A restored Hobart landmark that once produced jam now doubles as a boutique art hotel that preserves its industrial past while showcasing Tasmanian creativity.
The Henry Jones Art Hotel occupies the former IXL jam factory on Hobart’s waterfront, a site that remained in operation into the early 1970s under H. Jones & Company and its late head, Sir Henry Jones. From the street the building appears largely unchanged, but inside a $1.7 million renovation has combined contemporary hotel design with the factory’s original fabric.
Renovators retained convict-built stone walls and exposed timber beams, replacing only four beams for safety, and worked to preserve as much of the surviving factory as possible. The conversion resulted in 52 individually designed guest rooms arranged around the structure’s historic bones. More than 450 works by Tasmanian artists are displayed throughout the property, forming a permanent, site-specific collection intended to reflect local culture.
Visitors report remnants of the building’s original function remain perceptible: on hot days faint scents of sugar and berry are sometimes noticeable in the walls. The hotel’s interior design intentionally references the site’s industrial history while accommodating contemporary amenities expected by travellers.
The Henry Jones Art Hotel is part of a wider trend of adaptive reuse in heritage precincts, where former industrial buildings are converted to cultural and hospitality uses. By retaining original masonry and timber elements and embedding a substantial local art collection, the site seeks to both conserve material history and provide a platform for Tasmanian artists.
The IXL jam brand and H. Jones & Company played a notable role in Tasmania’s industrial development during the 19th and 20th centuries. The building’s transformation into a hotel and arts venue has made it a visible example of how historic commercial properties can be repurposed for tourism and cultural engagement while keeping key architectural features intact.
The Henry Jones Art Hotel remains an active hospitality venue on Hobart’s waterfront, attracting visitors interested in design, regional art and industrial heritage. Its blend of preserved structural elements and curated artworks positions the hotel as both an accommodation option and a cultural destination in Tasmania’s capital.