Going To Hobart? We Recommend Staying At Graham Apartments

We recently made a quick overnight trip south to Hobart from the West Coast and, having twins under one and a three year old, the drive takes a while; between 4 - 5 hours depending on how long you stop for when you take breaks. There are a many great short walks such as the Franklin River Nature Trail and Donaghys Lookout, both worth the visit! We set off early hoping to make the most of the afternoon in Hobart, once we arrived.

Lake Burbury, near Queenstown.

Pack some snacks. Youll need them!

Along the way, we stopped in at the Hungry Wombat at Derwent Bridge. This is around the half way mark (travel time, not distance) on the Lyell Highway between Queenstown and Hobart. We always stop here for a coffee and something to eat. There are toilets (very basic) and ample parking. Its a nice location and the staff are always friendly. The Hungry Wombat is also just down the road from the entrance to Lake St Clair and The Wall in the Wilderness.

Derwent Bridge, winter 2017.

Before we left home we made our accommodation booking, and booked a place online this time. We usually call direct. Booking online can have its risks especially if you request items like a porta-cot via the 'leave a message' section like we did. We have had our fair share of good and bad accommodation, and this time thankfully, we stumbled upon a gem...

Main entrace

Graham Apartments is located just out of the Hobart CBD, but close enough to still be a part of the city. The entry is grand and very enchanting with giant heritage listed trees enclosing the driveway which is off a small, quiet street not far from the Kmart and Coles Shopping Complex. The property has been accommodation for many years now, with a large amount of adults returning with their own children; having stayed their as kids themselves 20 odd years before.

Image by Graham Apartments

Reception was easy to find and we arrived out of their reception opening hours on the Sunday afternoon. To collect our key there was a security box which we required a code for, and they had rung us the day we booked to provide it. It was very easy to use!

Entry to our two bedroom apartment.

For the five of us with the twins still in porta-cots, we booked a two bedroom apartment for $165 for the one night. When we entered our room there was a lovely little welcome bag on the table waiting for us. Inside, was four Cadbury Freddo Frog chocolates, a pen and some welcome information including the password for the free WiFi! We do love free WiFi!

Our welcome pack

Whilst not overly large, the apartment space was big enough to not be walking on top of each other. The two bedrooms were big enough for a porta cot each and our bags as well as the beds.

Main bedroom.

It is always a relief when you arrive at your accommodation to find its clean, comfortable and well equipped. This was the case at Graham Apartments. The bedding was fresh smelling and warm, and the beds were comfortable. I was particularly impressed with the state of the porta-cots as they were near new and immaculately clean. Staff had called us the day of our arrival offering a highcahir as well!

Second bedroom.

The bathroom was reasonably sized; the door was enough distance away from the sink and shower to not feel cramped or claustrophobic like some accommodation bathrooms. The shower was great too, with fantastic water pressure - always a bonus after a long drive! What I loved most about this bathroom is that you could smell how clean it was as soon as you opened the door and it was not the smell of a deodorizer spray, but decent cleaning liquids. It was spotless - not a strand of hair in sight!

Kitchen

The kitchen was far bigger than anticipated for the size of the apartment, and had everything you would need for a travelling family - microwave, oven, stove top, large fridge, full cooking utensils, pots and pans, plastic containers ect. It was fantastic. There was even a chilled jug of water in the fridge which was greatly appreciated as it was a hot day. You could easily stay here and cook all your own meals to save money and the supermarket is literally only a couple of kilometers down the road.

Two Bedroom Apartment - Bathroom Image by Graham Apartments

Image by Graham Apartments

Graham Apartments has wonderful gardens. We spent a bit of time wandering around and our eldest really enjoyed smelling the beautiful flowers. There is a BBQ area with seating near the center of the property, which I am sure would be used often.

Graham Apartments reception

Parking is right outside your apartment. Some of the rooms are on the upper levels only accessible by stairs which start right at the carpark.

Tassie4Kids Graham Apartments

We have to commend the teams wonderful approach to family accommodation. Not only do they have a range of child items for use, such as porta-cots, highchairs and baby baths, they also have a vast amount of information available for families on what to do in the area and how far to travel to wonderful parks and reserves.

BBQ area. Image by Graham Apartments

We loved the fact that we were called to discuss our needs with the kids. Graham Apartments really pride themselves on making yuor stay as comfortable as possible, especially if you're travelling with kids. The amount of family info in their compendium was outstanding.

Three bedroom Apartment. Image by Graham Apartments

We posted about our room on our Tassie4Kids Facebook not long after we arrived. It appears Graham Apartments is very popular; here are some of the comments by other families who have stayed:

Wendy - I stayed here in May... although they didn't inform me that had such a lot of stuff for kids once I realised it was great... having a high chair makes so much difference with a baby (And a toddler). Would definitely stay again... great location too.

Christine - We’ve stayed a few times and highly recommend.

Jenny - We’ve stayed a few times and highly recommend.

Main entry. Photo by Graham Apartmenst.

One bedroom apartment. Image by Graham Apartments

We will definitely be staying again. Be sure to call them direct to book or head to their website. They are lovely people and more than accommodating for your families needs.

If you have any experiences of staying at Graham Apartments, or even some recommendations for families in the area, we would love to know!

Happy travelling!

A + D :)