Advertisement
Home Travel Accommodation

Hobart hotels: a luxury guide to the city’s best five-star accommodation

From boutique hideaways to all-frills Hobart hotels, this mainlanders’ dreamscape needs an equally fanciful base.
islington hotel hobartIslington Hotel

In a poll of deputy editors of the country’s top food and travel magazine (sample size: one) Hobart was recently named Australia’s best destination for a weekend away in 2025. It’s also the most popular destination in Tasmania for Australian travellers, with two million visitors staying an average of four nights in 2024, according to data from Tourism Research Australia. As well as representing around two-thirds of all domestic stays in the state, these numbers hint at the quality of Hobart hotels and accommodation, not to mention everything else this southern state’s capital has to offer.

Advertisement

Hobart’s restaurant scene is popping off (Restaurant Maria, Fici, Institut Polaire); the surrounding wine country is accessible and world-class (Stefano Lubiana, Pooley). There’s culture (MONA) and more culture nearby (Tongola Cheese and Bream Creek dairy). And for those who want to stretch their legs, hiking is plentiful and the city itself is infinitely walkable.

But this mainlanders’ dreamscape needs an equally fanciful base. So we’ve rounded up the best luxury Hobart accommodation, from boutique hideaways to all-frills Hobart hotels, based on features including location, amenities and extras. We’ve also factored in previous Gourmet Traveller profiles, reviews and awards.

A lounge area at the Moss Hotel, Hobart.

01

Moss Hotel

Best for: hitting the city in style

Industrial chic comes to Salamanca Place. This new-wave hotel is spun from two heritage warehouses built by 19th-century convicts and whipped into boutique accommodation by Circa Morris Nun Architects.

Original ceiling beams, exposed sandstone walls and aged timber abound. So too do luxe touches like the pillow menu, rain shower and Grown Alchemist amenities while bespoke textiles come in all shade of forest green, inspired by the surrounding Tassie wilderness. There’s no in-house restaurant to entice guests to stay in. Instead, think of Moss Hotel as a premium base camp from which to eat and drink your way around Hobart.

Reasons to stay:

  • Street-priced mini bar
  • Parking available
  • Open fireplace to relax by
The MACq 10 Hotel in Hobart has stunning views, including this one from a Superior Hunter room.

02

 MACq 01

Best for: accommodation with views and a top Hobart location

 Storytelling in Hobart takes the form of a timber-clad luxury waterfront hotel, anchored beside the Derwent on Macquarie Wharf. At MACq 01, aspects of Tasmania’s history and culture unfurls across two bars, one restaurant and 114 rooms. The hotel isn’t just by the waterfront but suspended over it, which is best observed from the roof terraces for the top-tier Premium Waterfront Suites.

It’s also previously won a Gourmet Traveller Hotel of the Year Award (2018) and is on our list of the best luxury hotels in Tasmania.

Reasons to stay:

  • Waterfront location within strolling distance of Brooke Street Pier the CBD and Salamanca Markets
  • Elegant al a carte breakfast available at Old Wharf Restaurant
  • The Henry Jones Art Hotel is next door with two more bars and another restaurant
Advertisement
The Deluxe Spa Room, Harbour View, at the Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart.

03

The Henry Jones Art Hotel

Best for: an artsy escape

In Hobart’s oldest waterfront warehouse, Sir Henry Jone’s 19th-century sandstone IXL Jam factory, raw industrial textures frame over 500 pieces of original Tasmanian art. This riveting boutique hotel is the sibling and neighbour to MACq 01 and shares a similar slice of the active harbour (as well as a spot on our curated list of the best hotels in Tasmania).

Each of the 52 rooms and four suites are unique thanks to the original artworks that set the tone. Many have harbour views; others look out to Kunanyi/Mount Wellington.

Reasons to stay:

  • Live jazz in The IXL Long Bar
  • Dining amongst oil painting at Landscape Restaurant & Grill (or in-room)
  • Top-tier rooms have deep, overflowing spa baths
A room with a view at the boutique Islington Hotel, Hobart.

