WHEN Julian Roberts and Chaxi Afonso Higuera bought Corinda in Hobart's Glebe, they were doing much more than simply acquiring a new business.
Corinda, a magnificent private house, was built in the late 1870s by Julian's great-great grandfather Alfred Crisp, a well-to-do timber merchant who eventually became lord mayor of Hobart. For Julian, the opportunity to bring Corinda back into the family was one he couldn't pass up.
After the Roberts bought the Victorian property, built on land previously used for a convict-run vegetable garden, they spent several months refurbishing and adding their personal touches. Guests can now stay in sumptuous heritage rooms featuring exquisite joinery crafted from fine Tasmanian timbers, such as huon pine and blackwood, as well as luxurious textiles and one-of-a-kind antiques.
While Julian and Chaxi are new to Corinda, they are far from new to hospitality. Between them they have more than 20 years' experience in hotel management, gained in establishments in the UK and Australia.
Now settled in Tasmania, they're using that experience to their advantage on home ground. For example, they source the finest local produce for the Corinda breakfast table. Guests can wake up to free-range eggs and organic bacon, served with home-made bread and local jams.
The property has been described as a "Tasmanian Eden" and is famous for its lush landscaping, with many mature trees and shrubs as well as European-style parterre areas. The garden has always been maintained in the style in which Alfred Crisp created it and group walking tours of the garden can be booked on request.
Corinda is the perfect base for those wanting to explore southern Tasmania's world-class attractions including MONA and World Heritage-listed Port Arthur.
Corinda's sister property, boutique country house hotel Brockley on the east coast, is ideal for those wanting to extend their break to include Maria Island and Freycinet national parks.
A current offer enables guests to stay for four nights in the house and only pay for three from April until October (direct bookings and some date exclusions apply).
Later this year Corinda will launch a cooking school where authentic Spanish/Canary Islands cuisine such as paella will be shared, along with recipes Chaxi learnt sitting on her grandmother's knee. Lunch will be served in the dining room accompanied by Tassie fine wines.
