Inside Stillwater Seven, Launceston’s Intimate Heritage Stay
a historic retreat
By Kiri Johnston | 4th September 2026Set within a restored 180-year-old flour mill, this seven-suite hotel pairs warm, moody interiors with deeply personal Tasmanian hospitality.
Tasmania had been on my list for years, and during my birthday week, Mum and I finally made it there. Our first stop was Launceston, where we checked into Stillwater Seven, a boutique hotel set above Stillwater Restaurant in a historic flour mill on the edge of kanamaluka/Tamar River.
There are only seven rooms, spread throughout a building with 180 years of history behind it. The original mill is still very much there: huge Oregon timber beams, two-foot-thick stone walls and, in some rooms, old wheels from its working days. Against all of that are dark walls, Tasmanian art, locally made furniture and windows overlooking the river.
We were welcomed with a glass of Tasmanian sparkling before discovering what may be the best guest pantry I’ve encountered. Forget the usual tiny hotel minibar. The bespoke blackwood pantries are stocked with local wine, cheese, chocolate, olives and house-made sourdough.
We cracked open a glass of wine, along with a blue cheese and the freshly house baked sourdough, settled in on our laptops for a few hours. After travelling, it was nice knowing we didn’t need to go anywhere else that night.
With seven rooms, Stillwater Seven is small. You’re not walking through a huge lobby or waiting for lifts alongside a hundred other guests. The team knew who we were, showed us to our rooms and left us to settle in.
I stayed upstairs in Room 5, where some of the original mill wheels and timber beams are still built into the room. It had a king-sized bed, river views and a large bathroom with pink tiles and a bathtub. The interiors are dark and warm, with black timber, old beams and a bespoke blackwood pantry made by local furniture designer Simon Ancher.
Mum was downstairs in Room 1, which Stillwater calls its “jewel in the crown”. Hers also had a king-sized bed and bathtub, along with sweeping views across the Tamar River. We kept going between each other’s rooms to see what the other had, and it was clear pretty quickly that the seven rooms aren’t carbon copies of one another. The bones of the old mill dictate a lot of what you get.
My room was also incredibly quiet. Being on the top floor with so few other guests around, I barely heard anything once I closed the door. My only complaint, entirely my own fault, was that I didn’t leave enough time for a proper soak in the bath.
Both rooms had fully stocked pantries, pod coffee machines and breakfast provisions. It’s generous without being complicated: good Tasmanian food and wine in your room, a comfortable bed and everything you need to stay put for the night.
That evening, we headed downstairs for dinner at Stillwater Restaurant, where executive chef and co-owner Craig Will leads a contemporary menu centred on Tasmanian produce. Having one of Launceston’s best-known restaurants directly below your room is a very good arrangement. We could have another glass of wine, take our time over dinner and walk straight upstairs to bed afterwards.
I eat mainly vegetarian, but while in Tasmania I convinced myself to try the fresh line-caught fish special — a decision I didn’t regret. It was our first proper introduction to just how good the produce is in Tasmania. Nothing needed much fussing with. Good ingredients, generous plates and a restaurant relaxed enough that we were happy sitting there for the evening.
The following morning, we set out early for Cataract Gorge. It’s only minutes from Stillwater Seven, but once you’re walking between the huge rock formations, water and dense greenery, the city feels much further away.
We spent the morning walking through the gorge before heading back to the hotel. Waiting for us were freshly baked croissants, delivered in little bags and left hanging from our doors at 8am. After a morning walk in the cold, coming back to fresh croissants and coffee in our rooms was pretty hard to beat.
That probably sums up Stillwater Seven best. It isn’t about having hundreds of facilities or a long list of things to do inside the hotel. You have seven individual rooms inside an incredible old building, very good food downstairs, Tasmanian wine and cheese in your pantry, the river outside and Cataract Gorge around the corner.
As our first stay of the trip, it set the bar high. I would have happily stayed another night, partly because there was more of Launceston I wanted to see, and partly because I still wanted to enjoy that bathtub. Stillwater Seven is located in Launceston, Tasmania. Discover more or book your stay at stillwaterseven.com.au.
