So, here’s a quick review of Distinction Christchurch (New Zealand) a week of stay there:
Before I get into the actual review about the room, one thing you should know is that even if you had paid the whole amount for the rooms and stay before arriving, they will charge a substantial amount from your card for “eventualities.” So, make sure your card has a good amount in it (even of you’ve paid for the rooms in advance) before you arrive for check in. But then, good news is, the amount gets reversed the moment you check out and they find everything is in order. So that turned out well.
Coming to the rooms: they were modern and comfortable. The breakfast and dinner is usually great too. The service is friendly. The location is central. There are meeting rooms in the hotel, so if you have a need to do business meetings here, you could.
One thing I noticed was that no one helped us take our luggage out from the car and take it to the room, – which is something we expect in hotels of this repute. All staff were welcoming, check in (other than the extra deposit) was easy and the room had everything I needed. The bed was incredibly comfortable helped by the lovely linens used. A central and convenient location. Added bonus of room service for those who like to order something in rather than go down to eat.
This hotel is fine, but the rooms are tiny. Plus they make you pay to valet the car and then you have to wait awhile when you need it.
The hotel looks to be relatively new, the decor is pleasant. As I showed you, the views in any direction won’t be up to much though higher floor may get long distance views.
Also, speaking of the drapes, they don’t close properly. When fully closed the top of the drapes don’t fully reach the end of the track. This lets in light though luckily not too much.
The housekeeping staff did an absolutely perfect job.
So, now, let’s head out for a stroll around the city center. It’s a pleasant day…but this place is not so crowded – be it any time of day. This place has a lot of murals that local artists put up here to bring back the spirit of the people after the terrifying earthquake in 2011.
We had a quick meal at one of the local cafes there and then headed over to the New Regent Street.
This is a very quaint street with lots of tiny shops, cafes, souvenirs, restaurants, etc. Christchurch seems to have a somewhat somber atmosphere, I enjoyed wandering down New Regent Street, it was such a breath of fresh air as it’s such a cheerful street. Every shop is a different color and that makes the street different from all the other streets. There are cafes and take away shops all over. We see people passing this street a couple of times with the tram and every time I walk by it, it gives me a different happy feeling.
This is the Christchurch Cathedral and it’s temporarily closed. Such a pity that part of the cathedral was destroyed by the earthquake. And it’s good that much care is being taken to restore it. Though its being restored but as per the locals, its taking quite long. Still lot of work is required to be done. Its glad to know that after the long discussion that the Cathedral will be reinstated in three phases in 7-10 years.
So, that’s a wrap for now…I’ll try to keep you updated about the stuff I plan to do here, the places I go to as much as I can…So, till then…Take it easy! Talk soon!
A Wanderer's Postcards 