Hobart’s iconic waterfront hotel blends Tassie’s colourful history with clever design.

One can rely on Tasmania to do things a little differently and so it is with Hobart’s harbourside MACq01. This storytelling hotel reaches into the past to colour its elegant and contemporary style and bring a novel approach to hospitality. From an exterior design that softly alludes to the wharf’s warehouse history to tales of notable Tasmanians in every room, and an aesthetic that is both considered and beautifully executed, everything about this luxury stay embraces the character of our southernmost city.

Location

Hobart’s Macquarie Wharf was once a hub of seafaring commerce on which was plonked a market, then came a large shipping shed. Now, rather more elegantly plonked is the MAC01 complex, most of which is occupied by the luxury MACq01 hotel. That’s not a typo, by the way.

Confusingly, the hotel inserts a lowercase q into its name to differentiate it from the complex in which it resides. Tipping its hat to its maritime and commercial history, the building is a beautifully designed finger of architecture in easy cooee of the artful Hunter Street precinct and a short-ish walk to the city centre.

Style and character

A city with a past as storied as Hobart’s is well-deserving of an iconic hotel to match its frontier spirit and waterfront beauty. MACq01 is a self-described storytelling hotel. It has unearthed the city’s tales of survivors, settlers, battlers, convicts and captains and woven them into the texture of its design and character.

Each of the 114 rooms and suites has been crafted to reflect one of five Tasmanian traits, they being: colourful and quirky; grounded yet exceptional; fighting believers; curious and creative; and hearty and resilient. Divided between these five traits are 114 real-life historical characters, one for each room, whose story is revealed to those who check-in.

While the concept may teeter on the edge of a gimmick, it’s thoroughly and wonderfully Tasmanian, which means of course, it’s charmingly tongue-in-cheek and artfully clever. You’ll find yourself drawn into the narrative as you explore the modern and luxurious surrounds of this sleek hotel.

Rooms

Behind every door of this hotel is the story of a remarkable Tasmanian plucked from history. You could be bedding down with the memory of a blustering bushranger, mercurial merchant or pugnacious publican, but no matter who has inspired your room or suite, you will certainly find yourself in a hyper-stylish confluence of history and design.

Furnished with tactile natural finishes and a studied attention to detail, the rooms are a haven of distinctly Tasmanian aesthetics.

Choose from rooms facing historic Hunter Street or the glittering waterfront, where you can step out onto a private balcony or terrace.

Storytelling Tours

For guests keen to go deeper into the stories woven throughout the hotel and beyond, they can book a complimentary tour with MACq01’s charismatic Master Storyteller. The 114 Doors Tour weaves you through the hotel, while The Sticky Stones and Secrets Tour leads you beyond the hotel walls and into the old buildings of Hunter Street. The Hidden Hobart: The Viewfinder Tour journeys from the virtual old wharf to the modern-day new wharf using retro viewfinders to see the same spots through the lens of decades past.

Food and drink

You’re in Tasmania, so it follows you won’t be short on opportunities to indulge in the incredible local produce while staying at MACq01. You could begin your evening with bright and briny Bruny Island oyster and a crisp Tassie white in the lounge, before proceeding to a table at the hotel’s sleek, harbour-adjacent Old Wharf Restaurant. Here, head chef Alvin Sim lets the produce upstage the view from breakfast through to dinner with refined takes on the classics.

The Story Bar is also a good place to initiate aperitivo hour. The space flows from the polished lounge edged with a wall of fascinating artefacts to an outside terrace, which beckons persuasively on a sun-filtered afternoon. On Friday and Saturday nights, a live band adds to the atmosphere.

A nightcap or a clandestine interlude is best sought perched at the marble bar or in a leather armchair at the intimate Evolve Spirits Bar.

Be guided through the staggeringly large and somewhat intimidating selection of spirits on offer by the deft bar staff. Featuring a range of award-winning Tassie spirits and a list of rare tipples, it’s easy to lose time in this cloistered enclave.

Facilities

Lounge

The story begins the moment you step into MACq01, where your eye will drift directly to the circular waterfront lounge. The centrepiece here is a handcrafted fireplace around which stories are recounted, while above an installation that calls to mind seaweed dancing in the current tilts heads upwards.

The lounge is decorated with artefacts that represent the traditions of the Tasmanian Aboriginal toolkit, which have been made by today’s descendants of the First Tasmanians. Guests can enjoy a pre-or post-dinner drink here and watch the sun glint off the water beyond.

Valet parking and Tesla charging

If you’ve driven to Hobart or are circumnavigating the state by road, you can keep and charge your vehicle here.

Gym

A well-equipped gym is at your service from 6am to 9pm.

Access for guests with disabilities?

The hotel has six accessible rooms and suites available and was designed with equal access in mind. Specifications for visual impairment and hearing aids have been adhered to and all communal spaces in the hotel are wheelchair accessible. The hotel has been awarded Best Accessible Accommodation at the THA and Drysdale Awards for Excellence.

Family friendly?

Families can book interconnecting rooms that can accommodate king or twin bedding.

Details

Address: 18 Hunter Street, Hobart
Cost: Rooms start at $300 per night for a Hunter Street room, while suites start at $650.
Best for: Couples enjoying a luxe getaway that delves into city’s past and present and allows easy access to her stunning surrounds.

Head to our guide on Hobart accommodation for more great stays in Tasmania’s capital city.