Hotel Review: Change Overnight, Launceston TAS

Staying in Australia’s first social enterprise hotel teaches the true value of a good night’s sleep.

Details

Change Overnight
25 York Street
Launceston, Tasmania

The back story

In a cosy loft room of a repurposed central-Launceston warehouse, I wake from one of the soundest sleeps I’ve had in a long time. Not just because the city’s newest boutique hotel is flash and has all the creature comforts, but because I know my stay has had a positive impact on the outside world.

Like buying your toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap (it donates half its profits to help build toilets where they’re most needed) or purchasing TOMS shoes (every pair of shoes bought equals a new pair for a child in need), you can now choose to stay in a social enterprise hotel. It’s called Change Overnight and is the only one of its kind in Australia, and apparently one of only two in the world.
Every night at Change supports one of eight causes. When I made my booking I picked Be Her Freedom – a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to ending human trafficking.

This 18-room hotel officially opened in June 2019. It is the brainchild of young Tasmanian entrepreneurs Tara Howell, of award-winning Blue Derby Pods Ride, and Sam Haberle of S. Group. After teaming up with like-minded locals Toby Wilkin and Marcel Anstie, the idea quickly progressed from conceptual to concrete. Collectively, these four are a social capitalist force to be reckoned with.

The main room of the social enterprise hotel’s three-bedroom penthouse

First impressions

Like the city of Launceston, Change Overnight doesn’t look like much from a distance, but its appeal increases with proximity. I arrive late on a winter’s afternoon only a few days after the official launch. The building’s exterior and entrance are understated. Inside, along a subdued hallway – symbolic of the blinkers we wear to the world’s problems or perhaps our sense of helplessness in the face of so many – are lettered doors. I’m in F: a one-bedroom, two-storey apartment.

Behind each door is a far brighter and more positive space, decorated with a dynamic hand-painted mural and OZ Design furniture. Striking outdoor seating areas have been created using the building’s original exterior walls, minus the windows and roof. Views from this low-rise building take in the underrated city’s retro skyline and heritage homes.

The property

Operations manager Anna Gibson, who has been integral to the hotel’s interior design, shows me around. The three-bedroom penthouse is particularly appealing. Afternoon sun streams through a wall of windows in the main room onto the comfy chairs and couches, linen throws and cowhide floor coverings. ‘Thanks for being a life changer’ is stencilled on a door.

Change is a self-check-in hotel with state-of-the-art keyless access. Apartments are self-contained but you can choose to have your towels refreshed daily instead of every few days. “It’s literally like Airbnb but a hotel version," explains Anna. And all sorts of people have already booked to stay, she tells me, including footy fans, corporate groups, solo travellers, couples, families. “There’s no reason you wouldn’t choose us. Our price is competitive, our product’s amazing," says Tara Howell. Every apartment has a washing machine, well-equipped kitchen, Ultimate Ears speaker, free wi-fi, TV, air-conditioner, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, free undercover parking. Most apartments have views and the hotel is just off Launceston’s cafe strip of George Street.

Change’s eight causes – six chosen by the team and two voted on by the public – range from local to international. “We are unapologetically global," says Tara, “because we want people to think of their community as not just their backyard." At this stage the plan is to support different causes each year.

All murals are by Launceston-based street artist Patrick Camino, who’s been inspired by photojournalistic images of people from around the world. One face that particularly resonated with him was that of a man from India he’s since painted on a penthouse wall: “he’s thankful. I really wanted to capture that". Patrick loves the concept of the hotel. “There’s one thing that’s always interested me," he says. “Being distinctive."

Yet the Change team hopes their concept catches on and, eventually, people worldwide will book accommodation based on reasons beyond just amenities, location and price – so that everyone everywhere gets a better night’s sleep.

The main room and outdoor area of a two-bed apartment

The causes

Causes for Change you can support by checking in…

Act for Kids

A night funds one therapeutic session for a child or family who has experienced abuse.

Be Her Freedom

A night will provide a welcome pack to a survivor of human trafficking upon entering an A21 Campaign shelter.

Beyond Blue

A night funds a phone call to a youth in need of mental health assistance.

Freedom Center

A night supports one child through a short-term education program in India.

The Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission

A night provides 210 breakfasts for children in an orphanage in Banbasa, India.

Tasmanian Land Conservancy

A night purchases and protects approximately 10 square metres of land in Tasmania.

The Unconquered Project

A night funds the production of 80 packs of sanitary pads and their distribution within India.

Victory School of Hope

A night funds one child’s term of education and school supplies at this Port Vila, Vanuatu, school.

Read our ultimate travel guide to Launceston for more tips, guides and itineraries.

Hobart has quietly become our coolest capital, but the real wonder lies just beyond the city limits.

In the cool shade of Kunyani/ Mt Wellington, Hobart has earned a reputation. Home to culture-defining Dark MOFO, the city blends rugged, raw wilderness and rule-breaking galleries. But, step beyond the thrumming capital’s border and you’ll find a new perspective: historic towns, Jurassic-era cliffs and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. With ALL Accor as your home away from home, fill your days with epicurean odysseys and wild scenery on the best day trips from Hobart.

Where to stay

Behind every good road trip is the perfect home base. Somewhere central to review your camera roll, make the most of Hobart’s dining scene and relax before setting off again.

