Alabama Hotel Hobart – Boutique Accommodation on a Budget

The terms ‘Boutique Hotel’ and ‘Budget Accommodation’ don’t usually sit together in the same sentence, but on my last trip to Tasmania we stayed in a little place in Hobart that ticked both those boxes and did it well.

If you are looking for Budget Accommodation in Hobart, you can’t get better, or more central than the Alabama Hotel.

The Mr and I spent a couple of days in Hobart at the end of our Tasmanian East Coast Road Trip. It was a last minute budget escape, and I was delighted to find quite a nice hotel room for under $100 per night at the Alabama.

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Originally built in the 1830’s ‘The Alabama’ has had a long an colourful history. It’s facade was updated to it’s current Deco style in the 1920’s but apart from that, much of the layout of the building remains unchanged. The Pub downstairs is now retail space, but the old ‘pub rooms’ were given a new lease on life by artists Aedan Howlett and partner Kelly Cloake.

Image courtesy Hotel Alabama website

The new 17 room boutique Alabama Hotel is on the 1st and 2nd floors of this historic building and has a cool eclectic retro vibe. Filled with plants, artwork and comfortable vintage furniture, the common areas and guest lounge are super welcoming and invite you to linger.

Guest Lounge – Image courtesy Hotel Alabama website

The rooms are small but comfortable and impeccably clean. Each room is unique and features artwork and murals by local artist. The beds are comfortable and made with fresh white linen; towels and a small handmade soap are provided. You’ll find a small bar fridge in each room, but no TV or kettle.

Standard Queen Room – Image courtesy Hotel Alabama website

With Queen Rooms starting at $90 per night you’d be hard pressed to find better value budget accommodation in Hobart.

So what’s the catch?  You’ll have to share a bathroom.

A shared bathroom has never bothered me, but if the thought of walking down the hall for a shower is not your style, maybe this place isn’t for you.

We stayed as a couple, and although the Alabama Hotel welcomes children, each room only accommodates two guests, so you’ll need to keep that in mind if travelling with kids.

Water Station – Filtered water is supplied for guests with bottles you can take to your room.

Apart from the guest lounge area the Alabama’s small licensed bar and gorgeous plant filled balcony is available for guest use between 8am-9pm daily. It’s a great place to grab a tea or coffee in the mornings, and although breakfasts aren’t included, they have some muesli and light breakfast options available if you don’t want to go out.

Image courtesy Hotel Alabama website

The bar is also a cool place to grab a drink before dinner, and if the weather is nice I recommend sitting out on the balcony with a local ale.

Other highlights:

• Free WiFi
• Walking distance to almost everywhere in Hobart
• Super friendly staff
• Deluxe and Twin Rooms Available (neither have ensuites)

You may need to consider:

• No onsite parking – we parked our car at a local shopping centre carpark at the cost of around $70 for 3 days.
• No tea/coffee making or cooking facilities – but you are welcome to bring your own takeaway meals to eat in lounge area. You won’t be able to consume outside alcohol in lounge due to licensing rules. It’s fine in your room though.
• Street noise can be bothersome on Friday and Saturday nights. The Deluxe rooms have double glazing but our room had regular windows. Apparently the rooms towards the back of the hotel are the quietest.
• No lift – You’ll need to be able to carry your own luggage up 1-2 flights of stairs.

Overall I enjoyed our stay at the Alabama Hotel and would go back again if I was looking for budget accommodation in Hobart. In hindsight we didn’t need our hire car at all in Hobart and returning it earlier would have saved us paying for offsite parking. Hobart is really quite small so you can walk just about anywhere without too much effort.

I’d recommend the Alabama for couples or a group of friends travelling in multiples of 2’s. A family with two older kids could easily stay in 2 separate rooms, but it may be tricky for younger kids in separate rooms with the hallway bathroom situation.

I’m sure a baby/toddler would be welcomed to share one of the Deluxe rooms (which are much roomier) if you brought your own port-a-cot.

We stayed in a Standard Queen Room the Alabama Hotel in Hobart for two nights at the end of our Tasmanian East Coast Road Trip in Nov 2016. Our stay was self-funded and cost $85 per night.