Luxury In Launceston: Stillwater SEVEN
A 180-year-old flour mill has been sensitively restored into a seven-room boutique hotel on the edge of Cataract Gorge.
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(image: Ness Vanderburgh)
While there’s no formalised global standard by which hotels are designated as luxury, most travellers will agree that a number of features are critical to a truly exceptional accommodation experience. From simple conveniences like extra pillows, functional tech and a full-length mirror, to five-star indulgences like custom robes and in-room cocktail provisions, an implicit list of criteria sets an extraordinary stay apart from an average one.
A stay at Stillwater SEVEN promises a tick against each of these criteria, and a host of other luxury details to boot. Offering seven boutique hotel rooms in a sensitively restored 180-year-old flour mill, Stillwater SEVEN retains its heritage features, while providing contemporary amenities, modern comfort and personalised service. Daily deliveries of freshly-baked bread, a pre-loaded Spotify playlist catered to your musical tastes, Netflix access, and moody bathrooms do their bit to ensure Stillwater SEVEN sits firmly in the luxury stakes.
(image: Anjie Blair)
And for the inner gourmand, there’s the minibar … though “minibar” is a misnomer that does no justice to the veritable trove of edible indulgences just waiting to be discovered within each room’s bespoke armoire. In a welcome U-turn from the generic crisps and imported spirits of cookie cutter hotel rooms, the Stillwater SEVEN in-room pantry champions local produce and premium beverages. A grazing platter comes together easily with an offering that includes Tasman sea salt lavosh, roasted Tasmanian nuts and chocolate-coated local berries, not to mention that daily bread and butter delivery - an indulgence to which one might become all too easily accustomed. House-cured meats and antipasto items are available for purchase from the guest lounge to complete the smorgasbord.
It’s natural to accompany such a spread with similarly boujee beverages, and the minibar is happy to deliver on that front, too. Think a glass of local Pinot or a Taylor & Smith dirty martini - pre-mixed and ready to be shaken and poured into the kind of glassware you’d expect in an upmarket restaurant, with all of the necessary bartending kit forming part of the pantry’s furniture.
(image: Ness Vanderburgh)
That a stay at this boutique hotel quickly becomes so food- and drink-centric should come as no surprise. Stillwater SEVEN’s proximity to its sister-in-business and Launceston stalwart, Stillwater Restaurant, presents a very special level of both immersion and convenience. Room service hinges on the restaurant’s menu of local, seasonal and sustainably-harvested produce, and there’s an unspoken - and very welcome - encouragement to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner from the comfort of your own bed, or perched at the suite’s window overlooking the iconic Tamar River.
Perched on the edge of Cataract Gorge, and just 10 minutes’ walk from Launceston’s city centre, Stillwater SEVEN makes the most of its location in the heart of this recently-crowned UNESCO City of Gastronomy with an accommodation offering that won’t soon fail anyone’s luxury litmus test.
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