to really enjoy the time which included being pampered with cleansing products, a hydrating mask and a warm healight (a gentle LED light therapy treatment). The arm and hand massage was a very pleasant bonus as well. I came out feeling refreshed and rejuvenated and my skin felt smooth and glowing – just what I needed after the harsh, drying effects of a Tassie winter. Even my husband, who would never normally choose to have a facial was surprisingly impressed and enjoyed the experience.
Overall Stillwater’s Me Time/He Time package was everything I expected from this beautiful boutique accommodation, associated restaurants, local partnerships and more. It would also make the perfect Father’s Day treat for any dad who would love a weekend away of pampering, relaxation and quality dining experiences.
If you’re after an escape from the daily grind which is indulgent and romantic at the same time, where you can sleep in, order breakfast in bed and completely relax, you can’t go past Stillwater Seven. I can totally understand why Chris says guests come back again and again. ●
The author was a guest of Stillwater Seven, Clover Hill, Sanctum Medical and the Launceston Distillery.
MAKE A NOTE
■ Stillwater Seven launched their ‘Me Time’ package in April this year ahead of Mother’s Day in partnership with Clover Hill and Sanctum Medical. The package includes two nights in one of Stillwater’s river-front suites, sparkling wine by Clover Hill (along with a sparkling wine masterclass at Clover Hill’s Cellar Door if you fancy); breakfast in bed, meals at Stillwater Restaurant and a spa treatment of choice at nearby Sanctum Medical.
■ Ahead of Father’s Day, Stillwater has introduced ‘He Time,’ which includes two-nights in one of their deluxe king suites, a facial at nearby Sanctum Medical (specifically tailored for men’s skin), a guided whisky tasting at Launceston Distillery plus one of their whisky three-packs.
Gift vouchers available upon request.
■ The packages inlcude two nights in a deluxe king suite, upgradeable to a premium suite STA
● A bottle of Clover Hill Sparkling in your room (Me Time) on arrival or a Launceston Distillery Whisky three-pack (He Time).
● A la carte breakfast each morning
● One three-course dinner as room service or in Stillwater Restaurant.
● One three-course lunch as room service or in Stillwater Restaurant.
● One $200 Sanctum Medical Spa Voucher, suggested treatments offered on booking, 5 minutes from Stillwater.
● Stillwater Seven Robe to take home.
● Choice of 2x 500ml Lentara Bath Products to take home.
■ Package prices start from $1750 for one guest; $2250 for two guests. Clover Hill Masterclass and cheese platter at Clover Hill Wines or a tour of Launceston Distillery, $120 per person.
For more information, visit stillwater.com.au
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