The Fox and Hounds Historic Hotel

The food was absolutely bang on delicious. My wife and I had the bangers n mash, roast pork (LGE), and garlic bread. I’d read mixed reviews about the food, but that was our experience. I would’ve taken photos, except we were starving and ate it all before I thought about the review. The accommodation is sound, though the bed definitely needs replacing with something softer and better quality. This place has so much potential and could be epic. Being able to step out from the rooms onto a veranda or balcony and enjoy wine while watching the water would be amazing.

We only stopped in to eat one evening and didn’t stay at the hotel, so this is about the restaurant. The service was slow and seemed disinterested, and the food was easily the worst we had on our entire holiday. It felt like the chef had learned only that salt adds flavour, and used that small bit of knowledge so heavily that our meals were close to inedible. From outside, the building looked like an old English pub. Inside, it was grubby and twee. Had they downloaded the decorations from Wikipedia or something? Overall, it was a miss.

Port Arthur is a very small, isolated settlement with only a few locally supported cafes and restaurants. We hadn’t quite realised that before our two-night stay, but the place has a lot of true Aussie spirit. The staff were so friendly and helpful that we were fed exceptionally well and couldn’t fault the experience. Rosy and JJ at the Fox and Hound made us feel comfortable and at home, and the Barramundi and Scotch fillet were exceptional. We’ll recommend it and definitely come back.

Every staff member I dealt with was friendly, welcoming, and helpful. Still, the room cleanliness alone is why I gave two stars. The floors hadn’t been vacuumed properly, with visible dirt and dead insects; the furniture hadn’t been wiped down well, there were cobwebs on the ceiling, and the windows were noticeably dirty. The building is lovely and the location exceptional, but the place feels poorly maintained. I stayed in six hotels over seven days while travelling around Tasmania, and this was the only one that fell short of basic cleanliness. The water also appeared untreated and came out yellow from the taps. Because of the cleanliness, I didn’t eat at the on-site restaurant. With proper cleaning and maintenance, this could be a fantastic place to stay. As it is now, I wouldn’t recommend spending your hard-earned money here.