Chill Tasmania

We felt unsafe from the moment we arrived. A large “PRD Hobart For Sale” sign was out front, as shown in the photo, and we couldn’t work out where the house was. Several houses next door were overgrown, with grass about half a person tall, and the driveway edges at this property were overgrown too. The place looked abandoned. Inside, it smelled like dead animals. The bedroom sheets were filthy and covered in black marks, and one pillowcase was yellow with sweat. We were both frightened and felt as if someone might break in at any moment. We called booking.com right away to ask to move to another property. The representative showed no empathy and called the owner, who threatened me, asking “what’s wrong with you?” and saying “you don’t have a family, only two persons” and “I will come out to you,” which sounded like I’d be in trouble. My partner was crying loudly, but neither the owner nor booking.com seemed to care. We left immediately because we were afraid the owner would trap us in White Beach, and stayed somewhere else at Hobart Airport. I later contacted booking.com for a refund, but they said the owner had taken the money, even though I hadn’t agreed to that in the first place. Ten days later, the owner still hadn’t responded to booking.com’s refund requests.

The host was kind and drove out to meet us. We loved the bay view and the furnishings, and the living room was the warmest spot. The bedroom was really cold because the heater was in the living room, so we had to bundle up. There’s a washing machine but no dryer, which meant hanging our laundry to dry.

The host was welcoming and had plenty of information to share. This is a well-equipped one-bedroom unit on a slope, with a nice view across the bay. The building felt a bit like a prefab, one step above what we’d call a mobile home in the UK. The washing machine won’t be much use if you’re only staying one night, as there’s no tumble dryer.

The accommodation was good, and the sunset over the bay was fabulous. The views are the real highlight. Parking was difficult at night because the area was very dark, so better lighting there would help. A dryer to go with the washing machine would be useful as well.