THE PLACE
To quote that dishevelled and disoriented brief inThe Castle,"it's the vibe and,no,that's it,it's the vibe. I rest my case". For sure,"Vibe",as a word and name,sounds a little (at best) 1998 - the year the cherished Australian flick was released. But,fortunately,there's nothing at all otherwise antiquated about the Vibe Hotel Hobart. This appealing 15-storey,142-room property opened late last year,part of a flurry of successive flash new digs in the compact Tasmanian capital which was enjoying an international and domestic tourism boom before the pandemic.
THE LOCATION
Initially,Vibe Hobart's strategic position on Argyle Street,right in the midst of the Royal Hobart Hospital campus from which it no doubt draws some of its clientele,is a trifle uninspiring. But it proves more than handy to the Constitution Dock arm of the picturesque Sullivans Cove waterfront facing the Derwent River and across from buzzy restaurant,cafe and bar-studded Salamanca Place. While set on the eastern edge of the CBD,the heart of the compact city centre is literally around the corner with the Derwent Riverside Queens Domain parklands,a feature of Hobart since 1860,a short stroll away.
THE SPACE
The hotel - the first under the Vibe brand in Tasmania - is built on the former site of a 1820s colonial house of Anthony Fenn Kemp,an early pioneer of Van Diemen's Land. The snug,snazzily decked-out lobby includes the reception,a small lounge with a thoughtfully-included fireplace (it probably flickers on more days than most in a typically crisp Hobart year),and the street-facing Belvedere,the Vibe Hobart's all-day dining venue. Upstairs,a surprise and bonus amenity is a local climate-friendly heated swimming pool (bugger,we forgot to pack our togs).
THE ROOM
We've scored a top floor,two-bedroom contemporary-styled apartment with magnificent views of the city,river and mountain. This splurge-worthy,mini-penthouse,soberly but smartly furnished and designed,proves to be a cosy hidey-hole on a late autumn day before we eventually venture out in the chill early evening. There's a sizeable terrace running off the large living,dining and kitchenette space. The two bedrooms'furnishings are sourced from Tasmanian oak and crafted locally. Frankly,you could live here and,by the look of them,the less substantial and more affordable rooms won't disappoint either.