Admiral Motel

The Admiral Motel was clean, well looked after, and just as advertised. It’s right in the heart of Christchurch, with everything within easy walking distance. Check-in and checkout were smooth and simple, and I loved having dedicated parking. A convenient, comfortable place to stay, highly recommended!

This was the worst motel I’ve stayed in in Christchurch. We chose it over a nearby four-star hotel because its score was so high, but it felt more like a two-star place than a three-star one. The room smelled musty, the unit key was hard to use, and there were missing light bulbs. The room wasn’t cleaned on the second day, so we got no service. Some kitchen items were missing, and the towels were thin and short and weren’t replaced. The place needs renovation. It was also the only motel in the area with vacancies.

I called on November 23rd to ask about booking directly. The receptionist quoted $250 or more, even after I said a third-party agent was offering the same room for $135. She insisted on the higher price and said we wouldn’t be allowed to stay if we booked online at the lower rate. I couldn’t understand why the agent was advertising that price if the motel wouldn’t honor it. When I said I’d book online and arrive late, the receptionist became ruder and said I couldn’t stay until midnight. I was surprised by her unprofessional manner and refusal to accommodate a late check-in. Other motels would handle late arrivals more appropriately. After the call, I saw the receptionist had changed the price listed on Agoda. That unpleasant experience means I won’t recommend this motel. She could use more customer service training, or might need to consider another line of work.

I don’t recommend this motel. It was around 11:30 in the morning, and outside it was about 8°C. The room felt very cold, so I shut all the curtains, turned on a light, and got into bed. The light was dim, but enough for me to settle in. Soon someone knocked. A man told me to switch off the light and open the curtains. I didn’t answer. I turned off the light but kept the curtains closed because opening them would have made the room colder. His request seemed unreasonable and made me uncomfortable. The two heaters in the room also weren’t working properly, which made the stay even worse.