Canterbury Hotels

Other Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Alpine Lodge Motel, Hanmer Springs: The perfect location - and net curtains LOL

by Kakapo2

You might know that I can be easily pleased by hanging up net curtains that allow me to get changed or even run around naked if I please without feeling the urge to pull the curtains in the middle of a sunny day.

This motel ticked this box.

The second important thing always is the location. And this cannot be any better regarding this place. It is just opposite the thermal pools, so you can just cross the avenue in your bathing gear (or a bit more, if you please ;-) and just take the essentials with you. As the thermal pools are in the town centre the location is doubly perfect. (The second such perfectly located place is the Drifters Inn on the opposite corner of Hanmer Springs Road and Harrogate Street.)

Hanmer Springs is small and quiet at any time of the year and day, even if it is busy. Staying in the town centre does not mean you get loud or drunken behaviour around your accommodation. (And apart from that the café and restaurant scene starts just after this motel, resp. after Drifters Inn.)

We had a standard unit booked on www.wotif.com at a very affordable rate.
This included free wireless internet access. (You receive a pin code upon arrival.)

This unit had a queen size bed, a sofa, and a wannabe-kitchenette with a benchtop built over a fridge. You cannot cook there, there is not even a microwave sitting on the benchtop (but the TV ;-), just the essentials like toaster, fridge and kettle, and on the bottom shelves of the wardrobe you find a few cups, plates and glasses. The benchtop-table is too high to be used as a desk or table, you best use it as a breakfast bar. As there is no sink you do not have to do the dishes ;-))

The bathroom is large and has obviously been tiled during major renovations. You still find some old beige plastic stuff but most fittings and the enclosure of the huge walk-in-shower is now white. The vanity unit is of generous size and has a few drawers for storage. There is a window over the basin, the mirror is beside it. Heated towel rails are useful after a visit to the thermal pools. The two-tap basin is one of my pet-hates as I think it is a waste of water when you just want to rinse your hands or face with warm water and have to fill the basin, or risk to burn your hands. But surely this is no point to not reconsider staying at this nice place.

The room was warm and cosy, the bathroom rather cold.

The motel is built around a patio, so it is an enclosed space somehow blocking off any noise coming from the main road. The entrance is off the side road (Harrogate Street). It has a warm feeling as the main building material is wood. In a distinctive corner tower you find a suite with a round bed. Also a chalet is available.

You enter your unit through a sliding door off a deck that runs along the units. Beside the door are two chairs where you can sit in the sun - or use them to dry your swimming togs ;-)

Rates:
Studio unit NZ$ 120
Family unit NZ$ 130
Chalet NZ$ 145
Tower Suite NZ$ 260

Always check out rates on www.wotif.com

More photos later!

Hot Springs Motor Lodge, Hanmer Springs: Spacious units with room to dance

by Kakapo2

This rather new complex offers 32 spacious units with room to dance, all perfectly clean and tidy. We had one of the upstairs units which have mountain views. At ground level you might just see cars parking in front of the units. So it was well worth to carry our lot of luggage up the stairs.

We had a standard studio. This featured a king size plus a single bed, dining table and chairs, a small kitchenette with microwave, kettle, coffee/tea making facilities, fridge and sink. No stove. (But the two-bedroom unit has a full kitchen.)

What we found a bit strange was the location of the open wardrobe (including pillows) and the ironing board in the huge bathroom - just beside the toilet (see photo 5). As the bathroom mists up when you shower this surely is not ideal and you do not want to keep your clothes there if you have to pack up after showering - unless the clothes are very wrinkly and/or you want to iron them. There were not many hooks in the bathroom, so we used the ironing board as additional option to dry our many towels.

For cold days and/or nights you have an electric blanket and heater in the double-glazed rooms.

Free broadband internet access.

In communal areas you find a guest laundry and a BBQ facility.

Very friendly and helpful hosts.

The motel also has an adjacent café/restaurant where you can take breakfast, lunch or dinner. They also have function and conference facilities.

