It’s easy to see that the Polaire Suite, a new luxury serviced apartment in downtown Hobart, was designed by people who work in hospitality. The one-bedroom offering has a dining table that seats six, a full-sized oven, an induction cooktop and a fridge you’d usually only find in a commercial kitchen.

Officially opening mid-November, the Polaire Suite is an extension of award-winning wine bar and kitchen Institut Polaire, which is just a few short steps across St David’s Park towards the waterfront. 

It’s housed in (and managed by) the 1920s-era Mantra One building. Once you’re past the not-especially-glamorous reception area it’s all grey and white tones, soft textiles and cool metals, in keeping with the bar’s signature aesthetic. 

The space was designed by Louise Radman, who co-owns the wine bar and accommodation with husband Nav Singh (the duo also makes Süd Polaire Gin, Tasmanian Bitters and Domaine Simha wines). 

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It’s a railroad-style apartment – that’s a series of rooms connecting to each other in a line – with one enormous window that looks out onto Davey Street with a view of Hobart’s spiritual anchor, kunanyi/Mt Wellington. 

The cool-climate colour scheme is a nod to Hobart’s extremely southern locale. There are a few Antarctic-themed touches by way of books and coffee mugs, though it’s more Nordic than icebreaker. 

“I tried to play on the theme, but not make it too kitchy,” Radman says. The monolithic steel dining table made from marine-grade steel (“It’ll never rust!”) and its mid-century modern love seats were her idea.  

The space technically sleeps three with the addition of a roll-in cot, but it’s best capped at two. Particularly as the living area centres around two wide, grey linen armchairs separated by metal armrests. They’re extremely comfortable, just not for a group. The main bedroom has a king-size bed and a palette of muted greys with layers of cotton, wool and linen.

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The bathroom stays true to the minimalist style, with floor-to-ceiling grey porcelain tiles and slimline shelving set into the wall. There’s also a walk-in rain shower that boasts one easy to use temperature/water control (unlike some higher-end hotels, which seem to take pride in having three different faucets to do one thing).

There’s an envy-inducing amount of storage space, even by apartment standards. Radman wanted full-sized custom wardrobes, not the usual dinky hotel hangers, so people could rent the space out for long stays. On that note, there’s a washer and dryer and onsite undercover parking is available.

No pets are allowed, although there’s a Koons-esque dog statue by Finnish designer Eero Aarnio (his name is “Snowy”) to fill the void left by any four-legged friends. 

This Mantra-managed building doesn’t have a restaurant, but those staying at the suite get priority access to Institute Polaire when its open (Thursday to Sunday from 4pm) and there are bars and cafés aplenty within walking distance. If you’re heading out on the town, make sure you stop by to and say hello to Radman at the wine bar. She stirs up some of the best gin martinis in town. 

The Polaire Suite is located at 1 Sandy Bay Road, entry off Davey Street. Bookings via the website. 

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