Best Family-Friendly Stays in Devonport
Devonport's family-friendly stays cluster around the Mersey River and East Devonport, putting flat beaches and van-friendly parking within easy reach for road-tripping families. Seven properties on this list offer family rooms, from harbour hotels near the Devonport CBD to motels a short drive from East Devonport Beach and Devonport Oval. Families rolling off the Spirit of Tasmania ferry get a genuinely convenient first or last night, while those touring the north coast use Devonport as a flat, easy base before the drive toward Cradle Mountain. Kitchenette apartments and dormitory-style rooms both feature, giving families a choice between self-catering and full-service stays.
Devonport runs on ferry timetables more than most Tasmanian towns, and that shapes its family character: a working port by day, a quiet riverside town by evening, with the Mersey River splitting the CBD from East Devonport. It is not built around theme parks or resorts, families come for the practical combination of beach access, van parking and the Spirit of Tasmania connection, with Cradle Mountain and the Tarkine within striking distance for the more adventurous days of a longer Tasmanian loop.
Beach, ferry and van-friendly parking
What makes this list specifically family-friendly in Devonport is the combination of flat, walkable beaches and genuinely van-friendly parking, rare together on a Tasmanian ferry route. East Devonport Beach sits within a few kilometres of most properties here, shallow enough for younger kids, and several stays back onto quiet residential streets rather than the tighter CBD core. The Spirit of Tasmania terminal itself adds a family-specific advantage: rolling straight off an overnight crossing into a family room near the ferry cuts the stress out of a trip that already involves early starts and a full car.
Several family rooms on this list sit within a short drive of East Devonport Beach, flat and sheltered enough for younger children to paddle without a long walk from the car. The Dannebrog Lodge and Elimatta Hotel both list family rooms close to this stretch, while Comfort Inn Devonport trades beach proximity for a five-minute walk to the Mersey River itself. Families weighing up a coastal afternoon against a riverside stroll have genuine options within a few kilometres of each other, rather than being forced to choose one part of town for the whole stay.
Van and trailer logistics matter more in Devonport than in most Australian towns, given how many families arrive straight off the Spirit of Tasmania ferry with a fully loaded car. Properties like Elimatta Hotel and Comfort Inn Devonport list free on-site private parking, which removes the stress of finding overnight street parking for a loaded rig in an unfamiliar town. Novotel Devonport adds paid private parking with an electric vehicle charging point, useful for families running an EV on a longer Tasmanian circuit. This matters most for families who land in Devonport straight off a full day's drive from Launceston or Hobart, when the last thing anyone wants after a long stretch behind the wheel is to circle the block hunting for a legal overnight spot near a packed CBD kerb.
Budget flexibility runs wide across this family list: Waterfront Apartments offers a kitchenette and washing machine for families wanting to self-cater and do a laundry run between legs of a longer trip, while The Formby Hotel, close to the ferry terminal, mixes en-suite rooms with dormitory-style accommodation for families travelling with older kids on a tighter budget. Between these extremes sit standard family rooms at Novotel Devonport and Nightelier Devonport Gateway Hotel, both within the CBD for families who want restaurants and the riverfront within walking distance. That range means a family booking a week ahead of a Spirit of Tasmania sailing has genuine choice rather than a single price point, whether the priority is cooking every meal, splitting cost across a dorm-style room, or simply wanting a proper bed after two nights on a ferry and the road.
The ferry terminal itself shapes which family stays work best around specific sailing times. Comfort Inn Devonport sits roughly five minutes' drive from the Spirit of Tasmania terminal, useful for families with an early crossing who do not want a longer drive across town in the dark. The Formby Hotel, only 500 metres from the terminal, suits families who would rather walk than load the car again after checking in the night before an early sailing. Families who skip this logistics planning often end up doubling back across the Mersey River the next morning, so matching the stay to the sailing time before booking, rather than after arriving, is the detail that actually saves a stressed pre-dawn drive with tired kids in the back seat.
