Hobart’s newest hotel connects people with place
How do you create a sense of history and heritage in a new building? The people behind the new MACq 01 luxury hotel in Hobart say the secret is in storytelling.
Nestled between the banks of the Derwent River and the sandstone warehouses of Hunter Island, Macq 01 – a collaboration between two family businesses, Vos Group and Federal Group – is in the heartland of historic Hobart waterfront. It’s an area heavy with history.
Darren Vos, director of Vos Group, says it’s an exciting and unique hotel that will be “the first thing people see when they arrive in Hobart on a cruise ship.”
While the previous 1960s warehouse on the site had no heritage value, Sullivan’s Cove is lined with century-old warehouses and sheds that serviced the area when it was a working port.
“Sullivan’s Cove is a sensitive area, so we needed to comply with a range of planning constraints,” Vos explains.
“The key was to create something that wasn’t a ‘big bold statement’ that would detract from the heritage buildings surrounding the new hotel.”
Achieving this objective meant the hotel maintains its “shed shape” and “sits within the same footprint as the building that was there before,” Voss says.
But when tourists are hungry for heritage and history, how does a new building evoke the atmosphere they expect?
Matt Casey, Federal Group’s general manager for tourism, is passionate about telling Tasmanian stories through MACq 01.
“The guests we attract are lifelong learners and are after a cultural experience. Quality service, food and fittings are mandatory. But what our guests are really lusting after is a deep and meaningful connection to place – and experiences that are authentic,” he explains.
Casey says the Federal Group, which also runs the Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart and Saffire Freycinet – is focused on a simple question: How do we connect people to place?
“In a new property like MACq 01, which doesn’t have any deep and meaningful connection to place in terms of its physical structure or heritage, this can be a challenge.”
Casey and his team embarked on extensive investigation into the “great characters of Tasmania” and uncovered some astonishing personalities.
“We identified five main character traits in Tasmanians: the colourful and the quirky, the hearty and resilient, curious and creative people, fighting believers and the grounded yet exceptional,” he says.
These five qualities informed the design of the hotel and the “customer experience is at the heart of the design”. Each of the 114 rooms has been assigned a character and story. An image and biography of each character distinguishes one room from the next.
Artefacts and design attributes have been carefully chosen to reflect the five character traits. “A hearty and resilient room is different to a colourful and quirky room,” Casey explains. 
The lounge area, which chronicles the history of Tasmania’s indigenous people, has been designed to evoke an open fireplace and is dotted with Aboriginal artefacts.
Meanwhile, the restaurant captures the history of Tasmania’s early industry – from whaling and seafaring to fishing and farming. The bar area shares the story of society, and features a 30-minute video that covers Tasmania’s landmark moments – from bushfires and bridge collapses to David Boon hitting 200 at Lords.
“These are the stories that people would share at local pubs,” Casey explains.
“We’ve written a book, called 114 Doors, which gives our guests a chance to learn more about each character, and a team of four storytellers on staff will take guests on a tour of the hotel. We hope they will be inspired by these amazing stories.”
As the MACq 01 team gears up for the grand opening on 1 June, the property management team is in place and the master storyteller is busy building up his dossier of yarns.
Federal Group is also looking to “create an experience beyond the boundaries of the hotel,” Casey adds. Storytellers will host walking tours and will recall the tales of terror and triumph experienced by the dwellers of bars and brothels along the waterfront.
The island’s convict heritage, once a shameful secret, is now being celebrated as a unique and important chapter of Tasmania’s history.
The development team is also supporting the Footsteps towards Freedom project, which aims to commemorate the 13,000 convict women and 2,000 children who landed at Hobart’s port in the first half of the 19th century. Internationally-acclaimed sculptor Rowan Gillespie has been commissioned to create a life-size bronze statue memorialising the female convict experience.
The sculptures will be installed on the forecourt of MACq 01.
“It’s these little details that create a place that enhances the urban fabric and brings life to the community,” Vos says.
Casey agrees.
“Our goal is to build a deeply connected emotional experience. This hotel isn’t just about a bed and food. Instead, we want to go beyond the four walls and create something that people will remember,” Casey concludes.