For modern, Tasmanian-inspired design, book a stay at the Movenpick Hotel Hobart . Standing at the Salamanca Markets, look to the Hobart skyline and the award-winning hotel will catch your eye. As the third-tallest building in the CBD, the views across the harbour toward Antarctica are totally unique to your room. Here, end each day at the daily free chocolate hour (plus a free Movenpick ice cream for the little ones).

For a more budget-conscious option, head to the picture book, sandstone buildings of Macquarie Street. Nestled along the buzzing, historic streetscape, you’ll find Tasmania’s biggest hotel: the Ibis Styles . Return home each day to defrost in one of the hotel’s two saunas. Make use of the proximity to MONA, or take an easy stroll to the candy-coloured cottages of Battery Point between your adventures.

A stylish, Tasmanian-inspired bedroom at Mövenpick Hotel Hobart, your perfect base for relaxing after the best day trips from Hobart. — Elevate your Hobart stay with sleek style at Mövenpick.

1. Bruny Island

Craggy cliffs and tropical-hued, white sand beaches signal your arrival to Bruny Island/ Lunawanna-Alonnah.

Start your day trip at the island’s most iconic spot, the Neck Game Reserve. Scale the Trunganini steps to gaze out over the teensy stretch of land that juts through the sea connecting the two ends of the island.

Catch a rare glimpse of the white furred wallabies that call Bruny Island home at Adventure Bay. Then, for ocean-fresh oysters, pull into the drive-thru window at Get Shucked . Sample Bruny Island cheese at the cellar door before catching the ferry home with an esky full of local produce.

Bruny Island Neck is an isthmus of land connecting north and south Bruny Island. — Begin your adventure with a climb and a view. (Image: Elise Weaver)

2. Mount Wellington

At 1271 metres, Mount Wellington watches protectively over Hobart. Follow the winding road to climb through alpine forest and tufts of snow to reach the summit. Gaze down over Hobart and out to sea, or over your shoulder to the southwestern wilderness.

Reset your adrenaline with a mountain bike ride back down. Or, make like the locals and head into the mountain on foot. Try the hike to the Jurassic-period Organ Pipes which slips under the mountain’s magnificent dolerite cliffs (perfect for families thanks to the trail’s minimal incline).

For a view of Mount Wellington itself, hike nearby Cathedral Rock.

No matter where you are in Hobart you are never far away from the City's beloved mountain, Kunanyi / Mount Wellington — Climb through alpine forest to the summit. (Image: Paul Flemming)

2. Port Arthur

Constructed entirely by convicts, the manicured gardens and penal buildings of Port Arthur offer a day trip that practically hums with history.

The rugged, seagirt location was chosen for its difficult escape conditions. Now, you can cruise the coast below the towering, jagged cliffs of the Tasman National Park or wander the sloping fields of fragrant lavender.

Tickets to Port Arthur include a walking tour and harbour cruise. See the Isle of the Dead where 1000 men are buried in marked and unmarked graves. And Point Puer, Britain’s first prison for children.

The Port Arthur Historic Site is one of Australia's most important heritage sites and tourist destinations. Located on the scenic Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula in the south east of Tasmania, it offers a unique and essential experience for all visitors to the area. — Wander convict-built grounds and gardens. (Image: Dearna Bond)

3. Launceston

You’ll find Launceston at the confluence of three rivers after an easy 2.5-hour drive from Hobart. Launceston is a patchwork of old and new. Here, heritage streetscapes meet modern architecture.

Visit Cataract Gorge, the green, sun-dappled heart of the town and sacred meeting point for Tasmania’s indigenous communities. Pull up at roadside produce stalls that dot the Tamar Valley, or dine out. Launceston is, after all, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

Should the local wine scene persuade you, simply extend your time in Launceston at Peppers Silo (but definitely at least stop by the onsite restaurant, Grain of the Silo , for a farm fresh menu) or Mercure Launceston before heading back to Hobart.

Walk the sunlit paths of Cataract Gorge. (Image: Nick H Visuals)

4. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Take a 35-minute drive from your hotel and you’ll find Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary . This social enterprise is run by a team of extremely passionate Tasmanians with a mission to look after critically endangered species who have found sanctuary here after facing extinction on the mainland.

Choose to wander the sanctuary at your own pace or join a guided tour (free with your ticket) to come face to face with Tassie’s most iconic species. Tasmanian Devils, wombats and echidnas are part of the free tour. You can book up close encounters with your favourite animals, too.

Bonorong is a Sanctuary for wildlife run by a passionate team of like-minded people. We're a social enterprise: a little business with a big heart. — Snap a cuddle-worthy encounter. (Image: Tourism Australia)

5. Richmond Village & Coal River Valley

Richmond is a town that belongs in a snow globe. Fifty colonial-era, Georgian buildings have been painstakingly restored and turned into cafes, cosy restaurants and galleries. Visit Richmond Gaol , said to be the home of a prisoner so vile he inspired Charles Dickens to pen Oliver Twist’s Fagin.

Then, follow the Coal River as it flows past grassy, duckling-dotted knolls and under the iconic Richmond Bridge, the oldest bridge in Australia. From the crest of the bridge, see the oldest Catholic Church in Australia. The river crawls past many cellar doors, perfect for a day of wine tasting.

Richmond is a picture-perfect town in the Coal River Valley wine region, offering a glimpse into early colonial life, one of the best day trips from Hobart. — Trace the river through history and wine country. (Image: Fin Matson)

Plan your trip to Hobart and beyond with ALL Accor at All.com .

Inside Australia’s first social enterprise hotel