Prince of Wales Hotel Hobart: Historic Charm & Honest Review

When travellers search for a historic stay in Hobart, the Prince of Wales Hotel in Battery Point consistently appears as a property with layers of history—its current building dates to a 1937 reconstruction, but the pub’s licence traces to 1843. This article examines the hotel’s heritage, accommodation, dining options, and guest feedback to help you decide whether this boutique pub-hotel fits your travel plans, drawing on official listings, review platforms, and local historical records (Discover Tasmania).

Last checked: 2026-08-01

Location: Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania · Distance to center: 2,950 ft · Distance to beach: 1,650 ft · Amenities: Sun terrace, restaurant, bar, free WiFi · Historical note: Last pub in Hobart to serve beer from wooden casks (1945) · Reputation: Welcoming atmosphere, sumptuous meals, cosy boutique

Is the Prince of Wales Hotel worth it?

The property’s worth depends largely on what you prioritise. For travellers seeking a central base within walking distance of Salamanca Market, Constitution Dock, and Hobart’s city centre, the location consistently earns praise from recent guests (TripAdvisor). One January 2025 review noted that the accommodation had been “completely renovated,” describing the Hampden Suite’s balcony views across the Derwent River.

On Expedia, roughly one quarter of reviewers assign a perfect 10/10 rating, while the remainder spread across “Good,” “Okay,” “Poor,” and “Terrible” categories (Expedia Australia). This distribution suggests that the experience can vary. A second 2025 TripAdvisor review praised the “great modern refurbishment,” specifically mentioning double-glazed windows and strong Wi-Fi as improved features (TripAdvisor).

The trade-off is that the hotel operates a lively pub and restaurant on the ground floor, so ambient noise from the bar area is a factor to weigh—particularly for light sleepers. The hotel’s Facebook page reports that 88% of reviewers recommend the venue, a social-media indicator of generally positive sentiment (Facebook).

What is the Prince of Wales Hotel famous for?

The hotel’s best-known historical claim is its role as a gathering place for waterfront workers and locals since the mid-19th century. According to the Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society, the current 1937 building represented a deliberate shift from a simple drinking pub toward a hotel focused on dining, residential guests, and function rooms equipped with fireplaces and leather armchairs (Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society).

Architecturally, the building is described as a four-storey hotel with projecting balconies, aerodynamic horizontal lines, and its name originally rendered in steel ribbon lettering—a distinctive example of interwar modern design in Hobart. The residential entrance originally featured black Vitrolite glass, then a modern material. Etched glass windows at first-floor level incorporate the triple-feathers emblem of the Prince of Wales heraldic badge (Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society).

Socially, the venue reportedly attracted a younger, more stylish clientele—the so-called “smart set”—for nearly two decades after its 1937 opening. The historical society also notes it attracted a homosexual clientele from that period onward, marking the hotel as a site of significance in Hobart’s LGBTQ+ social history, though the evidence for this claim relies on local commentary rather than formal documentation (Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society).

Who owns the Prince of Wales Hotel?

Public records and the sources reviewed for this article do not disclose the current ownership structure of the Prince of Wales Hotel in Battery Point. The official website (princeofwaleshotel.net.au) lists the property as a going concern but does not name an owner or operating group. Similarly, the hotel’s Facebook page (Facebook) describes the business as a “historic pub offering cozy stays” but does not identify ownership.

This absence of publicly available ownership information is not unusual for smaller independently operated pubs in Australia, where venue operators often do not publish ownership details. No linked-entity or corporate registry information appeared in the sources we reviewed.

Is the Prince of Wales Hotel open?

Yes, the Prince of Wales Hotel in Battery Point operates as both a pub and a restaurant with accommodation. OpenTable lists the general opening hours as 11:00 to 22:00 daily, with lunch service from 12:00 to 14:30 and dinner from 17:30 to 20:30 (OpenTable Australia). TripAdvisor’s restaurant listing shows a similar dinner service window of 18:00 to 21:00 (TripAdvisor).

Multiple 2025 guest reviews on TripAdvisor reference recent stays and dining experiences, confirming the venue’s active operation. No closures or service suspensions appeared in any of the sources reviewed (TripAdvisor; Official website).

Is there a pool at the Prince of Wales Hotel?

No. The Prince of Wales Hotel does not feature a swimming pool. The property’s amenities, as listed on its official website and across booking platforms, include a sun terrace, restaurant, bar, and free WiFi (Official website; Expedia Australia).

A 2025 TripAdvisor reviewer noted that no car is required for exploring the city, given the hotel’s walkable location, but mentioned that secure parking is available for larger vehicles—indicating the property’s focus on convenience rather than resort-style facilities (TripAdvisor).

What is the oldest hotel in Hobart?

The Prince of Wales Hotel claims a licence dating to 1843, but it is not universally recognised as the oldest hotel in Hobart. Tourism Tasmania notes that the venue has “long been a favourite gathering place” since that date, and the official website markets itself as operating “since 1843” (Discover Tasmania; Official website). However, the current building at 55 Hampden Road was completed in 1937, replacing an earlier structure (Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society).

Other historic Hobart pubs, such as the Hope and Anchor Tavern (claimed to date from 1807) and the Shipwright’s Arms Hotel, also present claims to seniority. The question of which venue holds the title of “oldest” depends on whether the metric is original licence date, continuous operation, or standing building age—and no single source across our research settles the question definitively.

What is the oldest pub in Hobart, Tasmania?

The Prince of Wales Hotel is among the historic contenders but is not consistently named as the oldest. The Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society’s detailed building note focuses on the hotel’s architectural and social history rather than making a claim to primacy (Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society).

