When visiting Hobart, finding a place to stay can be difficult as there are so many options to choose from. However, for the perfect location in Hobart’s CBD and for a comfortable night’s sleep, I always head to Salamanca Inn.
I first stayed at the Salamanca Inn back in March 2013 and I really liked it, so I was keen to stay there again on our road trip around Australia a few years later.
For family accommodation in a capital city, it’s hard to beat.
Want to walk to the best things to do in Hobart? tick. Want family friendly? Tick.
There is a reason why it’s our go-to place to stay in Hobart, which I will reveal to you in this complete and honest review of Salamanca Inn…
About Salamanca Inn
The Salamanca Inn in Hobart is a 4.5-star aparthotel that’s independently operated by a Tasmanian local.
It has star AAA rating and is nestled on the doorstep of Salamanca Place, home to the iconic Salamanca Market every Saturday.
Like all buildings on Salamanca Place, the inn is in a historical building made of 1830s sandstone and allows visitors to stay in a little piece of Hobart’s history. Surrounding the building are Georgian Warehouses and Plane Trees, allowing guests to feel the historical ambience of this area.
Despite its historical setting, the inside of the inn is modern and luxurious. Each of the 60 rooms in the inn is a fully self-contained suite with a living area and kitchenette, so you can enjoy all the comforts of home but with the added luxury of hotel amenities.
Some key amenities at the hotel are an onsite beef and seafood grill restaurant and rooftop heated indoor pool and spa, laundry facilities, free wi-fi, ticket assistance, and business center.
If you don’t feel like cooking in your suite, the inn is located near to several of the city’s best restaurants, cafes, and bars.
The inn also has undercover car parking.
What I Like About Salamanca Inn…
1. Central Location within walking distance to attractions
The number one thing I like about the Salamanca Inn is it’s location. Within a short stroll of the hotel you will find several famous landmarks, such as Parliament House, the historical Sullivans Cove, and many specialty shops.
Literally a one minute walk to Salamanca Place where the famous Salamanca markets, pubs, restaurants and shopping are.
It’s a 5-minute walk to the historic waterfront where you can admire the boats, eat fish & chips (we recommend Fish Frenzy) and catch the ferry to Hobart’s number one attraction, MONA.
And, it’s a short walk to Historic Battery Point, one of the prettiest inner-city suburbs you’ll find in Australia. We loved wandering this suburb which also has a great kids playground and some nice cafes.
Now that we have kids, it’s rare to just be able to walk out your door and casually stroll somewhere. I can’t tell you how much of a buzz doing this gives me.
I nearly beat the door down when it was time to cook dinner and someone had to walk around the corner to buy the supplies from the markets.
“I’m going!”
A small, exquisite taste of freedom.
2. It has family-friendly amenities
But back to the Salamanca Inn. It’s an all-suite hotel with self-contained apartments. For families, in the city, these apartments are ideal.
Salamanca Inn has 60 fully self-contained suites with a modern sophisticated style ranging from King Suites to multi-bedroom suites and larger Family Apartments. This Hobart accommodation has recently finished a multi-million-dollar refurbishment.
The kitchen area is relatively small, but it’s a city hotel. It worked perfectly fine.
Even though the restaurants beckoned us, and we did dine out one night, apartments are a great way to cut down your costs so you can travel more.
We stayed in a three bedroom suite, as Craig’s parents were visiting.
It was spacious, with the main bedroom upstairs, in a kind of loft setting – our kids liked the attic feel of it. And the other two bedrooms were downstairs – the girls loved their bunk beds.
The Salamanca Inn also has a separate lounge and the TV has 5 movie channels that features new releases.
There is a restaurant in the building serving fine Tasmanian produce and an indoor heated swimming pool and spa for those looking for some water action and relaxation.
If you are lucky, you might also have lovely views of Mt Wellington like we did from our balcony, and when we moved suites for our final night, views of the gardens of Salamanca Place.
I loved watching them set up for the markets in the morning and hearing the buskers before strolling down for a look see ourselves.
If you can, time your visit so you can explore these markets, yummy street food to be had, as well as good arts and crafts.
On one rainy afternoon we made the 50m amble to the Irish pub on the corner with Craig’s dad for a few pints of the black stuff. That’s location right there – you really do have EVERYTHING on your doorstep.
If you’re looking for a mid-range family apartment stay in Hobart, then Salamanca Inn is a really worthwhile choice.
What I didn’t like about Salamanca Inn
It’s hard to say what I didn’t like because I did really enjoy my stay, but nowhere is perfect. The biggest downside is although parking is provided, you still have to pay for it at $15 AUD per day.
Parking is a premium in Hobart’s CBD so I can see why they charge for this, but as it’s not the cheapest accommodation in Hobart it would be nice if the parking was included in the price of the room.
You might also find that some rooms are not accessible friendly, so be sure to contact the hotel before booking to see which room is best suited for you if you have mobility issues.
Check-In/Check-Out Instructions
Checking in is very easy. You simply need to show your booking reference and a government-issued photo identification and the credit card or debit card you reserved your reservation with.
You may be asked to pay a cash deposit for incidental charges, and you will need to pay a self parking fee if you arrive by car.
Be sure to let the reception know of any special requests before hand, such as optional extras like rollaway beds, cribs, and infant beds for children aged 0-2.
Note that the minimum check-in age is 18.
The check-in time is from 2.00pm until midnight, and check-out is by 11.00am. There is no after-hours check-in if you arrive late at night.
More Tasmania Travel Tips
We spent a month road tripping Tasmania. If you plan to visit other parts of the island, here are some of our highlights and tips that may be useful to you…
