The Tasman

Where Hobart's History Meets Its Hotel Infrastructure

Murray Street runs through the centre of Hobart's compact CBD, one block from the waterfront and within walking distance of Salamanca Place, the Saturday market, and the galleries clustered around the former wharf precinct. It is not a hidden address. What makes 12 Murray Street worth attention is that it houses a property built across two distinct eras of Australian architecture, both preserved and connected within a single hotel operation. The 1840 sandstone building and the 1940s Art Deco structure that together form The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel are not simply decorative backdrops. They define what this address actually delivers: a position at the centre of a small, walkable capital city, inside buildings that have outlasted most of what surrounds them.

Hobart's hotel market has developed significantly over the past decade, with heritage conversion becoming the predominant format for upper-tier properties. MACq 01 Hotel occupies a converted wharf building on the waterfront. The Henry Jones Art Hotel transformed a 19th-century jam factory on Hunter Street into an art-forward property. The Islington Hotel operates on a smaller, more residential scale in South Hobart. Against that peer set, The Tasman is the largest and the most centrally positioned, with 152 rooms and a dual-building footprint that no other Hobart property replicates at this tier.

The Address and What It Actually Provides

Hobart is a city where proximity matters more than in most Australian capitals. The CBD is small enough that a central address eliminates the transport calculus entirely. From Murray Street, Salamanca Place is a 10-minute walk along the waterfront. The Museum of Old and New Art shuttle departs from Brooke Street Pier, also within walking distance. The Saturday Salamanca Market, one of the more consequential open-air markets in Australia, is reachable on foot without difficulty. For a hotel operating at this price point, starting from $226 per night, the address carries genuine practical weight: guests are not dependent on taxis or rideshares to access the parts of Hobart that most of them came to see.

The building's position within the city also means that the sandstone facade on Murray Street functions as orientation. Hobart's colonial architecture is concentrated in this precinct, and the 1840 building reads as part of that fabric rather than an intrusion into it. The 1940s Art Deco wing adds a second historical register, placing the property across nearly a century of construction styles. The modern expansion that connects them is what makes the operation functional at 152 keys, but the heritage structures are what give the address its visual and contextual weight.

Inside: Two Eras of Architecture, One Contemporary Interior

Heritage hotel conversions in Australia have produced a wide range of interior outcomes, from sympathetic restoration to aggressive modernisation that retains only the shell. The Tasman's approach sits toward the considered end of that range. The renovation preserves the character of both historical structures while updating interiors to a contemporary standard. The rooms and suites are finished at a level consistent with the Luxury Collection brand's positioning, which places it above mid-market but without the maximalist excess of some city luxury properties. The public spaces are substantial for a Hobart hotel of this scale: Peppina, the Italian restaurant on site, occupies a dedicated space rather than functioning as an afterthought dining room. The Deco Lounge references the Art Deco building's architectural period directly. Mary Mary, the craft cocktail bar, positions itself within Hobart's growing bar culture rather than operating as a generic hotel bar.

Guests comparing Hobart options against broader Australian hotel choices will find useful reference points in properties operating at similar price tiers and heritage formats elsewhere. Capella Sydney operates in the heritage precinct of The Rocks at a considerably higher price point. Harbour Rocks Hotel in The Rocks takes a more intimate approach to Sydney's colonial built environment. The Calile in Brisbane sits at a comparable tier but operates in a purpose-built contemporary format. The Tasman's dual-era heritage structure is a specific configuration that the Australian market doesn't produce at scale, which is part of what earned it the 49th position on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2024, the only Hobart property to appear on that ranking.

Peppina, Mary Mary, and the Deco Lounge

Italian restaurants in Australian hotels have historically occupied a difficult middle ground: Italian enough to signal a coherent concept, but generic enough not to alienate guests expecting broader menus. Peppina's positioning as an authentic Italian restaurant within The Tasman places it in alignment with a broader shift in Australian hotel dining, where the in-house restaurant is expected to compete with the city's standalone dining scene rather than simply serve as a convenience. For guests using our full Hobart restaurants guide, Peppina represents a viable dinner option without requiring a separate booking across the city.

