IF LAUNCESTON was a Monopoly board, Josef Chromy's place would be Mayfair.
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An indoor pool, a miniature orchard, a personal wine cellar and remote control toilet are just some of the finer features in the 82-year-old's penthouse suite atop the Hotel Charles.
Mr Chromy said he never dreamed of living the high life when he fled his war-torn Czech village in 1950 as a 19-year-old.
But an unmatched work ethic fuelled his journey from penniless immigrant to one of Tasmania's most successful food and wine entrepreneurs.
Despite retiring two years ago, Mr Chromy spends little time off his feet.
``I do not spend much time at home to relax,'' he said.
``I never sit down and think about the things I have finished.
``It is always thinking about what needs to be done.''
Mr Chromy unveiled the $33 million makeover of the former Launceston General Hospital in December 2010.
``It was the worst building in Launceston - and now it is the best,'' he said at the time.
His suite would still take some beating.
Mr Chromy's fourth-floor property stretches across 2000 square metres and opens to a panorama of Launceston and the Tamar Valley on all sides.
The centrepiece is undoubtedly the indoor pool, heated to 24.5 degrees and complete with LED lighting, sauna and spa.
``Every morning I swim for 30 minutes,'' he said.
The cavernous living space is divided into a seemingly endless combination of rooms.
The guest quarters alone are lavish - featuring their own kitchen, living area, two bathrooms and two bedrooms.
Art adorns almost every spare space - Mr Chromy's favourites being a couple of paintings by fellow Czech Tomas Samek while most walls and furnishings showcase fine Tasmanian timber: birdseye huon pine, oak, myrtle, blackheart sassafras, King Billy pine and blackwood.
In his office sits his first national wine award (for the 1995 Heemskerk Chardonnay) as well as a memento of his lunch with Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Albert Hall.
Mr Chromy's personal wine cellar contains 2000 bottles and is chilled to a constant 13.5 degrees, while he often sits in his lounge chair with a nip of whisky if he can't sleep.
Incredibly, there could be a few upgrades on the way, with Mr Chromy pondering a better use for the southern-facing balcony.
``I am thinking putt-putt golf and a bowling green,'' he said.
