The Mövenpick Hotel is a touch of Swiss in the heart of Hobart

Last updated 29 November 2022

I came down for some of that fresh Tassie air in April last year (2021) in between COVID lockdowns. I basically never wanted to leave. I fell hard for Hobart.

A global pandemic and the inability to head overseas helped me rediscover a city blessed with water views on one side and a towering volcanic mountain peak on the other. Aside from these natural attractions, Hobart has unique dining options, an accessible waterfront precinct, a unique art gallery, and charming heritage streetscapes lined with historical stone buildings reminiscent of England’s country villages.

And it also has the first Mövenpick hotel to open in Australia. With a convenient central CBD location at 28 Elizabeth Street, it’s super easy for visitors to Tasmania’s capital city to indulge in the modern European vibe at this boutique hotel.

Image of a city skyline with views to the harbour — Hobart city skyline with the Mövenpick Hotel image supplied by the hotel

Please read my review of the Mövenpick Hotel Hobart after my two-night stay in mid-April 2021.

And if you’d like to have a Mövenpick Hotel Hobart experience please follow the link via Booking.com to compare prices. (This internal link allows me to make a small commission at no additional cost to you, should you end up booking.)

Table of Contents

Central CBD location

I’d just completed a four-day guided walk through the stunning Freycinet region. The tour bus dropped me close to the Mövenpick hotel. If you’re arriving by taxi or in an uber, a handy loading zone outside the hotel’s front door makes it easy to disembark with your luggage. Alternatively, if you’re arriving in your own car there is a rear laneway entrance. Valet parking is available (charges apply please check with the hotel.)

The automatic glass doors slide open and I step into the lobby, a contemporary design, uncluttered with understated sophistication. I note a nostalgic European touch on the left: a vase filled with pale pink tulips on a low white coffee table. An informal area to the right presents a nook for guests to gather and comfortably wait for others.

Image of a vase of flowers containing a bunch of pink tulips in the background is a counter — The hotel foyer Mövenpick Hotel Hobart

Tesoro Modern Italian restaurant and bar to the left look inviting. Patrons may choose to perch on comfortable-looking leather high stools at the bar or at low tables at the front. I make a mental note to self: check this out later.

Image of a cocktail bar with a woman sitting on a high stoll and a standing man pulling a beer behind bar — Tesoro restaurant and Bar Mövenpick Hotel Hobart ©Jennifer Johnston

Checking in at reception takes a minute. The staff are friendly and efficient. In no time I’m on my way to the lift to find my room.

The Mövenpick rooms

The hotel’s 221 guestrooms and suites are on floors 3 – 18 with a choice of harbour and city views.

My room #516 is a classic room with a king-size bed (no views – only of city buildings and a laneway). The hotel’s classic styling continues into the spacious neutral-toned rooms. I like the pop of orange on the small chair near the table and the photograph of kunyani / Mt Wellington above the bedhead.

Image of a hotel room showing a large bed and room furnishings — My room is no. 518 classic room with a king-size bed Mövenpick Hotel Hobart ©Jennifer Johnston

I unpack my laptop, toss my hiking backpack into the generously sized wardrobe, and brew a cup of tea (there’s also a coffee machine if you’re a coffee drinker) before trying out the rain shower. (Australian-owned Biology toiletries.)

I take advantage of the coat rack. Handy for those last-minute items you want to grab as you head out the door!

Image of a wall coat rack empty next to a coat rack with coats and scarves on — Making the most of my room’s coat rack at the Mövenpick Hotel Hobart

It’s getting late and I’m feeling peckish. I decide to forego dining in at Tesoro tonight, heading up the street instead. I’ll have a nightcap on my return.

Before I’m ready to head upstairs for bed, I find Restaurant Manager Jozef Uhlarik behind the bar. He mixes me one of Mövenpick hotel’s signature cocktails: the Barile. Wow! I made it last as long as I could.

