At the Right Place

The room remained painfully cold during two days of rainy, chilly weather in Christchurch, around 7°C. Its heater wasn't working properly, and cold air came through gaps. I was woken by the cold early one morning. When we spoke with the male and female night staff that morning, they said each room could only be given one small portable heater. That wasn't enough for a room that was so cold and poorly insulated. The male staff member on duty the previous evening had been very helpful. He helped us set up the first heater and even offered a second one, though we thought one might be enough then. Once we realized the room was still freezing, we went back to the front desk for help, but he had finished his shift. We waited there quite a while and were just told to wait. Nothing was sorted out before the next morning. The male staff member we spoke to that morning was dismissive and had a very poor attitude. Proper heating in cold weather is a basic expectation, and the lack of response, along with the attitude of certain staff, made this a very disappointing stay. I hope management takes it seriously.

The rooms are small, but clean, tidy and very functional. Service was excellent on both occasions. We barely used it, but there's a large, clean kitchen with plenty of fridges for food storage, plus an open, clean common area. The location is excellent, an easy ten-minute walk from the airport, a minute from lots of dinner places, and a $10 Uber ride to Jucy car rentals. Exceptional value overall.

We found Lylo Christchurch handy for an overnight stay before an early flight. It's a basic, boutique-style backpacker place near the airport, with small but functional rooms. The airport is a ten-minute walk away, and the nearby Spitfire shopping area offers somewhere to eat out. The property has a pleasant indoor hangout space with chairs, tables and hammocks, plus a large kitchen stocked with cooking gear and cutlery for simple meals. Our room did the job, with a comfortable bed, some space for repacking, a simple bathroom and a wall-mounted telly. Check-in is at 3pm sharp, but it was quick and easy. You can use the facilities and lockers before check-in if needed. Rates seemed reasonable for the location and quality. We'd be happy to stay again.

The ensuite room was more spacious than I expected, and otherwise it was good. The location is really convenient, with shops, food, a gym and the airport all nearby. We did spot one bed bug, though we weren't bitten overnight, so I suppose that's good? I didn't raise it with staff because the person at the desk didn't seem very attentive to guests, and we seriously doubted they'd let us change rooms.