Five star style: the best luxury hotels in Hobart

Tasmania has changed. No longer the wallflower of old, it’s a vibrant, charismatic state and in many ways now the life of the party – brimming with stories to share, spirits to savour, and a landscape worth discovering by any means necessary.

Whether visited in the warmer months or the ‘Off Season’ from May to August, when the mercury drops and an added layer of clothing (sometimes three) is required, it’s a destination in which you could easily spend weeks or even months without seeing it all.

Raise a glass on the deck at MACq O1's Old Wharf.

Hobart is as good a place as any to start your Tassie adventure, with almost everything you want to see only a few hours ‘up the road’ – and there are some rather fine hotels to base yourself in too.

The Tasman Hobart, A Luxury Collection

Elegant, luxurious, outstanding. These are just a few of the words past guests have used to describe The Tasman – a luxury escape blending three Georgian, Art Deco and 21st century architecture to dramatic effect.

A Marriott Bonvoy hotel, The Tasman’s 152 rooms are spacious, bright and impeccably well-appointed. Rather than following a cookie-cutter approach though, each takes design cues from the part of the building in which it resides.

Although picking favourite rooms is tough, we’d say the St. David's Park Suite in the Georgian building, and the Aurora Suite with its 108 sqm rooftop terrace, are the stars of the show. 

Mary Mary is an intimate bar with an extensive spirit library.

When hunger calls, guests can take their taste buds to Italy by way of Peppina Italian, enjoy casual eats at Deco Lounge, or sidle up to the bar at the speakeasy-style Mary Mary.

MACq 01

Occupying pride of place on the waterfront, MACq 01 is all about storytelling, with each of its 114 rooms and suites recounting tales of Tasmanians past and present, from local Indigenous people to explorers and city heroes.

Settle into a Superior Waterfront Suite.

The hotel takes its name from the original Macquarie 1 shipping shed which once stood on its site, though that maritime moniker is as rustic as it gets, with rooms and halls adorned in modern furnishing, clean lines and plenty of personality.

Reception at MACq 01 Hobart.

There’s also fabulous food at Old Wharf restaurant and The Story Bar, plus spirits and cocktails at Evolve Bar – home to 600 tipples of local and global origin, alongside a menagerie of fossils guaranteed to start conversations.

Old Wharf is open seven days for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For guests wanting to dive deeper into the city’s past, MACq 01 offers free storytelling tours of the hotel, alongside local area explorations of the surrounding heritage precinct.

Henry Jones Art Hotel

Next door to MACq 01, Henry Jones Art Hotel is a delightful contrast. As its name suggests, it celebrates art in its many forms, with the lobby, rooms and hallways a showcase for emerging and established Tasmanian artists.

It's almost like staying an art gallery.

Housed within Hobart’s oldest warehouses, all beautifully restored, is an eclectic mix of rooms and suites, many of which look out to the trawlers moored at Constitution Dock.

The hotel looks right at home in its historic surrounds.

Guests are invited to roam the halls and peruse the artworks at leisure, as well as engage with an artist in residence or even join a tour with the hotel’s art curator.

There’s also Palawa Connection: a fortnightly Indingeous-led tour by lutruwita artist Allan Mansell, which takes guests on a journey through Tasmanian history and First Nations culture through the lens of Mansell’s stories and works. 

A Deluxe Spa Harbour View Room at Henry Jones Art Hotel.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a five star hotel without great bars and dining. Among them, Landscape Restaurant & Grill, where dishes are cooked over a wood-fired asado grill, and the cosy IXL Long Bar, which pairs sips with small bites and live tunes.

Though not on the same level as those above, honourable mentions go to The Islington – an adults only hotel featuring 11 eclectic rooms in a stately manor dating from 1847...

The Islington is hugged by gardens, which change its ambience with the seasons.

... and the architectural dens at Mona Pavilions, where access to the namesake Mona (Museum of Old and New Art) is included in the stay. 

Walter Pavilion is the embodiment of Mona's architectural prowess.

Looking for other glam getaways beyond the big cities? Here are some of Australia’s best regional hotels, island resorts and luxury lodges.