Risby Cove reopens after renovationsTasmania, Australia

Strahan’s Risby Cove has always had a soul - raw, untamed, and perched on the edge of Macquarie Harbour. Now, after a multi-million-dollar transformation, that soul has been given a wardrobe of bespoke Tasmanian timber, curated artworks, and just the right amount of glamour.

Twelve suites now read like a love letter to the West Coast: decks spilling over harbour and rainforest vistas, cedar hot tubs and private infrared saunas promising long, slow soaks, and a “cinematic” gold-class suite nodding to the hotel’s theatre past. It’s a place where fireplaces glow on rainy afternoons and king-sized beds invite mornings without alarms.

Wellness isn’t an afterthought here, it’s in the air, in the light, in the way each space nudges you into stillness. Stand on a deck at sunrise with tea in hand, and the world feels a little quieter, a little softer. Owner Jacinta Young calls it a sanctuary, but really, it insists you slow down whether you like it or not.

Risby’s restaurant, long a Strahan favourite, has been reimagined too. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame shifting moods of Macquarie Harbour while dishes tell stories of land, sea, and the region’s history, from salvaged Huon pine to fire-finished Tasmanian oak tables. Every detail whispers West Coast pride.

A stay here is less about ticking boxes and more about surrendering to place, letting the harbour, forest, and a little Tasmanian magic work their slow, restorative charm.

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