Best Family-Friendly Stays in Devonport

Beach, ferry and van-friendly parking

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.

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.