04

Islington Hotel

Best for: romance in the heart of Hobart

Deeper in the city, where tourism gives way to locals living their best cool-climate lives, this adults-only affair has just 11 guest rooms. When life calls for a country retreat within a city of discoveries, guests can unwind in this former stately home, curling up fireside in the conservatory, dining on head chef Anthony Illingworth’s seasonal menu at Islington Kitchen or enjoying local wines, spirits and more at the bar.

Our Gourmet Traveller review sums it up as: “A hotel for travellers looking for unique rather than universal, the Islington is all about unwinding, whether fireside in the conservatory or in rooms that range from the subtle modernism of garden suites to the attic room’s historic charms.”

Reasons to stay:

  • Member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World
  • With just 11 rooms, you can book out the whole place for special events
  • An indulgent breakfast with house-made bread and pastries baked daily
The Robin guest room at the Mona Pavilions accommodation in Hobart.

05

Mona Pavilions

Best for: cultural immersion

Along the Derwent River in Berriedale, MONA is a world of its own; a playground of art, dining, a winery and architecture plucked from the mind of billionaire benefactor, David Walsh. Those who want to fully immerse in the Museum of Old and New Art and its sideshow acts should book into one of eight Mona Pavilions. These freestanding dens are stuffed with Moorilla wine, intriguing books and works from the museum’s broader collection. They also come with access to the shared gym, sauna and heated infinity pool. Donning a big fluffy robe is mandatory for getting into the MONA frame of mind.

“This is a real art hotel, not designed to please all comers but a place that will deeply delight many and stimulate more still,” the Gourmet Traveller Mona Pavilions review stated in 2018 – and, like the art gallery it’s linked to, it’s likely the case today.

Reasons to stay:

  • Priority access to MONA
  • Complimentary wine tastings at Moorilla Winery for guests
  • Made-to-order breakfast at The Source
The indoor heated pool has scenic views at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart.

06

Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart

Best for: being amongst the action

This four-star haven ticks all the boxes amidst Hobart’s bars, bakeries and restaurants. There are 244 rooms, a heated indoor pool and harbour views on one side (stay on the city side for a bargain if you don’t plan to spend much time in the room).

The hotel’s in-house Tasman Restaurant also showcases the finest Tasmanian produce and cool-climate wines, with views across the harbour. The vibe is family friendly, with twin rooms and connecting rooms available if travelling with children.

Reasons to stay:

  • Prime location meets value
  • Twin rooms and connecting rooms available
  • An impressive buffet breakfast showcasing local suppliers
Advertisement
A waterfront view at the Movenpick Hotel in Hobart.

07

Mövenpick Hotel

Best for: families

In the heart of the CBD just off Elizabeth Street, Mövenpick Hotel has the best of Hobart at its doorstep. Rooms are brights and upbeat in charcoal and sunny yellow with pillow menus and Yuni bathroom amenities upping the luxury factor. Family rooms are available too but the real draw for children is hinted at in the name: kids under 12 get free ice cream throughout their stay.

Reasons to stay:

  • Daily Chocolate Hour with free chocolate treats in the lobby from 3.30pm to 4.30pm daily
  • Onsite Italian Restaurant and Bar, Tesoro
  • Valet parking available

How many days do you need in Hobart?

If you plan on staying in the city area, three to four days is enough time to take in the culturally significant sights, sample some of the fine food and wine and explore the many corners of this city. With more time, you could take day trips further afield to wineries and distilleries, the Port Arthur historic site or soak up the natural wonders of the Tasman Peninsula, Bruny Island and the Tasman National Park, to name just a few.

Is two days in Hobart enough?

Hobart’s impressive foodie scene, nearby wineries, art, culture and history will definitely leave you wanting more. So if you can, it’s better to make it a long weekend as two days in Hobart is not enough to see and do everything. But if two days is all you’ve got, staying in a centrally-located Hobart hotel could give you a taste of the highlights in this spectacular southern city.

Is Hobart walkable?

Central Hobart is walkable, although there are some hilly areas (particularly between the waterfront and city centre), as well as some different surfaces in the more historic parts of the city. But to give you an idea of distances, five of the Hobart hotels on our list are within 1km of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (in the heart of the city). The Islington Hotel is around 2.5km away, while the Mona Pavilions (and MONA) are further out at around 11-12km from the city centre.

Advertisement

Related stories


Advertisement
Advertisement