The Best Hotels to Book in Tasmania

The Conservatory is where you’ll find us munching on Tasmanian shortbread at the Florance. This light-filled space welcomes all guests who want to hear about the best-kept secrets in Launceston from your hosts. Mull it over as you lay under bespoke headboards or meander through City Park until you decide on a destination. Inspiration will strike in either place – you’re staying in the heart of Launceston’s art precinct, after all.

When only a circa-1874 sandstone mansion will do when choosing hotels in Tasmania, Lenna of Hobart delivers. Only the harbour view rooms can rival the mountain view suites, putting you in the difficult decision to choose which beautiful face of Hobart you wake up to. Regardless, the waterfront and Salamanca Place are mere steps away from your luxurious room. Spend a few moments in the Chandelier Lounge sipping Tasmanian wine and you’ll get a sense of the grand parties that once graced these elegant spaces.

Anyone who appreciates afternoon tea and landscape art will find a cosy home in Hadley’s Orient Hotel. Ornate red carpets, gold curtains and striped wallpaper add just as much refinement to the room as the leather and dark wood furnishings. Your eyes will find more detail scour with the range of rotating exhibits and award-winning paintings at the Howard Hadley Gallery. You may want to grab a pair of reading glasses for the wine list, though – choosing between the reds, whites and roses requires more than a passing glance.

Spend all day embracing the serenity of Wild Rivers National Park and step into just as tranquil a space at Franklin Manor. The window seat in your Manor Room is such a lovely place to curl up with a book or to simply stare out at the gardens without a care in the world. The only temptation that’ll tear you away is the spa bath – though, you’ll have no trouble continuing your reverie there.

Immerse yourself in Launceston’s arts and culture scene at Art Hotel. Nearly every space is adorned with at least one unique work of art and you’re welcome to purchase a piece to take home with you from the gallery. More galleries and museums are right outside the hotel’s door, putting you within a brushstroke of Launceston’s Queen Victoria Museum and Gallery – and more. With so much inspiration, you may find yourself sketching a few ideas out on your suite’s granite-topped desk.

Spend your holiday by the harbour at Hotel Grand Chancellor as this harbourfront hotel has plenty of room to kick back and put your feet up. When you’re ready to lace up your walking shoes, head down to the breakfast buffet for Tassie favourites like Huon Valley mushrooms, Westhaven yoghurts and Tasmanian salmon. Fill up and fuel up for a walk or bike ride around the waterfront – the Mount Wellington Walks will take you around Queens Domain hill with amazing river views.

See everything Launceston has to offer from the Areca. The city sits right outside your king room with Harvest Market and Design Tasmania only footsteps away. A slightly longer walk 3km (1.8mi) west will lead you along the river through Royal Park, rewarding you with views of the stunning Cataract Gorge Reserve. Searching for a scene that provides more of a rush? It’s game on at York Park, right across the river.

Launceston will feel at your fingertips when you stay at Balmoral on York – the tallest building in the city. From your city-view room, you can plot the day’s itinerary: chai and feisty egg butty at Sweetbrew, reading in Prince’s Square and a matinee at Theatre North. The hotel bar serves until seven, an ideal place to sip a beer and let your bartender point you to Launceton’s late-night hangouts.