Location is everything when visiting a city for a quick weekend getaway. What I look for is convenience, ambience and comfortability. In the heart of Hobart’s gorgeous town centre towers a dusty-red brick building. In Melbourne, I actually live next door to the Travelodge in Southbank so it’s pretty fitting that I’ve had the chance to actually enter the front doors and sleep over.
Upon entering the hotel lobby, you are engulfed with an overwhelming array of fluro yellow, orange and red tones which at first can seem blinding, but they do soften as your eyes adjust. With the recent renovations and upgrades, this heightened colour scheme may not be for all, but it does lift your mood if you’re feeling a bit bitter from the icy cold Hobart weather this time of year.
Travelodge Hobart is perfectly centralised to all the major attractions, making the mode of transport predominantly walking. Macquarie St is a bustling major artery in the CBD but thankfully, traffic noise is not of any disturbance to your slumber. Across the road you have St David’s Park which lead to the famous Salamanca Markets on a Saturday. Enjoy the coastal fresh air as you explore Battery Point and jet off on the MONA Ferry from the Brooke St Pier. Delve further into the city streets where you’ll find a haven of retail shops and cafes.
At the end of a jam packed day, the comfortable and Compact Queen Room offers the essentials any corporate or leisure-filled traveller would need. A spacious bed to tuck into at the end of a long day, stunning views of the city, a couch to kick back on in some downtime, and a desk.
Given the close proximity of my room to the elevator, I could hear the ding each time it reached level nine. While I can sleep through anything, if you’re a light sleeper, might I suggest a room far away from the elevator. Corridor chatter is also rather echoed but I guess that comes with a tightly formed floor plan.
The bathroom was disappointing, however. It was smaller than I expected and almost felt like a plane cabin toilet. I was staying by myself, but if my 6’5″ boyfriend was able to join me, I really don’t think he would have fit in the shower. At the end of the day, however, the water was piping hot and exactly what you need to defrost after chilling yourself to the bone atop Mt Wellington.
There are some fantastic cafes in Hobart to sink your teeth into some yummy breakfast. I opted to treat myself to one of these cafes on Sunday morning (there’s no shortage nearby), and I sunk my teeth into the hotel’s buffet breakfast on Monday morning. To be honest, the hotel restaurant was quite unappealing in its decor let alone the presentation of food. It very much felt like sitting at a camp site common area, again with its fluro tabletops and curtains. Might I suggest some subtly in the colour scheme when it comes to décor.
As for the food, the choices were your regular eggs, tomatoes, hash brown, toast, cereal and fruit. For a city known for its dining culture and fresh produce, it was uninspiring. I enjoy my homemade porridge more back home, not on holiday in Hobart. It’d be nice to see them jazz up the presentation of their hot food counter and overall give a little bit of life to the delicious Tasmanian produce – though at the same time, for many travellers it may be all they need. And for the rest of us, there are some wonderful cafes just a short walk away.
All in all, my nights with Travelodge Hobart offered a comfortable, affordable stay at an incredible location (and a view to match), with everything any traveller might need thrown into the mix.
For bookings and reservations, head here.
Average nightly rates at Travelodge Hobart start from $92.
Travelodge Hobart
Address: 167 Macquarie St, Hobart TAS 7000
Contact: +61 3 6220 7100
Travelodge provided our writer with two complimentary nights at the hotel.
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