Hobart - things to do and where to stay

[Daver6]

Daver6 please report back after your stay and let us know how it was ! We will also do dinner. Ron thinks we will also do dinner here =

The Story

Well we will have a very busy week of eating !

Will do. Dinner for us isn't until the second half of October.

 

[RooFlyer]

Been there mrs.dr. ron . Was pretty good, but the venue is a bit of a coughtail place for the trendy set; we went early one Friday evening and there was a huge after-work surge of people drinking strange coloured things, before the dedicated diners appeared. You can have a nice casual drink before dining and take in the view. A floor above, also at the end of the pier, is 'Aloft' - probably worth trying, too. A table at the end, with the view would be coveted in both places.

And yes, all the details pls Daver6; won't be able to get there before a trip away, returning mid Nov, so will now be able to go suitably armed!

 

[GDSman]

Reuben from Frogmore is a bit of a friend so I’m hoping to get in quite soon.....
Other good dining options to consider in my view:
Templo
Frank
MYU easy bites (deceptively good food in the burbs)
Me Wah - go a banquet

I live just off the North Hobart strip and there are lots of great informal options:

Roaring Grill - steaks
The Winston - US pub grub
Willing Brothers - wine bar snacks
Room for a Pony - great wood fired pizza
Born in Brunswick - fab brunch/lunch
All thai - Hobart’s best Thai
Etc.....

 

[Milboo]

I asked a local about Room for a Pony - and their response was 'you mean, Room for Improvement'!!

 

[GDSman]

Ha! I like that Milboo.... I wasn’t that fussed by ‘the Pony’ in its first year but its grown on me...it’s our current Friday night special for a couple of pizzas and a drink.

 

[Milboo]

However I loved Templo - other than when they advertised something as beef on the menu and it was in fact beef tongue...

Their kale, guanciale and chilli pizzette was divine though - and the gnocchi!

 

[Steady]

S

However I loved Templo - other than when they advertised something as beef on the menu and it was in fact beef tongue...!

So if beef tongue isn't beef - what is it?

 

[RooFlyer]

Speaking of Glass House (on the new-ish Brooke St pier, where the MONA ferry leaves from), I went to meet some-one there today - they nominated the place, and time, 2:30 pm. OK, he's having a long lunch, I thought; half his luck!

Nope - all business: he's the owner! Also owns the boutique Islington hotel.

Bad weather - but nice view from Glass House today:

 

[Daver6]

Speaking of the MONA ferry. Given we'll have a car, any reason to consider taking the ferry rather than just driving there?

 

[RooFlyer]

Remembering that there is a nice restaurant and a winery/tasting room at MONA, the ferry is a popular option.

The ferry is fun. Go for the 'posh pit' rather than riding on a sheep

Some good Tas things to buy in the ferry terminal as well, plus gin tasting ...

 

[RooFlyer]

Next Saturday (14th Oct), a major sculpture 'installation' is being installed in front of Macq 1 :Footsteps Towards Freedom by Irish sculptor Rowan Gillespie (he did the 'Famine' states in Dublin). President of Ireland in attendance.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

In the latest email from Luxury Escapes is this " Grand Opening: Tasmania’s Newest Glamping Lodge "

Be one of the first to experience luxury safari-style glamping right on the banks of Tasmania’s famous River Derwent. The brand-new Truffle Lodge seamlessly blends elegant, rustic design with the rugged Australian landscape, creating a spectacular outback experience less than an hours’ drive from Hobart and just 40 minutes from MONA. Spend two nights in a beautifully appointed luxury tent with daily breakfast, nightly dinners and half day off-road bike hire for two. Only $799 for two, valued up to $1,690.

Truffle Lodge - Gretna - Australia

I don't know how they will go in Tassie winters with canvas walls !!!!

 

[RooFlyer]

Looks solid enough . Fantastic location.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Gee, new places are popping up all over Tassie !! Here is another one I just saw an article on in the Brissy paper !

Welcome

Tasmania's most intimate retreat
It's hard to imagine this stunning lodge was left abandoned for years - except for a lone Tasmanian Devil.

Read more: http://www.traveller.com.au/#ixzz4unWfgdC0

 

[Daver6]

So its my last night in Hobart and I thought I'd post some pictures and thoughts on the various things we did here. The hotel first. Well post more over the next week or so too.

First up, Macq01. I'm a little undecided about this hotel. We stayed four nights in a superior Hunter room. First two nights cost $500 (both nights) and included breakfast. From the voucher website posted earlier in this thread. Other two nights booked through Qantas costing $400/night. Not exactly cheap. At check-in we enquired about upgrading to a harbour view room. Was told it would be an extra $150/night. We declined.

The good:

• location in Hobart is spot on. Near plenty of places to eat and things to do.
• Free valet parking.
• Rooms are a very good size. Not really sure what the difference is between a standard and superior room is though.
• Best bathrobes I've had in a hotel. MrsDaver6 says best hair dryer.
• The bar area is fantastic. Great views and just a pleasant place to spend some time.
• Plenty of place to sit in the room. I've been in suites that offer less.
• Bed and in general the room are really comfortable.
  
• In room bar options looked amazing

The not so good:

• Very pricey for what it is
• Hunter rooms face onto Hunter St. Not a busy street, but the traffic noise bothered me at times.
• Bathroom area is annoying dimly lit (actually most the room is too). Bathroom while big, seemed to use the space really poorly.
• Service was good, but not $400/night good. Tissues not replenished by house keeping. Needed to request twice. Called ahead for the valet to have the car ready. Only went to fetch it when we went down.
• Wanted a late checkout (flight is at 1pm). Thought perhaps checkout would be midday, but if 11am was hoping for an extra 30 minutes. Turns out checkout is 10am! That's a little early for standard checkout. Extended to to 11am for us.
• Curtains don't seal around the window properly and let through some light.
• Not the fastest internet speeds.
  
• In room bar options were stupidly expensive.

I suspect a harbour view room would be much quieter. However, for me, the price is just starting to get ridiculously silly. I think I'd try out somewhere else next time. If the price was right, I'd stay here again.

Some pictures of the room.

View attachment 108667

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Thanks for that ! we are staying there next month - we booked a " SUPERIOR WATERFRONT ROOM " through Luxury Escapes so we will see what we get - but dark bathrooms are a pet peeve of mine ( actually dark rooms full stop ! )
Did you notice your name on the TV screen in the photo ?

 

[Daver6]

Thanks for that ! we are staying there next month - we booked a " SUPERIOR WATERFRONT ROOM " through Luxury Escapes so we will see what we get - but dark bathrooms are a pet peeve of mine ( actually dark rooms full stop ! )
Did you notice your name on the TV screen in the photo ?

Oops. Thanks for that about the TV. Fixed

 

[Milboo]

This is the waterfront room - there are 3 different themes in the room decorations aligned to the character from Tasmania history - this was the colourful and quirky room. That was in some little touches like colour of cups, desk lamp, bedside lamp etc

 

[Milboo]

Oh and those alpaca blankets on the bed are divine. I snuggled into it on the bed in the afternoon and was loathe to leave it.

 

[Daver6]

So where you had the bath in the room, there was just a big void in hours. Hence my comment about poor use of space. Given the room was a superior room (one up from the basic), I'm pretty surprised to now find out there was no tub.