In the know

Our favourite rooms: Rooms 6 and 7, decorated in simpler luxe style, have the best views in the house, tucked away at the back of the new extension on ground level. But stay in the old house to feel cocooned and connected – the Louisa Anne Meredith room (named after the first female chronicler of Tasmanian life) is generous, elegant and airy, while Room 5, named after early postmaster John Collicott, is a small, tastefully crowded room with views through its original casement window to the elegant conservatory below, and is a particular favourite. Custom-made king-size beds, heated bathroom floors, shoji screen walls, deep baths and overhead rain showers abound throughout. Amenities are from Kudos and Tasmanian label Beauty and the Bees and tactile fabrics hail from Jim Thompson.
Packing tips: Patterned pashminas for elegant dinners, reading glasses for close-up ogling of the fabulous art collection.
Also: Poke around in the writing desk in your room and you should find a great guided Rivulet walk – with obligatory stop at local gourmet deli and cafe, Raw – ready to slip round your neck and under your Barber. If you fancy less exertion, beauty and massage treatments can be ordered in your room.

Current offers

Smith card offer: 20 per cent off in-house dinners
Current special offer: 3 nights for the price of 2

More photos

The Islington Hotel

Hobart, Australia[view map]

Style: Sumptuous blend of old and new
Setting: Tranquil ridge-top gardens

A grand old Regency house with a sophisticated glass, marble and sandstone facelift, The Islington Hotel sits genteely above Tasmania's capital Hobart with views of Mount Wellington. With a gorgeous garden and more art and artefacts – Asian and contemporary Australian – than you can shake a Sotheby’s catalogue at, it’s a small luxury hotel with the feel of an expansive but intimate private home.

Need to know

Rooms: 11, including five rooms in the original house and six garden rooms in the contemporary extension.
Rates: AU$300–AU$550, including breakfast, non-alcoholic minibar drinks and tax at ten per cent.
Check-out: 10am. Earliest check-in, 2pm, but both are flexible subject to availability.
Facilities: Library, drawing room, music room, conservatory, outdoor pavilion with open fire and barbecue, free WiFi. In rooms: flatscreen TV, in-house movie and cable channels, DVD/CD player with library, i-Pod dock, free broadband internet, minibar.
Eco-friendly: The Islington Hotel sources most of its food locally and grows some produce on site. It composts food waste, recycles wherever possible, and buys green energy and carbon offsets, to make the property carbon-neutral overall.
Also: If it’s not too chilly, make sure to spend some languid down-time in the Andrew Pfeiffer-designed gardens, shaded by the 100-year-old willow.

Food & drink

Hotel restaurant: A double-storey conservatory made of glass and sandstone, with chequered black and white marble floor and huge, fern-filled urns, houses Islington’s main dining area and fireside snug. A country kitchen in the back section of the old residence sits in view alongside and it is here that Islington’s talented young chef cooks up a delicate but flavour-packed storm, across four courses or by request, with a mix of Mod Oz and European influences. Local produce reigns – Cressy lamb, Highlands wild rabbit, fresh-from-the-water fish – and as well as an extensive à la carte menu of the best local, national and international wines, dinner also comes with its own matched wine choices by the glass. Yummy breakfasts follow the next morning, from 8am till 10am. Take-out picnics can be arranged in summer.
Dress code: Stylish but informal; try well-pressed, understated designer threads.
Top table: Nab the corner table overlooking the reflective black water feature with its inverted ghostly-white stalactites, or ask for a private dinner at the grand colonial table in the Library. Or try eating in the kitchen and chatting up the chef.
Last orders: Dinner is served from 7pm till 10pm, Wednesday to Saturday.
Room service: You can order dishes from the main menu to enjoy in your room during breakfast and dinner hours, and light snacks such as cheeses and soups are available at other times.
Hotel bar: An extensive honour bar, featuring all Tasmanian wines, beers and even vodka, is available for guests whenever they fancy a tipple, night or day. The Asian-themed and darkly lush Rose Room is a soothing place for a late-night glass of tawny port, or house-speciality martini, or you can light up a nice fat Cuban cigar outside under the stars.

Also worth knowing

Children: This hotel is better suited to couples - leave the children at home!

Smith Members offer

20 per cent off in-house dinners

If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).

Click here to become a Mr & Mrs Smith member

Smith travel team

If you'd prefer to talk to someone, or don't want to book online, call our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.