Our verdict on staying at Wrest Point

We do not give star scores. A score hides the reasons, and the reasons are what decide whether a hotel suits your trip. Here they are, built from what Wrest Point publishes, what the transport operators publish, and the places around it. Our method is described on the about page.

What it does well

The site

A former Federal Group chairman is quoted on the hotel's history page calling this the greatest hotel site in the world. Allow for pride, and the claim still has something: a point in the river with water on several sides, the mountain behind, and the centre about 3 km away. The Tower's harbour-side rooms, the Water Edge rooms behind Lord's Beach and the foreshore path all make use of it.

Range of rooms

Nine published categories in three buildings, from a 3.5-star Motor Inn room to a 60 m² suite, let groups and families mix budgets on one booking. The accessible king is described in more detail than most hotels manage.

Things to do without leaving

Five restaurants, four bars, a heated pool with hydrotherapy pool, spa and saunas, and a show calendar that runs from tribute bands to the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. On a wet Hobart evening that matters.

History you can see

Australia's first casino, the 1973 revolving restaurant, the 1939 Riviera rooms such as the art deco Derwent Room — the building is on the Tasmanian Heritage Register, and it shows.

What to weigh up

• Not in the old town. Salamanca and Battery Point are a walk, a short taxi or a bus away — easy, but not on the doorstep.
• Busy nights. This is a casino hotel with bars open into the early hours at weekends and a 1,000-seat convention room. The hotel itself advises the mountain side and higher floors if you want quiet.
• Extras add up. Breakfast is only included on some rates, food and drink cost 10% more on Sundays and 15% more on public holidays, and valet parking is charged (self-parking is free).
• Inconsistent official information. Some opening hours differ between the venue pages and the FAQ. We list both where we found a conflict.
• Summer is peak. The hotel says rates rise and rooms go faster in summer, which is also when Hobart's big events happen.

Who should book which room

In one sentence

If you want a Hobart stay with the river in the window, dinner high above it and a show or a swim at the end of the day, Wrest Point delivers that better than its address alone suggests; if you want cobbled lanes outside your door, stay closer to Salamanca and visit the Tower for dinner.