A traveler's takeFor families coming off the Spirit of Tasmania, I recommend Comfort Inn Devonport: the ferry terminal is around five minutes' drive away, so an early arrival with a loaded car and tired children means little extra driving. It has family rooms, free parking and air-conditioning, and the Mersey River is a five-minute walk, which my advice is to keep for an easy first evening before starting a Tasmanian road trip.
Family-friendlyWaterfront Apartments
★4.7Balcony apartments with a proper kitchen to settle into
Why guests love itTravellers staying here midway through a longer Tasmanian loop find the fully equipped kitchenette the genuine highlight, cooking a proper dinner and watching the light change over the water from the balcony rather than searching for a restaurant table. Running a load of washing through the in-apartment machine the next morning is the kind of small practical win that makes this stay worth choosing over a standard hotel room in the Devonport CBD.
Family-friendlyComfort Inn Devonport
★4.5A quiet base minutes from the ferry terminal
Why guests love itTravellers staying here before an early Spirit of Tasmania sailing find the five-minute drive to the terminal cuts real stress out of the morning, compared with a longer cross-town drive from a CBD hotel. The quiet setting away from the busier centre makes for an easy night's sleep before an early start, and the short walk down to the Mersey River the evening before is a calm way to end a day on the road.
Family-friendlyNovotel Devonport
★4.4Harbour-side comfort by the Devonport Marina
Why guests love itTravellers staying here after a long day on the north coast find the short walk to the Devonport Marina the standout feature, watching ferry and fishing traffic move along the Mersey rather than a static hotel view. The on-site restaurant's range of Asian cuisines covers a night when nobody wants to drive back into the CBD, and the fitness centre earns real use after a day spent mostly behind the wheel touring Tasmania's north coast.
Family-friendlyNightelier Devonport Gateway Hotel
★4.2Spa rooms and river views in the heart of town
Why guests love itTravellers staying in a top-floor Spa Room here find the luxury spa bath and the view over the river toward the sea a genuine highlight after a long day exploring Tasmania's north coast. Dinner at the Gateway Bistro Bar and Grill, built from fresh local produce, rounds out an evening that does not require leaving the property, while the Cider Bar suits a quieter nightcap before an early Spirit of Tasmania sailing the next morning.
Family-friendlyElimatta Hotel
★4.1Straightforward family rooms with an Australian kitchen
Why guests love itFamilies staying here find the free on-site parking and straightforward family rooms take the stress out of a road-trip stopover, with East Devonport Beach close enough for an afternoon without a long drive. The on-site Australian restaurant covers dinner without needing to find somewhere new in an unfamiliar town, and the in-room refrigerator makes snack and drink runs for younger kids far simpler than a typical motel stay.
Family-friendlyThe Formby Hotel
★3.9Budget rooms and dorms 500 metres from the ferry
Why guests love itTravellers staying here find the 500-metre walk to the Spirit of Tasmania terminal hard to beat for an early sailing, even with the stairs-only access to weigh up beforehand. Using the communal kitchen and guest laundry on a second night here works out cheaper than eating out and finding a laundromat elsewhere in Devonport, and the on-site Central Restaurant covers a straightforward dinner without needing to leave the property.
Family-friendlyThe Dannebrog Lodge
★3.6Family rooms with a genuine outlook and a garden restaurant
Why guests love itFamilies staying here find the range of views the genuine surprise, booking for a garden outlook and finding the lake and river views from other rooms just as worth the stay. The on-site restaurant covers dinner without needing to load the kids back into the car after a day at East Devonport Beach, and the garden gives younger children space to run around before settling in for the evening.
Local tips
- 1Book a family room explicitly when reserving, several Devonport properties hold standard doubles as the default online rate.
- 2Ask about van or trailer parking before booking if you are touring with a loaded rig, not every CBD stay offers on-site space.
- 3Choose Waterfront Apartments if you need a kitchenette and washing machine between legs of a longer Tasmanian road trip.
- 4Time your check-in around the Spirit of Tasmania sailing schedule, several properties sit within minutes of the terminal for early departures.
- 5Check whether breakfast is included for children, some family rooms price kids' breakfast separately from the adult rate.
- 6Confirm accessibility if you are travelling with a pram or a less mobile family member, The Formby Hotel's rooms are stairs-only.