My Review - Beauty Point Riviera Hotel, Beauty Point - Travelling with Kids

For our last night in Tassie I decided we needed a change of scenery and it was perfect timing considering I wasn’t too happy with the Tamar Valley Resort. I had read a review about the Beauty Point Riviera Hotel and as I had planned to visit Seahorse World and Platypus House, it was the perfect place for the night. Beauty Point Tasmania is a sleepy little seaside town, much like the Great ocean Road towns use to be like.

Contents

Cost:

Per room for 2 adults/ per night $95.oo

Per child $15.00

With Craig back in Melbourne one of the kids slept with me so I only had to pay for the other two.

Getting to Beauty Point Tasmania:

We checked out of the Tamar Valley Resort at 10am and headed up to Beauty Point stopping at the Exeter Information Centre on the way. We visited Seahorse World and Platypus House and then went to drop off our things at the hotel. I had a bit of trouble finding it because it faces the water and you enter from the back.

The hotel is around a 30 min drive from Launceston passing Grindelwald, Exeter and Beaconsfield. Beaconsfield is infamous for the collapse of the mine there trapping two miners underground for almost three weeks before they were rescued on live television. It was beamed around the world where millions watched them walk free to their families.

Family Hotel:

The Beauty Point Riviera Hotel is an art-deco hotel facing the Tamar River about a 30 min drive from Launceston, Tasmania. The day that we were there was the 12 month anniversary of when the owners had purchased the hotel. They bought it as a family and are planning on doing quite a few changes to the hotel. I must admit that the hotel is currently a little run down but I think this family are going to make all the difference.

KT, was behind the bar the afternoon we arrived. She currently has 9 grandchildren, 3 kids and their partners and her husband all playing a part in the running of the hotel. I think it was the sons-in-law doing the work to the back entrance upon our arrival, her daughter was the chef and her grand-daughter serving. A real family affair and I get the feeling that there’s a lot of love there to turn the hotel into something wonderful.

When we arrived I was going to drop our bags off and head off to Low Head to see the penguin parade. I gave the kids the choice of doing that or staying at the hotel for the night, watching the sunset and then eating in the restaurant downstairs. To my amazement they chose the sunset and dinner at the pub.

We were lucky enough to be the only ones, other than the owners, staying at the hotel. This meant that we got room#5. This I am told, is the best room in the hotel for taking in the sunset. The kids sat and watched TV and played on their iPod’s for an hour or so and I watched the sunset over the Tamar River. It really is a very pretty spot.

The room was a little run down and lacked a bit of heating for that time of year but I have to commend them for some of the big ideas for the place. They are going to update the bathroom which will go a long way for the overall look of the rooms. The room was large and had a double bed and a set of bunks, which was really handy. KT said that if they get a family of 5 there is space for an extra roll away bed in the rooms as well. I think this is great value as we regularly have to pay for two rooms and this limits the amount of travelling we can do.

The meals in the hotel are large and good value. Its your usual pub fair with parma’s and steaks and kids meals priced around $10. The girls shared a pizza and Caelan had the chicken nuggets but I couldn’t eat all of my very generous parma. The kids finished off with ice cream.

There was a pool competition on, it seemed to attract quite a few regulars. The accommodation is all upstairs and there is no lift so pack light! The restaurant looks out to the Tamar River and I think in the summer during daylight savings it would be beautiful to sit in the restaurant eating your dinner and watching the sun set.

Another great feature of the hotel would have to be the beer garden during the summer. I could see them utilising the area in front of the hotel and on the banks of the River with tables and chairs set out on the grass. It would be awesome with a band on a Friday and Saturday afternoon!

Would I go back:

For sure! It’s budget but I loved it. I wish I’d been there in summer, I could picture the great vibe it would have. The location is perfect and when KT and the team have made some of the changes its going to be back to its former glory! Just give me a bit of sunshine and a Boag’s and place me in the beer garden any day!