MACq 01 Hotel is located in the heart of Hobart, Tasmania, and offers a rare combination of a central location, luxurious accommodation and excellent accessibility. In fact, MACq 01 has won awards for its access and inclusion. This hotel puts the “wow” into “wow factor” and as a result had me repeating that over and over as we toured our rooms on arrival, to the point where the family told me I needed to stop.
It’s an absolute pleasure to have the opportunity to review MACq 01 Hotel and share our experience during our stay. My only complaint is that one night is not enough. Be warned, this hotel spoils you for any future hotel stays.
MACq 01 Hotel Hobart review
MACq 01 offers guests with access needs the option of accessible rooms or an accessible suite. We had the pleasure of staying in both a Premium Accessible Waterfront Suite, and a neighbouring Premium Waterfront Suite (non-accessible).
Each room features a story and memorabilia highlighting a prominent Tasmanian and their place in history. This clever take on history introduced us to Mr Helma Henry Hastings Huxley (aka Taffy the Bee Man) known for his prowess with bees and Ida West, a lady who played an important role in the continuing story of the reclaiming and recognition of indigenous history and land rights in Tasmania.
Wheeling into the suite we were immediately impressed by the spaciousness of the room and the uninterrupted views of the harbour and Mt Wellington from the floor to ceiling glass doors. It’s always refreshing to have a lounge and additional seating in accommodation without compromising the circulation space. And we certainly had circulation space to spare.
For our purposes, the accessible suite was configured with a king size bed but keep in mind you can request to have twin beds instead if this better suits your needs. This just needs to be requested at the time of booking.
Bedroom facts – entry door 91cm (35.8 inches), bed height 61cm (24 inches) and clearance under the bed 7cm (2.75 inches).
Travelling with copious amounts of luggage we were delighted to find plenty of storage space, including luggage racks for our suitcases and hanging rails at varying heights.
It’s rare to wheel into an accessible bathroom and discover not only a step-free shower, but also a lovely bath. At home I find it difficult to justify time soaking in a bath, grabbing a quick shower instead, but when we travel I love a deep soak so this bath was a welcome sight. I can report that it is as every bit as fabulous as it looks and Braeden really enjoyed having the choice too.
Accessibility has not been compromised with the luxurious bathroom design,
with lever taps, grab rails and lowered amenities. It’s wonderful to have wheelchair access available to the wash basin but as is often the case, there is no space for a toiletries bag.
We give a perfect score to the shower design with all toiletries within reach when seated on the shower bench.
I was so overwhelmed and excited while touring this suite I managed to miss taking a photo of the toilet. So, if you’d like to take a look at its position in the bathroom you’ll need to watch the video tour above where it is included.
Bathroom facts – bathroom entry 98cm (38.5 inches), shower bench 47cm (18.5 inches), toilet height to pan 43cm (16.9 inches) and toilet height to seat 46cm (18.1 inches).
Sliding glass doors bring the outdoors in and provide excellent accessibility to the spacious patio with comfortable seating and uninterrupted views.
We certainly value being able to enjoy an outdoor space so it would be great to see more properties providing access outside.
Coffee, tea and a mini-fridge was all we needed for our overnight stay and it was refreshing to find that all amenities were located at a lowered height for ease of access.
We were greeted with a cracking sunrise and although I could view it from bed, I couldn’t resist going outside to fully experience one of Tasmania’s fresh crisp mornings. Not a bit of pollution to be seen.
If we were staying longer we would have made use of the free guest laundry which was on the same level as the accessible suite. Even the laundry powder is complimentary.
MACq 01 Hotel blends modern facilities and features with a warm and cosy vibe. If we weren’t travelling with our on-the-go guy, I can imagine lingering for a drink in the lounge but alas, Braeden always feels we should be exploring not relaxing.
Braeden does appreciate an excellent breakfast though and he certainly gave MACq 01 Hotel a top score for the options, and our waiter deserves a special mention.
Guests choosing to include breakfast in their MACq 01 hotel stay are offered a cooked item from the a la carte menu and free reign on the continental buffet.
All of us enjoyed our breakfast immensely and our waiter, Ajeet, was so lovely with Braeden. He encouraged Braeden to try the french toast and although it isn’t something Braeden would normally order, absolutely loved it. Mind you, it is no ordinary French Toast with house made milk bread, pistachio creme patisserie, strawberry anglaise and sheep’s yoghurt sorbet. It seems our son has fancy taste buds.
Valet parking was included in our stay and staff kindly parked our hire car in the accessible spaces close to the hotel’s ramp access which leads to automatic opening doors.
Storyteller’s Tour
MACq 01 Hotel guests are invited to join a Storyteller’s Tour during their stay. As it was complimentary we decided to join the tour and figured if it wasn’t of interest we could just leave. Jessica, our guide, was so interesting and engaging we were all thoroughly entertained by the Henry Jones Art Tour.
A glass of sparkling set the tone as we wandered the corridors of the hotel learning more about the artworks, the history and the artists. We always find we get so much more out of a tour rather than just wandering on our own, and given this collection is housed in a hotel, it needs to be viewed on a tour. Braeden was surprisingly engaged and loved being a part of the group.
A range of tours run throughout the week including, Drinks with the Distiller, One Hundred and Fourteen Doors (this explores the doors and history at MACq 01 Hotel), Gin Tales, Hidden Hobart – the Viewfinder Tour, Sticky Stones & Secrets (perfect if you like a little intrigue).
We found the complimentary tour a really lovely bonus inclusion and if you stay at MACq 01 Hotel, I highly recommend joining one. Bookings need to be made with reception.
If you are visiting Hobart and you are looking for an elevated hotel stay, we can highly recommend MACq 01 Hotel, both for accessibility and overall experience. I would add, although the hotel is in a fabulous location for accessing Hobart’s attractions, if you only have one night, make sure you check-in as soon as the room is ready and allow time in your itinerary to soak in the opulence.
We were hosted for our stay at MACq 01 Hotel but as you will hopefully appreciate from the photos and video, this hotel deserves our high praise.
