Review : The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel - Hobart

Rohit

25/01/2022

Marriott first announced the signing of The Tasman in 2017. At the time, the property was expected to throw its doors open sometime in late 2018. As is the norm with new hotel openings, the timeline was repeatedly pushed back – first on account of tardy construction, then due to Covid-19 induced lockdowns and border closures.

The ribbon was finally cut on 17th December 2021, just in time to take advantage of the Christmas/New Year holiday period.

Location & Classification

The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel in Hobart is Marriott’s first ever property in Australia under the Luxury Collection brand. The hotel is centrally located in Parliament square right on the doorsteps of Hobart waterfront and a stone’s throw away from cities famous Salamanca Saturday markets.

If you are coming from the airport, the hotel is some 15 km’s away and your Ola or Uber ride should get you here in about 20 minutes. Expect to pay between $30-$35. You can save a few dollars by taking the Skybus that runs between Hobart Airport & City Centre, although that does mean waiting around as they generally operate on hourly frequency.

The Tasman is a Category 5 property which means if you are looking to redeem points, it will cost you between 30,000 – 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. Note that this award pricing is only applicable for few more weeks. Come March 2022, Marriott is eliminating categories and award charts and transitioning to dynamic pricing. More on this here.

Cash prices at the property in its early days have been high, more so on weekends when the hotel registers very high occupancy. Lead-in rooms at the time of my stay were comfortably north of $400 per night – award rates were 35,000 points per night which made redeeming points a no-brainer.

For my 2 night stay, I redeemed a total of 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

A History Lesson

Before I delve into the review, a bit of history lesson as The Tasman is not your run-of-the-mill Marriott property. The hotel’s footprint spans 3 meticulously restored buildings in what used to be a collection of state government offices.

The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

First up you have the heritage building. Architects have done a splendid job in preserving the Georgian-era façade of the building originally constructed in 1847.

Heritage Wing of The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

The heritage building marries history with modern craftsmanship – the sandstone walls are a reminder of it’s glorious past.

Sandstone Walls – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

Then you have the glitzy Pavilion Building, a modern construction with rooms overlooking Sullivan’s Cove and the ocean beyond. I was informed by the staff that this part of the hotel is still being outfitted and not currently accepting guests. They expect it to become operational in February 2022.

Pavilion Wing of The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Finally there’s the art deco building, a 7-storey structure with it’s period features blended with contemporary design.

Art deco Wing of The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

All up, the property offers 152 rooms and suites and does a fine job of showcasing the best of its architectural past.

Arrival & Check-in

I reached the hotel just after 6 pm and was enthusiastically greeted by the bellhop. The lobby is small and gives the impression of boutique accommodation rather than the hotel behemoth that is Marriott.

Lobby – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

There is a concierge desk on the left with guest check-in area further down. The lobby offers limited seating.

Concierge Desk – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Lobby Seating – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

The bellhop offered to carry my bag – which I politely declined, before escorting me to one of the check-in desks. I love how the property lets you sit-down while checking-in, making the process so much more relaxing.

Check-in Desk – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

The staff attending to me welcomed me to the property and thanked me for being a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium elite. I was offered a choice of the welcome gift, which was 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points or daily breakfast. I chose the latter as the hotel doesn’t have an executive lounge.

My original booking was for the standard room, I had then applied Suite Night Award’s (SNA’s) which cleared and I was upgraded into one of the Heritage Suite’s. Once check-in was complete, I thanked the staff and headed to my room which was just a few steps away on Level 1.

Heritage Suite

Heritage Suite’s at The Tasman are one level up from the entry level Junior Suite. At 60-64 sq metres, they are decently proportioned and offer separate living and sleeping space.

As I stepped-in, the bathroom was to the left.

Heritage Suite Bathroom – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

It featured a marble-clad vanity with a single sink. Note the industrial design tap fittings & the towel rail in the pictures below.

Heritage Suite Bathroom – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

A faux-leather box contained a pair of dental kit and items of personal grooming.

Dental & Grooming kit – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Dental & Grooming kit – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel- Hobart

The shower was good size and offered dual showering heads. Bath products were in pump bottles and featured the local Tasmanian brand called Grown Alchemist.

Heritage Suite Shower – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Bath Amenities – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

There was no bath, but I am told some of the Heritage Suites do offer them.

Back out, a narrow pathway leads you into the main part of the suite. The living area is tastefully furnished and offers a work desk, a three-seater sofa with cushions upholstered in fine fabric and a marble top coffee table.

Heritage Suite Living Area – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Heritage Suite Work Desk – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Heritage Suite Sofa & Table – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

On another table, I noticed the in-room welcome amenity of a bottle of Arras sparkling wine which is a local Tasmanian label & a handwritten welcome note.

In-room amenity – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Welcome Note – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

The living area also featured a wall-mounted flat screen TV and a well stocked mini-bar.

Living Room TV – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

The mini-bar set up included a Nespresso coffee-maker with pods and a selection of fine tea.

Heritage Suite Mini Bar – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

The drawers were chock-full with sweet and savoury snacks and the pull out bar-fridge was brimming with all kinds of sweet and alcoholic drinks.

Heritage Suite Mini Bar – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Over the past 2 years a lot of hotels have emptied out their mini bars to minimise physical contact, so it was pleasing to see The Tasman go the extra step. Whether or not you consume items from the mini-bar – and I rarely do, there is no denying that a well stocked mini-bar adds to the guest experience.