Of course, you can walk to the pools and the town centre from this motel but it is a bit of a walk, probably 15 minutes. We were not inclined to walk on a cold and dark night, so took the car to go for dinner.

Full rate for a standard studio is NZ$ 130, for a superior studio with spa bath you pay NZ$ 165, B&B deals from NZ$ 160. Also one- and two-bedroom spa units.

Often special deals on www.wotif.com, as well as on the motel's website.

Photo 2 shows part of the motel's exterior.

Photo 3 displays the inside of our standard unit.

Photo 4 and 5 show the bathroom.

Eversley Cottage, Fairlie: A small House in the Middle of Nowhere

by Kakapo2

After I had checked out all accommodation in Fairlie I could find on the internet I finally stumbled over the town’s official accommodation website and fell in love with this cottage. All the bigger was my delight when the owners told me they would rent it for a night only, and we absolutely loved it.

Eversley Cottage is an historic but recently renovated two bedroom cottage on SH 8, on the Fairlie town boundary towards Lake Tekapo. It is about 1 or 1.5 km from the highway in the middle of farmland, and you have it all for yourself. We did not even meet the owners, as they do not live on the farm because the farm house had been sold separately. There is another cottage nearby, but that is all you can expect of human proximity. We did not hear a sound from this direction, just peace, silence and birdsong.

As it got cold in the evening we used the logfire and had a wonderfully heated living area. Plenty of logs were supplied beside the fire place and outside the cottage.

The cottage has, as said, two bedrooms, an open plan dining/kitchen area plus a sofa from where you can watch TV – which is placed in the kitchen area. We just moved the sofa from the wall for having a better viewing angle.

The bathroom is in a new addition of the sandstone cottage and accessible from the kitchen. You would walk through the first bedroom to get to the second bedroom, so you should know each other a bit if you want to share the cottage. Or, there is the option of leaving the rear bedroom through a door to the deck and enter the house through the main entrance door to get to the toilet at night, so you would not have to disturb your travel companions. So no big deal – well, if it does not rain cats and dogs… ;-)

The furniture in the bedrooms is a bit yesteryear, which gives a nice nostalgic touch. The fireplace in the rear bedroom is not for use. We would have been happy if the matrasses had been a little harder.

The bathroom reminds a bit of a commercial kitchen with its deep sink instead of a normal basin. On the other hand it is perfect for washing clothes by hand, and there is also a washing machine, so you can do your laundry. As I always criticise too little storage space in the bathroom, let me tell you that there is a huge benchtop with space for a dozen toilet bags :-) There is a shower with shower curtain, no bathtub. The toilet is in a separate room, accessible only through the bathroom/laundry.

The kitchen has everything you need, including dishwasher, microwave, stove, oven and fridge. Outside in the small garden is a BBQ with gas bottle free for use. Plus, there are two stone benches and some folding chairs.

The cottage and its garden are fenced, you enter through a gate. There is parking space for one car inside this fenced area right behind the gate.

We found the cottage in perfect condition, neat and clean, and the lawn was freshly mown. You are asked to leave the cottage as you find it, linen is supplied. All you need to know is supplied on a laminated info sheet, including restaurant tips.

Rates, reservation and (no) directions

A night comes to NZ$ 80 for two, plus $ 15 per extra adult. Under 5 year olds are free. Cash payment only. (Rates as early 2009)

You have to make a reservation and cannot just show up. Well, you would not find the cottage anyway without exact instructions, and there is no sign along the road, so you do not have to be prepared for unwanted visitors ;-)

You can sleep six people in the two bedrooms which would be ok for a family or a group of young and slim people. If you are friends travelling together we would rather say it is perfect for two couples who do not have privacy issues. And… we thoroughly enjoyed Eversley Cottage just for the two of us :-)

Contact:

Hosts: Peter and Sonya Callaghan
Email: s.callaghan@orcon.net.nz
Phone: (027) 2011912 or (03) 685 8355

More accommodation in Fairlie on this great website:

http://www.fairlie.co.nz/html/accommodation_.html

The door on the left on the main photo is the direct access door to the rear bedroom – if you do not disturb the people in the first bedroom which is accessed from the living/kitchen area.

