"My wife and I spent two nights at Villa Howden, at the start of winter. The weather was unfortunately lousy, very cold and rainy, so we couldn't get full enjoyment of the lovely grounds and location. Overall we enjoyed our stay, and that was largely due to hotel manager Phil and receptionist Yimie, lovely people who did everything in their power to make our stay pleasant. Also the room was large, bed comfortable, shower good.
There were annoyances, though,such as being told on check-in that our tarrif (at the high end of Hobart hotel tarrifs) didn't include the free breakfast that was a big feature of their website's advertising, so it would cost us $33 for a single dish, plus extra for coffee, toast etc. Also, nowhere on the Web page (only in the Menu) did it mention that the restaurant was closed Mon//Tue, so we could not get anything to eat on arrival, and since it was so bleak we just went to bed without dinner.
My impression was that, having charged a lot for a start, the owners were keen to then squeeze every extra dollar out of the customers. The website is misleading in not spelling out limitations and exceptions, just extolling purported virtues. By comparison, Lenna in Hobart, with a similar rating and tarrif, gave us a complimentary bottle of good wine for one night's stay!
The place is undeniably lovely. Built in the 1970s, it is in the manner of an 18th century French villa. Lovely building, furnishings, grounds, views. Most positive memories — Phil & Yimie!"
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