Customs House Hotel is at 1 Murray Street in the Hobart central business district, on the edge of Sullivans Cove and beside Salamanca Place. It is a historic hotel, with a building that reportedly dates from the 1840s, and it offers nine room types, from compact queen rooms to waterfront kings and studios. Customs House Restaurant is an on-site seafood restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and there is a bar, free Wi-Fi and air conditioning. Cooked-to-order breakfast is listed as included, though rates vary, and the hotel has an elevator, luggage storage and multilingual staff. It is a three-class property, so expect character and a superb position rather than resort facilities.
Location and getting around
The hotel's position is its great strength. Salamanca Market is about a minute on foot, Salamanca Place and Brooke Street Pier, where the Mona ferry departs, are about two minutes away, and Constitution Dock and Franklin Wharf are around seven. Hobart Airport is roughly a 17-minute drive.
Most of the city's sights are walkable from the door, and tours collect from central hotels. Parking details are not clear from the property information, and one guest notes limited space for drop-off, so ask the hotel before you arrive if you are hiring a car.
The rooms and the feel
The room types include a Queen Above Bar with a garden view, standard queen and twin rooms with city views, waterfront twin and king rooms with ocean views, a waterfront studio and a superior waterfront king with a harbour view. A quadruple room sleeps up to six. Rooms are on the small side, around 20 to 30 square metres, so travellers with plenty of luggage should note this.
The style mixes old and new, with the old stone walls of the building a feature. Rooms above the bar may hear evening noise, so ask for a quieter room if you are a light sleeper, and request a waterfront room if the outlook matters.
Who it suits and what to know: it suits couples, solo travellers and anyone who wants to be a step from the market, the waterfront and the dockside restaurants without paying the top-end prices. Cooked-to-order breakfast is listed as included, but check your rate. Check-in runs from 2 pm to 7 pm, with late check-in available during limited hours, so tell the hotel if you will arrive after dark.
Check-out is by 10 am, earlier than at many hotels. The premises are smoke-free and the hotel provides refrigerators, kettles and free toiletries in rooms. There is no pool or gym, so look at Salamanca Inn or ibis Styles if you want those facilities.
Why stay here
- ✓Historic building
- ✓Seafood restaurant on site
- ✓Bar
- ✓Waterfront rooms
- ✓Cooked breakfast included
- ✓Free Wi-Fi
- ✓Air conditioning
- ✓Luggage storage
Good questions
Where is Customs House Hotel?+
It is at 1 Murray Street in central Hobart. Salamanca Market is about a minute on foot, and Brooke Street Pier is around two minutes away.
Is breakfast included?+
Cooked-to-order breakfast is listed as included, though it can depend on the rate. Check what your booking covers.
Does the hotel have a restaurant?+
Yes, Customs House Restaurant is an on-site seafood restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is also a bar.