Photo 2 shows the kitchen area.

Photo 3: First bedroom

Photo 4: Second bedroom

Photo 5 shows the lovely garden area including BBQ in the rural landscape.

Buscot Station (10 km north of Omarama): Bird Song is the only Noise you hear

by Kakapo2

Although I am no real backpacker at all I dared to book accommodation at the Buscot Station backpackers accommodation, as I did not see a big risk of having my sleep disturbed when staying in a single room. And so it was.

I was pleasantly surprised of the size of my room on the first floor. It can also be used as a double room and is just huge.

Sharing the similarly big bathroom on the ground floor was no problem either as I used to get up earlier than most other people LOL So I always could take my shower when I wanted. There is another bathroom in the outbuilding where the dorm is.

The backpackers accommodation was built at the site of an historic farm building only four or five years ago. This was when the owner, Tony Gloag, handed over his merino farm (now a mixed business with sheep and cattle) to his son, and started his new business.

The station is about 1.5 km off State Highway 8, 20 km south of Twizel and 10 km north of Omarama. From the elevated position of the building you have great views over the mountainous scenery, and the garden is a beauty. As you are 1.5 km away from the State Highway the only noise you hear is the bird song in the early morning.

Tony himself is a highly knowledgable and easy-going person, knowing everything about nature and ecology, hating the bureaucrats and the silly monoculture of NZ’s forest industry. You can have great discussions with him. And he really rents out his last bed. While I was there he used to sleep on a sofa in the lounge!

No wonder he is thinking about expanding his business and build some more rooms, another lounge, bathroom and kitchen.

At the moment you can book 1 single room (NZ$ 40), 10 double and twin rooms ($23 pp), and 24 bed in a dorm in an outbuilding ($ 18 pp). You can also get a tent site ($ 7.50, rates as Dec. 2007).

Buscot Station is a BBH hostel and has a rating of 92% - thanks to its cleanliness and friendliness of the owner and his one-man staff (Kev).

One thing that has nothing to do with this hostel but surprised me was that some people who stay there cannot open their mouth, not even to say good morning. The two affectionate dogs of the house did not say a lot more but were much friendlier ;-) In fact, those two dogs were the first dogs I thought which were really nice, and I even touched them - and in general I do not like dogs at all. Totally different with some fellow travellers LOL

An alternative when Buscot Station is fully booked

When Tony is fully booked he sends travellers to Clay Cliffs Lodge. I saw the lodge - sitting at a more elevated position near the spectacular Clay Cliffs on the other side of the highway and the Ahuriri river - and spoke to a couple who were staying there. They said the views are even more spectacular than at Buscot Station, and also the lodge is more luxurious, has three excellent bathrooms - and is more expensive.

Accommodation in a single room costs $65, double room $90, twin room $100. A bunk bed comes to $35. All those prices include breakfast.

Contact details:

Clay Cliffs Lodge
Henburn Road
Omarama

Phone (03) 438 9733
Fax (03) 438 9730
Mobile (021) 540 773
Website: www.claycliffslodge.co.nz

Apart from that you will be pleasantly surprised how many accommodation alternatives you will find in Omarama. This is partly due to the place being the number one gliding centre of New Zealand and one of the best in the world. Located in the middle of nowhere, at the intersection of to major roads, it also provides for tired travellers who are looking for a place to stay on their way from Christchurch/Mt. Cook and Queenstown.

The Heritage, Hanmer Springs: Spending a Night in (Spanish Mission) Style

by Kakapo2

Heritage Hotels and Resorts have a good reputation, so it comes at no surprise that we were rather happy with the accommodation in Hanmer Springs.

The room was spacious, and the outdoor pool was an added bonus. We did not test the outdoor tennis and petanque courts.

The restaurant was first class and can be highly recommended, even if you do not stay at the Heritage.

