This large, barn-shaped hotel offers the best eating and the warmest welcome (thanks to possibly the largest fireplace in Tasmania) around Lake St Clair. There are pub staples such as parmigiana and roast, plus curries from the Sri Lankan chef and, if you’ve really hiked up an appetite, the 350g King Billy steak with prawns and scallops ($67).
If the steak renders you immobile, there are plain but comfortable hotel rooms (double $145 to $165, breakfast included), as well as backpacker/bushwalker dorm cabins ($35), which are cold, resemble army barracks and use poorly maintained amenities blocks. Free camping for motorhomes and caravans.