The Heritage Suite’s don’t have much of a view as the windows overlook the hotel courtyard and the adjoining art deco building.

Heritage Suite Window – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

The oversized floor to ceiling motorised curtain, venetian shutters as well as the temperature and lights controls are managed through these pads on the wall.

Heritage Suite Control pad – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

A half wall separates the living room from the bedroom where a king size bed forms its centrepiece.

Heritage Suite – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Heritage Suite King Bed – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

The bedroom was well-appointed, there was a custom made chair and a timber-top table by the window.

Heritage Suite Bedroom Seating – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

The bed was flanked by side tables on either side, Besides the usual items, it contained 2 bottles of water. There were power outlets & USB ports within easy reach from the bed.

Heritage Suite Bedside Table – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Heritage Suite Complimentary bottled water – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Heritage Suite Outlet – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Then on the other side of the bed, you had a luggage rack and 2 large wardrobes.

Heritage Suite Luggage rack & wardrobe – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Property – Hobart

Heritage Suite Luggage Rack – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

One of the robes had a chest of drawers and an electronic safe, the other had a bunch of hangers and a pair of room slippers.

Heritage Suite Wardrobe – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel – Hobart

Overall, I loved the old world charm of Heritage Suite and the way it seamlessly integrates with all the mod cons that discerning PointsHq readers would expect from a Five Star hotel 😉

Food & Drinks

The Tasman is home to three dining and drinking establishments. Peppina, its flagship restaurant is located on the Ground Floor and is open daily for breakfast and dinner.

Peppina – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

The dining area, interspersed with small trees and the natural light filtering-in through the glass roof above adds a calming touch to what is otherwise a frenzied space.

Peppina – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

Breakfast is served between 6:30 – 10:30 am. Besides the standard offering that is laid out on tables across millions of hotels each morning, Peppina also offers guests an opportunity to sample the rich local Tasmanian produce. As always, I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Breakfast – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

If you wanted eggs cooked a particular way, you can order it with one of the many roving staff members who will deliver it to your table. Tea and coffee are also served on table.

On the first morning I had the cheesy bacon and egg slider and croissants, all washed down with a large cappuccino.

My Breakfast – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

The food was delicious and the coffee top-notch. Truth be told, I was so full from it I ended up skipping lunch.

The next day I restrained myself to a simple breakfast of toast and a plate of fresh fruits.

My Breakfast – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

Peppina also offers an a-la-carte menu if you wanted something different from the standard breakfast. I would say though that the overwhelming majority of people seemed content with the buffet style offerings.

A-la-Carte Breakfast Menu at Peppina – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

The dining area spills over to an outdoor patio which is a great spot to eat your breakfast on a sunny Tasmanian winter’s day.

Outdoor Seating at Peppina – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

Also located on the Ground Floor is Deco Lounge – the hotel’s all-day coffee bar. It is open for lunch and dinner and offers a selection of high-end tea, fresh juices and coffee alongside a delicate selection of sweet and savoury nibbles or meals.

Deco Lounge – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

I dropped-in on one afternoon for lunch and ordered the lobster roll and a spritzer cocktail.

Lunch at Deco Lounge – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

The lobster roll was served with a side of crisps and half a slice of lemon – sadly it didn’t taste very good. The spritzer was nice.

Similar to Peppina, there is a covered outdoor seating area. I went past it on few occasions and noticed that it was well patronized by guests.

Outdoor Seating at Deco Lounge – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

Finally there’s Mary Mary, a cocktail bar and spirits library. In Marriott’s own words, Mary Mary is Hobart’s latest secret drinking spot, steeped in history and a beacon of fine drinking.

I am by no-means a spirits connoisseur – even so, I would have loved to drop-in for a drink or two. Unfortunately, due to staffing issues the hotel is currently operating Mary Mary on an extremely reduced schedule of 4-8 pm from Thursday – Saturday. As a result I did not get a chance to check it out.

If you are curious to see the menu, you can do it over here.

Other Guest Facilities

This is where I feel The Tasman has dropped the ball. The property offers no pool, spa or sauna services. Now I understand that this is a hotel located in Hobart CBD and not a resort in some idyllic setting.

That said, Wellness is a big part of why many people travel to Tasmania. In fact the state’s own marketing campaign, Tasmania – Come Down For Air invites travellers to take a break from the stress and routine of their everyday lives.

Image courtesy – Tourism Tasmania

So to have nothing to offer to travellers, in that sense is a missed opportunity in my opinion.

The sole hotel facility is a gym, which is basic but adequate if you want to include some sort of work-out to your fitness routine.

Gym – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

There were towels and bottled water on one corner.

Gym – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel

In Conclusion

The Tasman is a great addition to Hobart’s hotel landscape. With a few exceptions, it overwhelmingly delivers on the metrics that make a hotel stay enjoyable and memorable.

The setting of the property – within a restored 1880’s heritage building and its central location means it will never be short of business. Perhaps this is already being demonstrated by the premium pricing it commands even during a pandemic and without any international visitors.

The staff are friendly and well meaning, service top notch. If you are planning a trip to Hobart, The Tasman should be in your consideration.

Have you stayed at The Tasman? Leave a comment below.

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