The hotel is in a very nice and distinctive building in the Spanish mission style. It has been restored to its former glory. For over a century it had been the Hanmer Lodge.

You can chose from normal hotel rooms, garden suites and villas.

The rates vary, the rack rate for a deluxe room is NZ$ 289 (as May 2010) but if you book last minute for the next two weeks days you can get a room for as little as $155. Superior rooms (rack rate) cost $257, a garden room $289, and a 3-bedroom villa $520. Specials from NZ$ 140.

Often they have special deals, especially during the low season.

Update 22 May 2010

Having stayed at the Heritage last week, I feel inclined to add some critical words.

I had booked a deluxe room - but did not really find it very deluxe. For a start, I think that a deluxe room should have a desk, and the minibar should be hidden elegantly behind a wooden door and not white fridge dominating the not very spacious wardrobe, and the only picture on that very long being the picture of the TV when you turn it on...

But my pet hate is - with all due respect to handicapped people - to have a wheelchair-friendly bathroom, and this fitted the way that the whole room is flooded after a shower. We needed three bath towels to dry the floor and be able to walk to the (wet) toilet and not stand in the water in front of the basin later. When showering the shower curtain flew around all over the place.

In a deluxe room I would also expect a bathtub.

Again: A hotel has to have a certain number of rooms for not so mobile people, and perhaps even more such rooms when the hotel is located in a spa town where older people might seek relief from their ailments. But when the hotel is nearly empty between the seasons it should be possible to have deluxe rooms available that deserve the name.

I also found it rather strange that the bedside table was one metre from the bed on one side. So when you wanted to have coffee or tea in bed you had to hold cup and saucer the whole time.

The heating was very good and sufficient on rather a cold day.

What I found good was that the hot food of the breakfast buffet was made to each individual's order, as there were so few guests that it would have been a waste to offer everything prepared and then throw out most of it.

Very friendly service by full-time staff and a young guy on a work and holiday visa.

A very relaxing atmosphere, only some steps from the hot pools and all other restaurant options. But the elegant hotel restaurant is fabulous!

Very quiet location despite being located along a kind of main road. But there is no action in Hanmer at night, so it would be very uncommon to be disturbed. (We only woke up briefly when the morning paper was knocked against our door at 6am...)

Quest Apt. Hotel: Christchurch City Center

by pepples46

never stayed here, but it looks like a very good adress and setting in the City Center of Christchurch. lovely shops and cafes at the doorsteps.
webpage provided below

the Chalet: Comfort in the Mountains

by pepples46

never stayed here, but know a Staff Member and she is very satisfied with her job

has all creatures comfort, very good to know when back from a hiking or mountain trip. Resttaurant serves good tucker, Internet connection, Ski TV digital

Hulverstone Lodge: Lodge

by pepples46

beautiful situated at the River Avon in Christchurch, a Tudor Style House quiet and away from the noise.

easy on the purse, meals can be prepared in the Kitchen, lovely bright and sunny rooms, great walkways around the Avon, 2km to the Beach and New Brighton.....just a perfect spot in Christchurch

Winery Cottage: Bed & Breakfast

by pepples46

have a look at the Map. on a 3.5hectare the Cottage is surrounded by Lavender and Wisterias....mind, eye and nose boggleing.the Rooms have decent size and wonderfully decorated. go to the website below.

a double room just $US55.-
and it is a convinient spot between Christchurch and Picton

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Canterbury Hotels

323 Hotels

Other Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Alpine Lodge Motel, Hanmer Springs: The perfect location - and net curtains LOL

Hot Springs Motor Lodge, Hanmer Springs: Spacious units with room to dance

Eversley Cottage, Fairlie: A small House in the Middle of Nowhere

Buscot Station (10 km north of Omarama): Bird Song is the only Noise you hear

The Heritage, Hanmer Springs: Spending a Night in (Spanish Mission) Style

Quest Apt. Hotel: Christchurch City Center

the Chalet: Comfort in the Mountains

Hulverstone Lodge: Lodge

Winery Cottage: Bed & Breakfast

Explore the World

Questions and Answers