Tasmanian pub history often cites the Hope and Anchor Tavern as the oldest continuously licensed venue in Hobart, though the Prince of Wales Hotel’s 1843 origins place it among the earliest surviving pub sites in Battery Point. Without an official heritage listing that explicitly ranks establishment dates, the title remains a matter of local contention rather than settled fact.

“The Prince of Wales Hotel became a symbol of the Battery Point community’s fight to preserve the suburb’s heritage during redevelopment debates in the 1960s and 1970s.”

— Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania)

Specifications & verified facts

Pros and cons for different traveller types

Best for which travellers?

• Couples: The Hampden Suite with balcony views across the Derwent River has drawn positive comments from recent guests. The Battery Point neighbourhood offers romantic walking routes past sandstone cottages and waterfront paths.
• Families: Secure parking and proximity to tourist sites (Salamanca Market, Constitution Dock) are helpful. However, the hotel’s pub atmosphere and absence of dedicated children’s facilities may suit families who plan to be out exploring rather than on-site.
• Budget-conscious travellers: The hotel positions itself as mid-range accommodation. No published rate data appears in the sources reviewed, but the Expedia rating and review sentiment suggest pricing consistent with similar 3–4 star heritage pubs in central Hobart.
• History enthusiasts: The 1937 architectural heritage, the site’s 1843 origins, and the building’s role in Battery Point’s 1960s–70s preservation movement offer substantial material for visitors interested in Tasmanian social and architectural history.

Pricing band

No specific room rates or menu prices appear across the sources reviewed for this article. The Expedia listing (which aggregates booking data) classifies the Prince of Wales Hotel as a mid-range property, consistent with other heritage pub-hotels in Hobart’s historic districts (Expedia Australia).

For dining, OpenTable’s general categories place the restaurant in a moderate price tier, and the high ambience score on that platform suggests the dining experience aligns with its setting rather than with budget or luxury benchmarks (OpenTable Australia).

Location and getting there

The Prince of Wales Hotel sits at 55 Hampden Road in Battery Point, a residential neighbourhood built on a peninsula directly south of Hobart’s central business district. The walk to Franklin Square in the CBD takes roughly 10–12 minutes. Salamanca Place is about 8 minutes on foot, passing through historic streets lined with Georgian and Victorian cottages (Discover Tasmania; TripAdvisor).

From Hobart Airport (HBA), the hotel is approximately a 20-minute drive via the Tasman Bridge. Public bus services run from the airport to the city centre, after which a short walk or taxi ride covers the remaining distance to Battery Point. The hotel’s location near a boardwalk, as noted on Expedia, reinforces its proximity to the waterfront (Expedia Australia).

Alternatives to the Prince of Wales Hotel

Travellers considering the Prince of Wales Hotel in Battery Point may also encounter references to the Prince of Wales Hotel in Evandale, a separate property located in the northern Tasmanian town of Evandale. These are distinct businesses with no shared ownership or management. The Evandale venue is not covered in the sources for this article; readers should ensure they are booking the correct property.

Within Hobart, alternative accommodation in similar historic settings includes the Exchange Hotel Balmain (another historic pub-hotel with accommodation, though located in Sydney rather than Tasmania) and the Hotel Australasia in Eden (a boutique heritage hotel on the New South Wales south coast, not a direct substitute). For Hobart-specific options, travellers might consider the Henry Jones Art Hotel (waterfront, luxury), the Islington Hotel (boutique heritage in South Hobart), or the Maylands Lodge (historic mansion in West Hobart)—none of which were assessed in the sources for this review.

Our pick: who should book the Prince of Wales Hotel?

For those exploring Tasmania’s historic pub accommodations, the New Norfolk Hotel review offers another charming option in the Derwent Valley.

Frequently asked questions

Timeline: Key dates in the hotel’s history

• 1843: Original pub licence established; venue becomes a gathering place for waterfront workers and travellers (Discover Tasmania).
• 1936: Earlier 19th-century building on the Hampden Road site demolished (Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society).
• 1937: Current four-storey hotel completed, designed by architect Robert H. McIntyre and built by Hansen & Yuncken. The venue shifts focus toward dining, residential guests, and function rooms (Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society).
• Circa 1937–1955: Hotel attracts a “smart set” clientele; also noted as a gathering place for Hobart’s LGBTQ+ community according to local historical commentary (Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society).
• 1960s: All bedrooms modernised; small sympathetic rear addition constructed. This is the only major structural alteration to the 1937 building (Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society).
• 1960s–1970s: Property becomes a symbol in Battery Point’s heritage preservation movement during redevelopment debates (Discover Tasmania).
• 2024–2025: Accommodation undergoes complete renovation; reviewers note double-glazed windows, modern bathrooms, and strong Wi-Fi (TripAdvisor).

Sources cited

• Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) – Prince of Wales Hotel listing – Official tourism authority; used for location, 1843 establishment date, heritage preservation context.
• Sandy Bay & Kingston Historical Society – Prince of Wales Hotel building history – Detailed architectural and social history; used for 1937 building date, architect, and clientele information.
• Prince of Wales Hotel official website – Self-description, amenities, “since 1843” claim.
• Expedia Australia – The Prince Of Wales Hotel – Guest rating (7.6/10, 388 reviews), check-in age, neighbourhood description.
• TripAdvisor – ‘Stay at the Prince Of Wales Hotel’ review (Feb 25, 2025) – Recent accommodation review, Hampden Suite details.
• TripAdvisor (Chinese edition) – ‘Great modern refurbishment’ review (Jan 2025) – Double-glazed windows, Wi-Fi.
• OpenTable Australia – Prince of Wales Hotel Battery Point – Diner rating (4.2/5), opening hours, lunch and dinner service times.
• Prince of Wales Hotel Hobart – Facebook page – 88% recommendation rate, venue description.