Mary Mary operates as a craft cocktail bar, a format that has become standard among upper-tier Australian hotels following the broader market shift away from generic hotel bars toward program-led beverage operations. The Deco Lounge functions as the social centrepiece of the Art Deco wing, a space that reflects the building's period without being a museum installation. Together, the three food and beverage outlets give The Tasman a public-spaces offer that supports both hotel guests and visitors from outside the property.

Positioning Within Australian Hotel Travel

Travellers building itineraries that include Tasmania alongside broader Australian destinations will find The Tasman sits in a different register from the country's wilderness and remote-lodge tier. Southern Ocean Lodge in Kingscote and Wildman Wilderness Lodge in Marrakai operate in landscape-first contexts where the accommodation is inseparable from the natural setting. The Tasman is a city hotel in a genuine sense: its asset is the address and the architecture, not isolation or landscape access. That distinction matters when sequencing a Tasmanian trip. Hobart functions as both the arrival point and the cultural centre, and a central hotel that can be reached directly from Hobart Airport positions the city portion of a trip efficiently.

For travellers considering properties in other Australian cities, reference points at a comparable tier include InterContinental Sydney Double Bay by IHG, Crown Metropol Melbourne in Southbank, and Crystalbrook Riley in Cairns City. Among boutique and design-led options, Lake House in Daylesford, Bells at Killcare in Killcare Heights, and Cape Lodge in Wilyabrup each represent the smaller-scale, regionally specific format. The Tasman operates at a different scale and with a different mandate: a full-service city property with international recognition in a market that, until recently, lacked a hotel of this configuration.

Planning Your Stay

The Tasman's 152 rooms and published rates from $226 per night place it within reach of the upper-mid tier of Australian hotel travel, below the extreme luxury outliers but well above Hobart's standard accommodation stock. The property's World's 50 Best Hotels ranking from 2024 has raised its international profile, and demand from interstate and international visitors has grown accordingly. Booking ahead is advisable for peak periods, particularly during the Hobart summer from December through February and around the Dark Mofo festival in June. The Murray Street address puts guests within walking distance of the waterfront, Salamanca Place, and the ferry connection to MONA, which remains the primary cultural draw for most visitors to Tasmania. Travellers comparing international heritage hotel formats may find useful reference in properties such as Aman Venice or Aman New York, both of which operate heritage conversions at a higher price tier, and The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City, which occupies a comparable position within its city's hotel hierarchy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which room offers the leading experience at The Tasman?

The Tasman's 152 rooms span its 1840 sandstone building, the 1940s Art Deco structure, and the modern connecting expansion. Based on the property's awards positioning (49th on the World's 50 Best Hotels in 2024) and its architectural configuration, rooms within the heritage wings carry more character than those in the contemporary section. Suites within the Art Deco building align most directly with the Deco Lounge's design language. At rates from $226 per night, the entry-level rooms deliver the core address advantage; upgrading to a suite in either heritage building adds the architectural dimension that distinguishes this property from standard Hobart hotels.

What should I know about The Tasman before I go?

Tasman sits at 12 Murray Street in central Hobart, Tasmania, ranked 49th on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2024. It is Hobart's most internationally recognised hotel and operates at a starting rate of $226 per night across 152 rooms. The property includes three food and beverage outlets: Peppina (Italian restaurant), the Deco Lounge, and Mary Mary (craft cocktail bar). Its location places guests within walking distance of Salamanca Place, the waterfront, and ferry access to MONA. It is part of Marriott's Luxury Collection brand, which affects loyalty programme integration for frequent Marriott guests.

Can I walk in to The Tasman?

Tasman operates as a hotel rather than a drop-in venue, so walk-in access depends on the outlet. The restaurant Peppina and the cocktail bar Mary Mary are likely accessible to non-hotel guests, though reservations for dining are advisable given the property's demand level following its 2024 World's 50 Best Hotels ranking. The hotel's central Hobart address at 12 Murray Street makes it direct to visit even if you are not staying there. For confirmed availability and current policies, direct contact with the property is the most reliable approach, as booking and access details can shift seasonally.