MOSS Hotel - 39

MOSS Hotel - 39 offers a small-scale Hobart stay in the historic Salamanca Place precinct, within Battery Point. The hotel occupies two restored sandstone warehouses: number 25, built in 1841 by merchant Bernard Walford, and number 39, built in 1832 by Thomas Hewitt. Rather than disguising the buildings’ past, the design retains original rafters, ironwork, exposed stone and Georgian proportions, pairing them with contemporary finishes and modern comforts.

The number 39 building has a quieter, more intimate character, with lower ceilings and the warmth of its older stonework. Its Bower Rooms offer Georgian proportions and considered finishes, while the Grove Balcony is the hotel’s only room with a private outdoor balcony and looks directly over Salamanca Place. Other room types across the two buildings include the Loft Rooms, set beneath original iron rafters, Pod Rooms, which face a private lightwell, Grove Bath rooms with a freestanding bath, and Grove Rooms with strong natural light. The buildings are about 75 metres apart, linked by a short walk along Salamanca Place, so the choice of room also shapes the feel of the stay.

Between the room and the street, the hotel’s foyers, stairwells, planted lightwells and quieter corners continue the same restrained palette of sandstone, timber and low-lit interiors. Contemporary Tasmanian art and craft are displayed throughout the buildings, adding a local layer to the architectural story. The project was led by Tasmanian architects Circa Morris Nunn, whose approach focused on conservation and adaptive reuse, with a brief to preserve what was already there and add as little as possible. Melbourne studio Ongarato developed the visual identity, which received an AHEAD Asia award in 2020; the hotel also won the Tasmanian Architecture Award for Commercial Architecture that year.

MOSS suits travellers who want to stay close to Hobart’s cultural and waterfront areas without giving up a calm retreat. Salamanca Market, the waterfront, galleries, restaurants, bars and the MONA ferry are all described as being within easy walking distance, making the hotel a practical base for a romantic getaway, a long weekend, a food and wine trip or a broader Tasmanian holiday. It is particularly well matched to couples and solo travellers who value distinctive architecture, design and a central location. The supplied listing records a 4.3 Google rating from 193 reviews.