As Launceston scrambles to create accommodation options to cater for growing visitor numbers, one new hotel has taken a socially conscious approach to tourism - and it will start taking bookings from next week.
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Change Overnight, based in York House, allows visitors to choose one of eight causes to support for each night of their stay, from 210 breakfasts for orphans in India, to protecting 10 square metres of Tasmanian rainforest.
The hotel was the first of its type in the world when the idea was conceived by S. Group directors Sam Haberle and Tara Howell two years ago. They then combined with the York House developer and two other business partners to make it a reality.
It was officially launched on Wednesday by Premier Will Hodgman after a nine-month construction phase, converting the former office and warehouse space into 18 high-end rooms.
Mr Haberle said it was a complex project, but the collaboration and knowledge of all parties involved helped to achieve the goal.
"When we first did the research, there was one in the US which never actually got off the ground," he said.
"From a pure profitability point of view, it is actually harder as a business model. However, we have made sure that our level of accommodation and our guest experience is superior, it's high end, which means that we can actually charge a quality rate at that point.
"It means we can actually afford to do it."
Rather than having a percentage of the cost of each nights' stay go to charity, the developers wanted visitors to have "tangible" donation options and the knowledge that their choice was directly helping people in need.
The rooms range in cost from $180 to $650 per night.
Other causes include a term of education for a child at Victory School of Hope in Vanuatu, a phone call from Beyond Blue to a youth in need and funding for a child in India to attend the Freedom Center to break the cycle of poverty.