Image of a man waering a maroon jacket white shirt and tie sitting at a table with a cocktail glass — Mövenpick Hotel Hobart Restaurant Manager Jozef Uhlarik who expertly mixed my Barile cocktail ©Jennifer Johnston

Mövenpick Hotel Hobart Tesoro Restaurant

The following afternoon I ensure I’m back at the hotel for the Mövenpick’s famous chocolate hour daily from 3.30 pm – 4.30 pm. (Please note: a booking is required). With their Swiss Heritage and my love for chocolate, I sense this is going to be a good pairing.

Hotel guests can indulge in complimentary house-baked treats. But for the serious chocolate lover and visitors to the hotel (you don’t have to be a guest) you may wish to indulge in ‘Chocology’ (A delicious word that just rolls off my tongue.)

Chocology is Mövenpick’s alternative to high tea in Hobart. There are a few different selections.

Image of a white plate with chocolates and berries — My very own chocolate hour indulgence at the Mövenpick Hobart Hotel

Or you can add an indulgent cocktail for $25, one that’s designed to complement your chocolate experience. I opted for the double chocolate whammy and ordered a hot chocolate. (My sweet tooth was pleasantly satiated.)

Dining in

You may choose to dine in at the popular Tesoro Restaurant with a selection of yummy Italian-style inspired dishes. Pasta and pizza are handmade daily. The carnivore may choose from a selection of Tasmanian meats (dry-aged for 50 days) which the chef char-grills to perfection before being delivered to your table (the meats not the chef!) AND of course, there are desserts – Italian favourite: tiramisu or bomboloni with vanilla and chocolate custard (of course!) Mmmmmmm!

And if you have space in the morning for breakfast (a la carte style), I can highly recommend the Tesoro breakfast pizza – served piping hot from the oven. Who needs to fly to Italy?!

Image of a wall mural showing a woman dressed in white — Mural at Tesoro modern Italian Restaurant Mövenpick Hotel Hobart

The nearby Hobart attractions

The waterfront precinct is a short stroll from the front door. If it happens to be a Saturday, do not miss the Salamanca Markets. I love these markets so much that I often make sure my Hobart visits include a Saturday so I can shop at my favourite stalls.

If you’re staying on a Sunday and you’ve decided to skip the hotel breakfast, head to the nearby farm gate markets on Bathurst Street where you can pick up locally grown fresh produce or some indulgent bakery treats, including cakes, muffins and doughnuts.

In February this year (on a different Hobart visit), I paid for half a kilo of the most incredibly delicious cherries. I doubt I will ever find a tastier cherry (the bar has been set high!)

Image of waterfront with a jetty and a red ferry — A sunny day at the Hobart waterfront ©Jennifer Johnston

My verdict of the Mövenpick Hotel Hobart

My two-night stay at Mövenpick was over way too soon. As I threw my backpack on and closed my room #518 door for the last time, I felt a twinge of melancholy. Mövenpick Hotel Hobart made me feel at home. From the professional staff offering genuine warmth that extended beyond mere courtesy, to sleeping soundly, cocooned in my comfy king-sized bed and peaceful room, to having all the creature comforts in my minimalist room, I could have stayed a week!

On top of all that, Mövenpick’s indulgent chocolate treats were the piece de resistance – a winning formula for this chocolate lover!

Should you like to have a Mövenpick Hotel Hobart experience please follow the link via Booking.com (An affiliate link that if you end up booking via it, allows me to make a small commission at no additional cost to you.) This allows me to keep doing what I do – writing blog stories to help with your travel decisions.

Image in black and white of a bar and people sitting on high stools on one side of the bar and bar staff making drinks on the other sideone side — The place to order a cocktail, wine, or coffee – the bar in Tesoro Restaurant Movenpick Hotel Hobart ©Jennifer Johnston

Disclaimer: The writer paid a media rate to stay at the Hotel. All opinions expressed are her own and are in no way influenced.