Boutique and Character Hotels on Hobart's Waterfront

Hadley's Orient Hotel is the most authentic boutique choice here. It is a 4.5-star hotel from the Victorian era, in central Hobart and a short walk from the waterfront and Salamanca Place, where the Saturday market sets up. It has an on-site gallery and a unique audio trail, which give a stay here more character than a standard city hotel. Its rating of 8.8 from 2,089 reviews is solid, and it is described as family-friendly. The Mona Roma ferry to MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, is also a short walk away, which makes this an easy base for a day upriver.

Sixty Six Boutique Apartments takes the modern route. Each room has a kitchenette with a microwave, a minibar and a balcony, plus air conditioning and free WiFi, and the building has a fitness centre, an electric vehicle charging station, bicycle parking and luggage storage. On-site parking is paid, with a paid valet service. Rated 8.9 from 1,581 reviews, it suits a stay of several nights when you want to make breakfast, keep a bike or charge a car. It sits in the city centre, so the waterfront and Salamanca Place stay within walking distance.

Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart is the outlier. With 4,495 reviews and a rating of 9.0, it is the most reviewed and best rated of the three, but it is a large harbourfront hotel rather than a boutique property. It overlooks the Derwent River and Constitution Dock, has an indoor pool with views of Mount Wellington, a fitness club and several dining options, and sits a short walk from Salamanca Wharf and the CBD. I include it because travellers looking for a boutique stay in Hobart often want exactly this location, and because it is the only one of the three with a pool.

Choosing between them depends on what you want from the building. If the history of the place matters, Hadley's Orient Hotel is the only heritage option and the one I would book for a weekend. If you want your own kitchenette and a balcony, Sixty Six Boutique Apartments is better suited to longer stays. If you value a pool, a gym and views over Constitution Dock more than intimacy, Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart is the strongest hotel of the three by its rating. All three keep the waterfront, Salamanca Place and the CBD within walking distance, so location will not decide it for you.