Moss Hotel

Moss Hotel opened in stages through June 2019 inside two restored Georgian sandstone warehouses on Hobart's Salamanca Place, a 41-room independent boutique hotel from the family-owned Behrakis Group. Circa Morris Nunn Architects and Studio Ongarato reworked the 1832 and 1841 buildings, which had never previously operated as a hotel.

The place

Salamanca Place, on Hobart's waterfront, minutes from the Salamanca Market and the ferry to MONA.

The warehouses stand on the old dock front, where Georgian sandstone trading stores still line the street. Restaurants, bars and cafés occupy the neighbouring buildings, so the hotel relies on them rather than offering its own.

The concept

Moss occupies two Georgian sandstone warehouses on Salamanca Place (No. 39, built in 1832, and No. 25, built in 1841), originally waterfront trading warehouses that had never operated as a hotel before this conversion. Circa Morris Nunn Architects, described as leaders in conservation and adaptive reuse in Tasmania, reimagined the interiors as an inner-city retreat inspired by nature, while Studio Ongarato developed the hotel's brand identity, naming and art direction. The 41 rooms opened in two stages, completing in June 2019.

The name references moss growing on rock as a symbol of renewal on the heritage buildings. Fabio Ongarato, the studio's creative director, reads green as life, renewal and growth.

The palette follows that idea: deep moss and forest greens set against Tasmanian timbers. Raw timber beams and sandstone block walls were kept, vertical gardens bring plants indoors, and the bathrooms have dark green tiles and black ceilings.

The 41 rooms run over two storeys and an attic level, in six types named loft, pod, bower, grove, grove balcony and grove bath. Each room and common area carries a commissioned print by the Australian photographer Derek Henderson, showing sides of Hobart and Tasmania that visitors rarely see.

The lobby is the social room, with an open fireplace, woolly blankets, fur throws and velvet upholstery.

Dining & wellness

There is no on-site restaurant or bar; guests are encouraged to use the hotel's central living space, with minibar service, and walk to Salamanca Place's restaurants, bars and cafés, all steps from the entrance. The hotel's Host's Bible lists local restaurants and wine bars for guests who want recommendations.